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The Deeds of Wiprecht

Groitzsch

And he was generously enfeoffed by the same margrave with the town called Tangermünde with its appurtenances. So the youth went there, growing in abilities and in bodily and spiritual strength, and ever more capable, whether in his counsel or in his deeds. Since he practiced much slaughter of his enemies with an armed band for days uninterrupted, he was now to be feared by his acquaintances and familiars no less than by his enemies. And so it was readily wont to happen that at times they guarded against offending him even slightly, because strength begot praise, and praise envy of him. Those who seemed to love his integrity considered his proximity odious. For this reason, many counseled the margrave to send Wiprecht away from himself, to whatever place agreed upon, if it could be done honourably and peacefully, in order to take precautions not only for himself and his men but also for his descendants. The margrave wisely hastened to fulfil what had been prudently suggested. Summoning the youth in a friendly fashion, he handed over into his power his castle by the name of Groitzsch, situated in the Eastern region near the River Elster, with all of the appurtenances that were its by right, in estates and forests, meadows and pastures. In exchange for Tangermünde, he restored to him other benefices pertaining to the Nordmark. Wiprecht agreed to these things and withdrew to the east, that is, where the rising sun, true and rich, might visit him from on high. And if not immediately, nevertheless willingly, he took himself and his men inside the walls of the same castle [i.e., Groitzsch]. Insofar as he was unable to bear peace and was accustomed to evil deeds, he disturbed whichever nobles were staying in his neighbourhood—not without the ruin of the region.

Analysis

This is a very perplexing section of the Deeds.  Previous sentences identify this margrave as Udo of Stade, but it is striking that he is not named here.  It may be that another margrave was actually involved in Wiprecht's acquisition of Groitzsch, or that the author originally intended to obscure Wiprecht's connection to Udo for political reasons irrelevant to a later monk, who supplied the identification.  

The remark that the margrave returned to Wiprecht some properties in the Nordmark makes little sense, since nothing indicates he possessed any holdings there.  We would suggest it constitutes an interpolation, except that most of those concerning property as quite specific, unlike here.  It may be a gesture toward the section on legendary ancestry--either as an interpolation or an integral part of this passage.

Note too that this section rather oddly contains both praise of Wiprecht ("ever more capable") and critique ("practiced much slaughter", "accustomed to evil deeds").