Battle of Wogastisburg
| Siege of Wogastisburg | |||||||||
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Věnceslav Černý: Battle of Vogastisburg in 630 (Picture History of the Czech Nation, 1893) | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Slavic tribes | Frankish Empire | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Samo Dervan | Dagobert I | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown, most likely larger | ||||||||
According to the contemporary Chronicle of Fredegar, the Battle of Wogastisburg (also called the siege of Wogastisburg) took place between Slavs (Sclav, cognomento Winidi) under King Samo and Franks under King Dagobert I in 631 or 632. The Frankish armies advanced into the area of the Slavic tribal union in three groups - Alamanni, Lombards, and Austrasian Franks. The first two were quite successful, but the main fighting force was defeated in a three-day siege near a place referred to as Wogastisburg.
The location of the siege has not been determined because the primary source, Fredegar's chronicle, gives no geographical specifications. Several places claim to be connected with the battle (usually based on linguistic parallels and some excavations), for example Rubín hill near Podbořany (Bohemia), Úhošť hill near Kadaň (Bohemia), Bratislava (Slovakia), Trenčín (Slovakia), Beckov (Slovakia), Váh river near Voga (Slovakia), Staffelberg near Bad Staffelstein (Upper Franconia), and Burk near Forchheim (Upper Franconia), Vienna, Augustianis.
In fact, there is no conclusive evidence for any of these locations and it is even possible that the term Wogastisburg referred only to a kind of temporary encampment rather than a permanent settlement, in which case establishing a definite location would be impossible.