# Ostsiedlung (1150)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/1150-ostsiedlung
Location: East Central Europe
Categories: main-event

From the twelfth century German peasants, burghers and monks settled lands east of the Elbe and Saale, invited by local lords seeking to develop their territories. They founded hundreds of towns under German town law, such as Magdeburg and Lübeck law. The movement transformed the economy and culture of East Central Europe.

## Why it matters
It created a German presence stretching to the Baltic states and Transylvania.

Ruler at the time: [Conrad III](https://germany-history.com/rulers/conrad-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Ostsiedlung](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostsiedlung)