Polabian Slavs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Polabian Slavs is a collective term applied to a number of Slavic tribes living along the Elbe, between the Baltic Sea to the north, Solau to the west and Sudetes to the south. The tribes settled the area late in the first millennium.
The Polabian Slavs were grouped in three basic tribal groups:
- Wieletes (Redars and Czrezpienians)
- Obodrites (Obodrites and Wengrians)
- Lusatian Sorbs (Sorbians, Głomacze, Milczians and Lusatians)
Some scientists claim that the Sorbians were a separate group, distinct from the Polabians.
The two latter groups were subjugated by the Franks in the 7th century and their lands were soon afterwards occupied by German bishops and nobles. They liberated themselves in a pagan uprising in 983, but were again subdued by the Germans in mid-12th century. Despite the forcible christianisation, the Slavic language was spoken by the descendants of Drewlians in the area of lower Elbe until the early 18th century.
In turn, the Lusatian Sorbs remained independent to a large extent. They were temporarily subdued by Charlemagne, but upon his death the links with the Franks were broken. In a series of bloody wars between 929 and 963 their lands were conquered by Henry the Fowler (Heinrich der Vogler) and his son Otto the Great and were incorporated into the German domain. By the 14th century the majority of Slavs living there had been germanised. However, the lands of the Milczians and Lusatians remained in the sphere of influence of Bohemia and the Slavic presence there prevailed into the 21st century.
Currently, Polabian proper is extinct. However, both Lusatian languages are spoken by approximately 60,000 inhabitants of the region and the languages are regarded by the government of Germany as official languages of the region.
