Everything about The Obotrites totally explained
The
Obotrites, also commonly known as the
Obodrites,
Abotrites, or
Abodrites, were a confederation of medieval
West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern
Mecklenburg and
Holstein in northern
Germany (see
Polabian Slavs). For decades they were allies of
Charlemagne in his wars against Germanic
Saxons and Slavic
Veleti. In
798 Obodrites ruled by prince
Drożko defeated
Saxons in the battle under Święciana. Still heathen Saxons were dispersed by the emperor and part of their former land in
Holstein, including
Hamburg, was awarded to Obotrites in
804, as a prise for their victory.
Adam of Bremen referred to them as the
Reregi because of their lucrative trade emporium
Reric. In common with other Slavic groups, they were often described by Germanic sources as
Wends.
The main tribes of the Obotritic confederation were:
Other tribes associated with the confederation include:
the Linonen near Lenzen,
the Travnjane near the Trave,
and the Drevani in the Hanoverian Wendland and the northern Altmark.
As allies of the Carolingian kings and their Ottonian successors empire the Obotrites battled the kings of Denmark from 808- 1200, who wished to rule in the Baltic region independent from the empire. Often upon death of an emperor or other difficulties, they sought to seize power and in 983 Hamburg was destroyed by the Obotrites under their king, Mstivoj. At times they collected tributes from the Danes and Saxons. Under the leadership of Niklot, they resisted a Christian assault during the Wendish Crusade.
German missionaries, such as Saint Vicelinus, converted the Obotrites to Christianity. In 1170 they acknowledged the suzerainty of the Holy Roman Empire, leading to Germanization and assimilation over the following centuries. However, up to the late 15th century, most villagers in the Obotritic area were still speaking Slavic dialects (Polabian language); but some time after that their language changed to German.
Some of the Obotrites also migrated to the south and settled in the Pannonian Plain, where the Bodrogiensis county of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary was named after them.
The German poet Johann Heinrich Voss (1751-1826), born in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, liked to identify himself as an Obotrite to emphasize his Slavic heritage. Obotrites were sufficiently remote and obscure to appeal to the nascent ethnic identifications of romanticism.
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