Tomenable
Well-known member
- Messages
- 5,460
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- Location
- Poland
- Ethnic group
- Polish
- Y-DNA haplogroup
- R1b-L617
- mtDNA haplogroup
- W6a
In year 1218 population of West Balts is estimated to be around 220 thousand, of which 170 thousand lived in areas which later became part of East Prussia (with Warmia). It is known that Old Prussian language died out at some point in the 1st half of the 18th century.
In the 1500s and 1600s there were still publications in Old Prussian language, including Luther's catechism.
Based on several sources I made estimates of demographic and cultural decline of Old Prussians:
Year - total population / Prussian ancestry (%) / Prussian-speakers (%):
1218 - 170 / 170 (100%) / 170 (100%) - crusade against Pagan Prussians starts, Teutonic Knights arrive few years later
The course of the crusade can be seen in this video (starts at 1 minute 48 seconds into the video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Yr06xWvlw#t=1m49s (Zakon Krzyżacki = Teutonic Order; Prusowie = Prussians)
Year - total population / Prussian ancestry (%) / Prussian-speakers (%):
1283 - 116 / 110 (95%) / 110 (95%) - population loss in crusade (including refugees to Poland, Lithuania & Rus) estimated as 35%
1310 - 150 / 126 (84%) / 120 (80%)
1405 - 270 / 151 (56%) / 123 (46%) - German colonization changed ethnic structure, part of Prussian elites already assimilated
1466 - 163 / 90 (55%) / 65 (40%) - population loss in Teutonic Order vs. Poland-Lithuania wars and in plagues estimated as 40%
1506 - 207 / 100 (48%) / 67 (32%)
1626 - 450 / 153 (34%) / 56 (12%) - change of ethnic structure due to Polish & Lithuanian colonization of parts of East Prussia
1656 - 501 / 169 (34%) / 50 (10%) - Poles and Lithuanians are ca. 20% of East Prussia's population each (in total ca. 40%)
1660 - 376 / 134 (36%) / 38 (10%) - population loss during the Swedish "Deluge" and due to plagues is estimated as 25%
1685 - 492 / 173 (35%) / 33 (7%) - French Huguenot immigration (8 K) in addition to earlier Dutch & Scottish (6 K combined)
1708 - 677 / 219 (32%) / 25 (4%)
1711 - 441 / 161 (37%) / 15 (3%) - losses in war and pest estimated as 35% (highest losses in Lithuanian-inhabited areas)
1740 - 601 / 195 (32%) / 0.1 (0%) - final extinction of Old Prussian language (according to R. Tautmann & G. Gerullis)
1759 - 686 / 222 (32%) / 0 (0%)
1816 - 1006 / 324 (32%) / 0 (0%) - this year East Prussia's population surpassed one million, I end my estimates here
Despite extinction of language, I estimate that up to 1/3 and no less than 1/5 of East Prussian DNA comes from Old Prussians.
In the 1500s and 1600s there were still publications in Old Prussian language, including Luther's catechism.
Based on several sources I made estimates of demographic and cultural decline of Old Prussians:
Year - total population / Prussian ancestry (%) / Prussian-speakers (%):
1218 - 170 / 170 (100%) / 170 (100%) - crusade against Pagan Prussians starts, Teutonic Knights arrive few years later
The course of the crusade can be seen in this video (starts at 1 minute 48 seconds into the video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Yr06xWvlw#t=1m49s (Zakon Krzyżacki = Teutonic Order; Prusowie = Prussians)
Year - total population / Prussian ancestry (%) / Prussian-speakers (%):
1283 - 116 / 110 (95%) / 110 (95%) - population loss in crusade (including refugees to Poland, Lithuania & Rus) estimated as 35%
1310 - 150 / 126 (84%) / 120 (80%)
1405 - 270 / 151 (56%) / 123 (46%) - German colonization changed ethnic structure, part of Prussian elites already assimilated
1466 - 163 / 90 (55%) / 65 (40%) - population loss in Teutonic Order vs. Poland-Lithuania wars and in plagues estimated as 40%
1506 - 207 / 100 (48%) / 67 (32%)
1626 - 450 / 153 (34%) / 56 (12%) - change of ethnic structure due to Polish & Lithuanian colonization of parts of East Prussia
1656 - 501 / 169 (34%) / 50 (10%) - Poles and Lithuanians are ca. 20% of East Prussia's population each (in total ca. 40%)
1660 - 376 / 134 (36%) / 38 (10%) - population loss during the Swedish "Deluge" and due to plagues is estimated as 25%
1685 - 492 / 173 (35%) / 33 (7%) - French Huguenot immigration (8 K) in addition to earlier Dutch & Scottish (6 K combined)
1708 - 677 / 219 (32%) / 25 (4%)
1711 - 441 / 161 (37%) / 15 (3%) - losses in war and pest estimated as 35% (highest losses in Lithuanian-inhabited areas)
1740 - 601 / 195 (32%) / 0.1 (0%) - final extinction of Old Prussian language (according to R. Tautmann & G. Gerullis)
1759 - 686 / 222 (32%) / 0 (0%)
1816 - 1006 / 324 (32%) / 0 (0%) - this year East Prussia's population surpassed one million, I end my estimates here
Despite extinction of language, I estimate that up to 1/3 and no less than 1/5 of East Prussian DNA comes from Old Prussians.