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'Years:' 1252 1253 1254 - 1255 - 1256 1257 1258

'Decades:' 1220s 1230s 1240s - '1250s' - 1260s 1270s 1280s

'Centuries:' 12th century - '13th century' - 14th century

Contents

Events

Europe

Western Europe

Central and eastern Europe

Asia

Births

Deaths

Events

Europe

Western Europe

★ August - The final Cathar stronghold in southern France falls, eliminating the last refuge of the heretical Cathars after the Roman Catholic Church engaged in a program to crush the sect, starting in 1209 with the Albigensian Crusade.

★ The death of Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln prompts persecution of Jews in England on accusations of blood libel.

★ Lisbon becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal.

★ The Gothic cathedral at Bourges, France, is completed. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

★ A survey of royal privileges is conducted, which is included in the Hundred Rolls, an English census seen as a follow up to the Domesday Book completed in 1086; the Hundred Rolls is later completed with two larger surveys in 1274/1275 and 1279/1280.

Central and eastern Europe

★ May - William of Rubruck from Constantinople returns to Cyprus from his missionary journey to convert the Tatars of central and eastern Asia, his efforts having been unsuccessful.

★ Königsberg (now Kaliningrad) is founded in Prussia.

★ Theodore II Lascaris, Byzantine Emperor (in exile in the Empire of Nicaea), conducts a military campaign to recover Thrace from the Bulgarians. He concludes the task successfully a year later in 1256.

★ The Duchy of Bavaria is split into Upper and Lower Bavaria

★ The German state of Nassau is divided, not to be reunited until 1806.

★ King Béla IV of Hungary grants Banská Bystrica municipal rights of a royal town.

Asia

★ Hulagu Khan is dispatched by his brother Möngke Khan to destroy the remaining Muslim states in southwestern Asia.

Births

★ Albert I of Germany, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1308)

★ William de Ros, 2nd Baron de Ros, claimant to the crown of Scotland (died 1317)

★ Duccio di Buoninsegna, Sienese painter (died 1319)

★ Grand Prince Andrey of Gorodets (approximate date; died 1304)

★ Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg, King of the Romans (approximate date; died 1298)

Deaths

★ May 1 - Walter de Gray, English prelate and statesman

★ Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln (born 1247)

★ Jarler, Archbishop of Sweden

★ Sundiata Keita, semi-historical hero and founder of the Mali Empire. (approximate date; born c. 1190)

★ Batu Khan, Mongol ruler and founder of the Blue Horde.