Career
He established a Slavic kingdom on the Elbe (in the area of present-day northeastern Germany) in the mid-11th century. His object in life seems to have been to collect the scattered tribes of the Slavs into one kingdom, and to make that kingdom Christian. "A pious and god-fearing man", Gottschalk effected the Christianisation of the Slavic tribes of the Elbe.
He organised missions of German priests and founded monasteries at Oldenburg, Mecklenburg, Ratzeburg, Lübeck, and Lenzen, erecting the first three into dioceses.
He himself often accompanied the missionaries on their work and augmented their message with his own explanations and instructions. In all this, he was supported by the efforts of Adalbert, Archbishop of Hamburg.
He killed many Saxons before Duke Bernard II of Saxony defeated and captured him. His lands went to Ratibor of the Polabians.
He was sent to England with Canute"s son Sweyn.
Sven Estridson, Jarl of Denmark, desired independence from King Magnus I of Norway in 1042. However, the Obotrite chief Ratibor was killed in a siege by Magnus in 1043. During the so-called Liutizi Civil War (Lutizischer Bruderkrieg) of 1057, Gottschalk conquered the Circipani and Kessini.
He secured the territory through the building of new fortresses.
The old fortifications of the conquered tribes were removed. He subdued the Liutizi and the diocese of Bremen "feared him as king" and paid him tribute.
He nurtured alliance with his Christian neighbours, Scandinavian and German, and joined in an alliance with Duke Bernard and King Magnus to defeat the Liutizi in battle. Initially the Lutici-Obotrie alliance was led by Blus, but after his death in 1066, Kruto, whose power-base was Wagria, replaced him.
Budivoj campaigned against Kruto with Saxon assistance, but was killed at Plön in 1075.
Henry succeeded in avenging his father"s death by killing Kruto at a feast in 1090. Gottschalk"s feast is the day of his death according to the Carthusians of Brussels in the Martyrology of Usuardus. The primary sources for his life are Adam of Bremen and Helmold.