ABSTRACT
During the 11th and 12th centuries, many pilgrims and crusading expeditions passed through East Central and Southeastern Europe. Some of them were part of the First (1096–1099), Second (1147–1149) and Third Crusade (1189–1192), others were related to smaller crusading enterprises, such as the so-called Crusade of 1101, and the rest were independent ventures. Many of these expeditions have been studied in detail, particularly those related to the First and Fourth Crusade, while others received less attention from scholars. There is a rich literature about the impact of the crusades on Byzantium, but their consequences on the South Slavic lands and on Hungary have only been studied from local perspectives. There has so far been little attempt to make an overview of the impact of the western pilgrimages and crusades on the whole of East Central and Southeastern Europe. 1
