Principality of Copnic
Prinicipality of Copnic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12th century – 13th century | |||||||||
| Capital | Kopnik | ||||||||
| Common languages | Polabian, Latin | ||||||||
| Religion | Paganism, Christianity | ||||||||
| Government | Principality | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• appeared | 12th century | ||||||||
• ended | 13th century | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Germany | ||||||||
The Principality of Copnic (Principality of Kopanica; Polish: Księstwo Kopanickie; German: Fürstentum Köpenick) was a Slavonic principality in Central Europe in present-day central and eastern Brandenburg. Its seat of power was the castle and trade hub Copnic (German: Köpenick, today part of Berlin).
The principality appeared as a Christian entity in the early 12th century, from the Slavic Polabic tribe of the Sprevani. Its only ruler known by name was Jacza de Copnic. It is disputed if this Jacza is identical to the later Jaksa of Miechów (1120-1176) of the Gryfici (Świebodzice) noble clan, a knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
The only surviving sources for the principality are bracteates showing the ruler Jacza de Copnic titled as knes, a Slavic title meaning prince, and the tractatus de urbe Brandenburg, written in the early 13th century by Henry of Antwerp.
After losing the castle Brandenburg to Albrecht the Bear in battle in 1157, Jacza retreated out of the region and would transfer the principality to the dukes of Pomerania.
In 1180, the margraviates of Lusatia would conquer the area from the Pomeranians. Finally in 1244, the region would be annexed to the Margraviate of Brandenburg.