Liquid Frontiers: Hydrosocial Conflict and Ecologies of Power in Medieval Baltic Europe

This paper explores the intricate relationship between water resources, social dynamics, and power structures in medieval Baltic Europe, conceptualizing the region as a "liquid frontier." Moving beyond traditional land-centric analyses of medieval frontiers, it investigates how rivers, lakes, coastlines, and marshlands were not merely geographical features but active agents in shaping hydrosocial conflicts and ecologies of power. The study argues that access to, control over, and manipulation of water were central to the political, economic, and social strategies of diverse actors, including indigenous Baltic tribes, Viking communities, Germanic crusading orders, and nascent urban centers like those of the Hanseatic League. By analyzing primary historical sources alongside theoretical frameworks from environmental history and political ecology, this research illuminates how water functioned as a contested medium for trade, communication, defense, resource extraction, and spiritual significance. The paper demonstrates that understanding the fluid nature of power and conflict in medieval Baltic Europe necessitates a comprehensive appreciation of its distinctive hydrosocial environment, revealing complex networks of cooperation, competition, and domination that were inextricably linked to the region's aquatic landscapes.