Ostsiedlung

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ostsiedlung

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary timeframe?Circa 1100 to 1500 CE
2. What is the key legal frameworks introduced?Magdeburg Law and similar town charters
3. Why did people move east during Ostsiedlung?People moved east because western lands were crowded and less fertile, while eastern lands were empty and offered chances to own land and grow.
4. How did settlers build new towns during Ostsiedlung?Settlers built towns with a grid layout, a central market square, a church, and clear streets. They also built mills, walls, and other public buildings.

Holy Roman Empire: A complex of territories in central Europe that existed for almost a thousand years, from the Middle Ages to 1806.
Magdeburg Law: A medieval legal code that granted towns significant autonomy and influenced urban development across Central and Eastern Europe.
Demographic Shift: A significant change in the characteristics of a population, such as its size, density, or ethnic composition.