Jaxa of Köpenick

Jaxa of Köpenick, also known as Jaksa of Kopanica or Jaksa of Miechów (; died after 1176) was a Polish noble, the prince of the Sprevane and Stodoranen, and the ruler of Copnic. He was an opponent of Albert the Bear during the formation of Brandenburg in 1157. These events are dated to the period after 1150. Albert did not give up and laid siege to Brenna, which capitulated on 11 June 1157, while Jaxa withdrew to Köpenick. Much indicates that Jaxa’s rule over Brenna lasted quite a long time, since for the period 1150–1157 there are no documents by Albert mentioning Brenna, whereas immediately after its capture in 1157 he included it in his titulature.

The capture of the town is generally regarded as the beginning of the Margraviate of Brandenburg. thumb A bracteate of Jacza de Copnic. The cross held by the figure suggests a Christian ruler.Jaxa issued his own coins, bracteates, bearing the legends “IAC KES” and “IAKZA COPTNIK CNE,” which are commonly interpreted as “Jaksa knez” and “Jaksa knez of Copnic,” respectively. These coins are exceptional, as they constitute virtually the only known case of a West Slavic ruler minting coinage with a title expressed in the vernacular rather than in Latin. According to Piotr Boroń, the reason for this peculiarity may have been a deliberate attempt to not offend or to enter into conflict with the Polish dukes, who were Jaxa's suzerains and who alone were entitled to use the title “dux,” whereas the native term “knez” had a much broader usage and was effectively synonymous with “lord.” This is indirectly corroborated by the charter of Bolesław the Chaste from 1252, in which he confirmed the possessions of the monastery at Sieciechów, part of which, according to the wording of the document, had been granted by “Jaxa, who was called duke” (a Iacza qui cognominatus erat dux). Jaksa is also described as dux in the necrology of the monastery at Ołbin and in that of Doksany. It is also possible that this was influenced by the fact that, in the same period, Albert the Bear began minting coins with the inscriptions “Brandenburg” and “Marchio.” On the one hand, Jaxa may have wished to present himself as an equal ruler; on the other, he avoided elevating himself above the margrave by using the title “dux,” which occupied a higher position in the hierarchy.

The coins were most likely issued after the loss of Brenna in 1157, since otherwise that stronghold would probably have appeared in the titulature. One of the coin issues also features the motif of a palm branch, a symbol of a pilgrim to Jerusalem, and it is known that Jaxa undertook such a pilgrimage in 1162. On some of his coins, Jaxa is depicted with an uncovered head and a long beard, holding a double patriarchal cross, which, according to some scholars, indicates his joining the confraternity of the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre after bringing them to Miechów. The double cross was a symbol of the brotherhood.

Coins bearing the image of Jaxa are found not only along the Elbe but also in the territory of Poland, in Silesia, Kuyavia, and Pomerania.

Activity in Poland The foundation tympanum from the Church of St. Michael in the monastery at Ołbin in Wrocław. On the tympanum, alongside the figures of Jaxa, Bolesław the Curly, and his son Leszek, Jaxa's wife is also depicted, whose name is engraved in Cyrillic. The inscription reads: Ad hanc novellam dux fert sua dona capellam / Que fert Jacxo, Deus suscipe templa (“To this new chapel the Duke brings his gifts / Accept, O God, the temple which Jaxa brings”). Jaxa was active in Polish politics and took part in assemblies of dignitaries at Jędrzejów and Łęczyca in 1153, again at Łęczyca in 1161, at Jędrzejów and Wkryujście in 1168, and also at Milica in 1172. Together with his brother-in-law Świętosław, he participated in the rebellion of 1167 against the rule of Bolesław the Curly in support of his younger brother, Casimir the Just.In 1162 Jaxa undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where he likely did not participate in any significant military engagements. However, he certainly met with the Jerusalem Patriarch Amalric of Nesle, who granted permission for the foundation of a monastery of the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre in Miechów, which belonged to Jaxa. This is confirmed in a document of Patriarch Aymar the Monk from 1198, which mentions that Jaxa (dominus Iaczo), with the consent of his lord Bolesław, granted the monks three villages: Miechów, Zagorzyce, and Komorów. According to tradition, Jaxa brought back from the Holy Land a fragment of the True Cross, as well as four sacks of soil from the region (in another version, a reliquary box containing soil trodden by Jesus Christ), and also a French monk named Marcin Gallus, nicknamed “the Camel.”Miechów was only one of the foundations attributed to Jaxa. According to Jan Długosz, he also founded the Norbertine monastery in Zwierzyniec. The Zwierzyniec monastery was a filial monastery of the one in Doksany, of which Jaxa was a donor and maintained with it close ties.

He is likewise credited with founding the Norbertine monastery in Krzyżanowice. Jaxa was also a benefactor of the Benedictine monastery in Sieciechów and the builder of the Church of St. Michael in Wrocław, whose construction was completed by his widow Agapia. According to Marian Gumowski, he may also have been a patron of the establishment of the Templar commandery in Tempelhof.Death Jaxa most likely died in the 1170s. Various necrologies record the date as 26 February, 27 February, or 20 March. According to the Chronicle of the Kraków Chapter, he died in 1176, although it may in fact have occurred a few years later. It is also difficult to determine where he was buried, with two locations most commonly considered: the Church of St. Michael in Wrocław or the monastery in Miechów.It may be assumed that his principality on the Spree continued to exist after his death at least until around 1200, when this territory was conquered by Margrave Conrad II of Lusatia. At that time, the strongholds of Pennigsberg and Copnic were also burned.

Historical identification The exact identity of Jaxa of Köpenick, the leader of the Slavic revolt, has been subject of dispute, partly because there might have been several individuals with the unusual name "Jaxa" (or its variants) alive at the time. This is complicated by the fact that it is also not clear whether Jaxa was a pagan or if he had converted to Christianity. While Jaxa led a pagan revolt, some sources claim that he himself was a Christian, having converted through the Polish Bishopric of Lebus. Likewise the coins issued by a Jacza de Copnic show a ruler holding a cross, however it is not clear that Jacza and Jaxa were the same person, although undoubtedly both were associated with Köpenick. Other sources on the other hand refer to Jaxa as a pagan or a heathen.

The Polish numismatist Marian Gumowski identified Jaxa with a Polish noble from Lesser Poland, Jaksa of Miechów, who in 1145 married a daughter of Piotr Włostowic, the castellan of Wrocław and palatyn'' to Polish Duke Bolesław Wrymouth. According to this version Jaxa/Jaksa did not become prince of Stodorans until 1154. If the identification is correct then Jaxa's death can be placed at around 1176. Marek Cetwiński also identified Jaxa, prince of Kopenick, with Jaksa of Miechów. According to this thesis Jaksa's coins could have been fabricated at silver mines of Rozbark and Bytom.

This thesis has been disputed by other scholars, for example the Polish historian Gerard Labuda, who argued that the two were distinct persons. In this Labuda followed the Polish Renaissance chronicler Jan Długosz who had posited that there were in fact three different Jaxas alive during this period. Currently, the view with the most supporters is that these all are one and the same person.

Commemoration A monument for him can be found on the Schildhorn peninsula in the Havel.