St. Gottschalk

Gottschalk was a prince of the Wends and a Christian. He gave up his religion when his father was killed by a Christian Saxon. He served in the army of Canute of Denmark, accompanied Sweyn to England, married his daughter, and returned to his Christian religion. When he reconquered his realm, he was active in the conversion of his subjects to Christianity, brought in Saxon monks but was killed at Lenzen on the Elbe by adherents of his brother-in-law, who was the leader of an anti-christian uprising against him. Many scholars questioned his designation as either saint or martyr. Gottschalk helped his local priests to translate sermons and instructions into his Slavonic language soon after his religious conversion. His feast day is June 7.