Old Prussians
  History of Brandenburg and Prussia |
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Northern March pre–12th century |
Old Prussians pre–13th century |
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Margraviate of Brandenburg 1157–1618 (1806) |
Teutonic Order 1224–1525 |
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Duchy of Prussia 1525–1618 |
Royal (Polish) Prussia 1466–1772 |
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Brandenburg-Prussia 1618–1701 |
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Kingdom in Prussia 1701–1772 |
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Kingdom of Prussia 1772–1918 |
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Free State of Prussia 1918–1947 |
Klaipėda Region (Lithuania) 1920–1939 / 1945–present |
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Brandenburg (Germany) 1947–1952 / 1990–present |
Recovered Territories (Poland) 1918/1945–present |
Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia) 1945–present |
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Old Prussians or Baltic Prussians (German: Pruzzen or Prußen; Latin: Pruteni; Latvian: Prūši; Lithuanian: Prūsai; Polish: Prusowie; Kashubian: Prësowié) refers to the indigenous peoples from a cluster of Baltic tribes that inhabited the region of Prussia. This region became the core of the later state of Prussia. It was located on the south-eastern shore of the Baltic Sea between the Vistula Lagoon to the west and the Curonian Lagoon to the east. The people spoke a language now known as Old Prussian and followed pagan Prussian mythology.
During the 13th century, the Old Prussians were conquered by the Teutonic Knights. The former German state of Prussia took its name from the Baltic Prussians, although it was led by Germans. The Teutonic Knights and their troops transferred Prussians from southern Prussia to northern Prussia. Many Old Prussians were also killed in crusades requested by Poland and the popes. Many were also assimilated and converted to Christianity. The old Prussian language was extinct by the 17th or early 18th century. Many Old Prussians emigrated due to Teutonic crusades. Old Prussians, who emigrated to surrounding areas, later returned.
The land of the Old Prussians was larger before the arrival of Polans consisting of central and southern East Prussia and West Prussia. After 1945, the territory was equivalent to the modern areas of Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship (in Poland), the Kaliningrad Oblast (in Russia) and the southern Klaipėda Region (of Lithuania).
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Wikipedia