Sudheim Ludolph von

Sudheim, Ludolph von, a 14th-century German cleric of Westphalian origin. Between 1336 and 1341, he traveled throughout the East, visiting Jerusalem in 1336. His account concerning Georgians is dated 1347, in which he states: "The Georgians possess the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and even for a vast sum of money, they would not part with even the smallest fragment of the tombstone. The Georgians hold the keys to the Holy Sepulchre because they venerate the Savior's tomb with particular devotion and are also its magnificent guardians." Sudheim praises the military skills of the Georgians. According to him, the Georgians possess their own language and the banners of Saint George.

Literature: თვარაძე ა., საქართველო და კავკასია ევროპულ წყაროებში (XII–XVI საუკუნეთა ისტორიოგრაფიული და კარტოგრაფიული მასალის საფუძველზე), თბ., 2004.

A. Tvaradze