Exactly 834 years ago, the first interstate treaty between Serbia and Germany was signed in Niš by Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja and German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, most likely at the Latin Church above the village of Matejevac. According to historical records, the agreement was concluded on July 27, 1189, while the German emperor spent several days in Serbia before and after that date.
Stefan Nemanja had previously informed the German emperor in writing that he was preparing a ceremonial welcome for him in Niš, the most renowned of his cities, which he intended to make the capital of his state.
“I am preparing a ceremonial welcome in the most renowned of my cities, which I intend to make the capital of my state,” the Grand Prince wrote to Barbarossa. The letter was a response to the emperor’s request to pass through Serbian territory with his army during the Third Crusade. Historians hold differing views on the meeting between the two powerful rulers of the time, but they all agree that it had been planned by both sides.
After Jerusalem fell into Muslim hands in 1187, the Third Crusade was proclaimed across Western Europe against the Muslim forces in the Middle East. French King Philip II and English King Richard the Lionheart also answered the call.
“When Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187, preparations for the Third Crusade began in England and France. Barbarossa joined the campaign as well, intending to reach Asia Minor by land. Since Barbarossa had already taken part in an earlier crusade as the young Duke of Bavaria and was familiar with the route from Niš to Constantinople, he most likely deliberately chose that path for his army,” historian Nebojša Ozimić explained.
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The Serbian ruler’s letter reached Nuremberg in 1188, in which the Grand Prince promised Barbarossa the warmest possible welcome in Niš. The meeting most likely took place in the courtyard of the Church of Saint Panteleimon.
“Stefan Nemanja welcomed Barbarossa accompanied by his brother Stracimir and a large retinue. Valuable gifts were presented to the German emperor, and negotiations began on July 27. Nemanja informed Barbarossa of his victories and successes, particularly emphasizing that he and his brothers had conquered Niš and its surroundings, as well as the areas around Serdica (Sofia). The German emperor was not prepared for war in the Balkans, so he accepted only part of the Serbian proposals, specifically those concerning the establishment of family ties. They arranged the marriage of Toljen, the son of Nemanja’s brother Miroslav, to the daughter of the Istrian Count Berhold. Anzbert, the German chronicler, recorded that lavish feasts were held and that the emperor received rich gifts: wine, barley, oxen, sheep, six sea cows, deer, and a tamed wild boar. Nemanja and his brothers also offered to become Barbarossa’s vassals in the fight against the Greeks,” Ozimić said.
After several days, the German expedition continued its journey toward present-day Sofia. However, the agreement sought by the Serbs was not fully achieved.
“As a result, Nemanja launched campaigns against the Byzantine cities of Skopje and Prizren, where he received news of Frederick Barbarossa’s death. After that, Byzantium regained control over territories in present-day Serbia, particularly following the Battle of the Morava, and Stefan Nemanja himself began contemplating abdication,” Ozimić added.
Apart from the certainty that the two rulers met, much about their encounter remains unclear more than eight centuries later. It is still said that at the conclusion of the agreement, the German emperor marked the document with a cross while Nemanja signed it. Historians continue to debate whether they feasted on chicken with honey, wine, or mead, whether Barbarossa ate with his fingers while the Serbian ruler used a golden fork, and even whether the two men conversed in the same language, allowing Barbarossa to understand the Grand Prince without difficulty.
Monument Erected in 1989
To commemorate the 800th anniversary of the historic meeting, the people of Niš and Serbia erected a monument in the city center in 1989. It bears an inscription in both Serbian and German that reads:
“The first Serbian-German international agreement was concluded in Niš on July 27, 1189, by Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.”
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Source: Novosti; Foto: Nspm.rs