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How did the margraves Gero and Hermann Billung expand Otto I’s eastern frontier?
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Otto I
Otto I and his wife Edith, sculptures in the cathedral at Magdeburg, Germany.
The margraves Gero and Hermann Billung were instrumental in expanding Otto I’s eastern frontier by leading military campaigns against the Slavic tribes, specifically the Wends, located between the Elbe and Oder rivers.12
Their efforts to secure these territories included:
- Military Defense and Conquest: Hermann Billung was granted a march on the lower Elbe in 936 to defend against pagan Slavic incursions. Together with Gero, he successfully waged wars that subjugated the Slavic tribes in the region.312
- Fortification: The Saxons attempted to solidify their military gains by constructing and garrisoning a series of forts throughout the territory between the Elbe and Oder rivers.1
- Consolidation through the Church: These territorial gains were supported by the establishment of religious institutions intended to facilitate Christianization and political control. This included the founding of the Monastery of St. Maurice in Magdeburg in 937, as well as the creation of several bishoprics in 948 to extend missionary influence.2
While these margraves successfully expanded the frontier, their methods were often characterized by ruthlessness, which eventually sparked significant Slavic rebellions against German military and ecclesiastical occupation.1