Uploaded May 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum (Medieval Latin for "Deeds of the Bishops of Hamburg") is a historical treatise written between 1073 and 1076 by Adam of Bremen, 11th Century German writer.
It is a history of the see of Hamburg and of Christian missions in northern Europe from the late eighth to the late eleventh century and is the primary source of our knowledge of the history, geography, and ethnography of the Scandinavian and Baltic regions and their peoples before the thirteenth century. Arriving in Bremen in 1066 and soon falling under the tutelage of Archbishop Adalbert, who figures prominently in the narrative, Adam recorded the centuries-long campaign by his church to convert Slavic and Scandinavian peoples. His History vividly reflects the firsthand accounts he received from travelers, traders, and missionaries on the peripheries of medieval Europe.
As the bishops had jurisdiction over the missions to Scandinavia, it also gives a report of the Norse paganism of the period.
The existence of the work was forgotten in the later medieval period, until it was re-discovered in the late 16th century in the library of Sorø Abbey, Denmark.
How do we actually know about history? Voices of the Past is a channel dedicated to recreating the original accounts from the people who lived through events, or who lived far closer to them than we do today. We do this word for word, with an accompanying soundtrack of rousing music and images.
— Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to subscribe for new videos every single week! & Let us know in the comments what you’d like to see covered in the future.
— Become a patron for as little as a dollar a month & help keep this project going:-
patreon.com/historytimeUK
— Don’t forget to subscribe to our primary channel History Time, where we make full length historical documentaries:-
youtube.com/historytime
— History Time is now a podcast. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts from.
—Join our community on social media:-
Twitter:-
twitter.com/HistoryTimeUK
Facebook:-
facebook.com/HistoryTimeOfficial
Instagram:-
instagram.com/historytime_ig
— Music courtesy of:-
- Epidemic Sound
- Joss Edwards Music:-
soundcloud.com/jossedwardsmusic
Kevin MacLeod
— Voice actor & editor:-
David Kelly
We've compiled a reading list of our favourite history books via the Amazon influencer program. If you do choose to purchase any of these incredible sources of information then Amazon will send us a tiny fraction of the earnings (as long as you do it through the link) (this means more and better content in the future) I'll keep adding to and updating the list as time goes on:-
amazon.com/shop/historytime
Are you a budding artist, writer, illustrator, cartographer, or music producer? Send us an email! No matter how professional you are or even if you’re just starting out, we can always use new music and images in my videos. Get in touch! I’d love to hear from you.
We try to use copyright free images at all times. However if we have used any of your artwork or maps then please don't hesitate to contact me and we’ll be more than happy to give the appropriate credit.
Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum (Medieval Latin for "Deeds of the Bishops of Hamburg") is a historical treatise written between 1073 and 1076 by Adam of Bremen, 11th Century German writer.
It is a history of the see of Hamburg and of Christian missions in northern Europe from the late eighth to the late eleventh century and is the primary source of our knowledge of the history, geography, and ethnography of the Scandinavian and Baltic regions and their peoples before the thirteenth century. Arriving in Bremen in 1066 and soon falling under the tutelage of Archbishop Adalbert, who figures prominently in the narrative, Adam recorded the centuries-long campaign by his church to convert Slavic and Scandinavian peoples. His History vividly reflects the firsthand accounts he received from travelers, traders, and missionaries on the peripheries of medieval Europe.
As the bishops had jurisdiction over the missions to Scandinavia, it also gives a report of the Norse paganism of the period.
The existence of the work was forgotten in the later medieval period, until it was re-discovered in the late 16th century in the library of Sorø Abbey, Denmark.
How do we actually know about history? Voices of the Past is a channel dedicated to recreating the original accounts from the people who lived through events, or who lived far closer to them than we do today. We do this word for word, with an accompanying soundtrack of rousing music and images.
— Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to subscribe for new videos every single week! & Let us know in the comments what you’d like to see covered in the future.
— Become a patron for as little as a dollar a month & help keep this project going:-
patreon.com/historytimeUK
— Don’t forget to subscribe to our primary channel History Time, where we make full length historical documentaries:-
youtube.com/historytime
— History Time is now a podcast. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts from.
—Join our community on social media:-
Twitter:-
twitter.com/HistoryTimeUK
Facebook:-
facebook.com/HistoryTimeOfficial
Instagram:-
instagram.com/historytime_ig
— Music courtesy of:-
- Epidemic Sound
- Joss Edwards Music:-
soundcloud.com/jossedwardsmusic
Kevin MacLeod
— Voice actor & editor:-
David Kelly
We've compiled a reading list of our favourite history books via the Amazon influencer program. If you do choose to purchase any of these incredible sources of information then Amazon will send us a tiny fraction of the earnings (as long as you do it through the link) (this means more and better content in the future) I'll keep adding to and updating the list as time goes on:-
amazon.com/shop/historytime
Are you a budding artist, writer, illustrator, cartographer, or music producer? Send us an email! No matter how professional you are or even if you’re just starting out, we can always use new music and images in my videos. Get in touch! I’d love to hear from you.
We try to use copyright free images at all times. However if we have used any of your artwork or maps then please don't hesitate to contact me and we’ll be more than happy to give the appropriate credit.
