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Polabii / Polabians (Slavs)

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It is generally accepted that Slavic origins in Eastern Europe are tied in with those of Indo-Europeans in general, and especially with the migrations of the Yamnaya horizon. Initially the proto-Slavs were closely related to the proto-Balts, and both seem to have been far less mobile than most other Indo-European groups.

The Western Polans were a West Slavic tribe. By the eighth century AD they were occupying the Warta river basin in modern Poland's western-central Greater Poland region. They were neighboured to the west by the Polabii or Polabians on the Elbe, otherwise known as the Elbe Slavs.

To the north of the Early Poland were the Pomeranians, but in the early days there was also still a sizeable population of mixed-origin Vidivarii groups which would only gradually fade into history. There were also Balts in the north-east, and the Venedi along the Vistula, and all of these were either later incorporated into the Polish state, or retreated to Lithuania, or were conquered and largely obliterated by the Teutonic Knights.

Population pressures on the Pontic steppe had been growing, with the invasion of the Huns in the late fourth century providing possibly the first major impetus for Slavic migration northwards to escape. Further invasions by the Avars in the early sixth century and then the creation of the empire of Great Bulgaria in the early seventh century did the rest. West Slavics headed to the north-west of core Slavic lands, largely heading into central Poland, along with its east and west margins.

Closely-related Polabians migrated in the seventh century to settle along the the entire Elbe river basin, along the River Weser, and northwards up to what is now the Danish border. The highly-active Abodrites were one of several Polabian tribal groupings, along with the Redars (or Redarii), Stodorans, and Veletians. The Polabians and Veletians are not to be confused with Wends, a Celticised remnant group in the region, although external writers - especially Germans - did start to use that label for Polabian Slavs.

In the tenth century Polabian groups came under immense pressure due to enthusiastic German expansion to the east of Saxony. This enthusiastic crusader movement was triggered when territory on the western side of the Oder was incorporated into border zones or 'marches'.

These were, from north to south, the march of the Billungs (which claimed territory occupied by Polabii, the Wagrians, and the Warnabi), the North March (claiming the lands of the Hevelii, Radarii, and Veletians, plus more Polabii), and the march of Lusatia (Lausitz). Polabian conquest was the main purpose for this expansion. The Slavic revolt of AD 983 threw off Saxon Billung control of their march, with the harried Saxons only just able to prevent Slavic incursion into their own lands but Germanic conquest was complete by the twelfth century.

(Information by Peter Kessler and the John De Cleene Archive, from A History of Poland from its Foundation, M Ross, from Geography, Ptolemy, from the International Encyclopaedia for the Middle Ages-Online (Supplement to LexMA-Online), from The History of the Franks, Volume II, Gregory of Tours (O M Dalton, Trans, 1967), from Poland: A Historical Atlas, Iwo Cyprian Pogonowski (Dorset Press, 1987), from From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms, Thomas F X Noble, from Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians 751-987, R McKitterick (1983), and from External Links: The Slavs and the Avars, Omeljan Pritsak, and Brepolis Medieval Encyclopaedias Online, and the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, and Encyclopaedia.com, and Cranach Digital Archive (in German and English).)

5th century

Pushed to migrate northwards by the Hunnic empire, Slavs first enter what is now central Poland towards the later part of the fifth century, filling the void left by the greater part of the departed East Germanic tribes in regions such as Galicia, Lusatia, and Silesia.

Masuria is also reoccupied, by the West Baltic tribe of the Galindians, after parts of it have been abandoned by the Vidivarii and their preceding Willenberg culture ancestors due to large-scale tribal movements.

The legendary brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus, were the eponymous founders of the Polish, Czech and Russian nations, shown here in Viktor Vasnetsov's 'Warriors', 1898

Elements of Galindians establish the regionally-significant Olsztyn group, which includes horse burials along with its dead, and a large array of sophisticated bronze, silver, and gold items gained through extensive trade in all directions. As well as this Balt presence, the new Slav populations are still neighboured to the north by surviving Vidivarii populations.

8th century

By this century, small Slavic states are beginning to emerge, and these coalesce and expand over the course of the next century. Western Balts also occupy regions of Poland, mostly around the lower Vistula where they probably subsume northern Venedi populations.

840 - 843

Lothar of Middle Francia initially claims overlordship over all three regions of inherited Carolingian regions following the division of the empire, and his brothers, Louis and Charles, have to go to war to convince him to relent.

Charlemagne unified all the Frankish states under one ruler and created an empire which stretched deep into modern Germany, something that the Romans had never managed

The Treaty of Verdun, signed in 843, recognises the empire's division. Warin, abbot of Corvey and son of Wigebart (Eckbert), seemingly holds the title of comes et Saxoniae patriae marchio in Saxony until around 850, by which time his nephew, Liudolf 'the Great' has already secured control of the Saxon lands as the first (recognised) duke of Saxony.

By this time, the Polabians are in what is now northern-central Germany and north-western Poland, inside the eastern boundary of the East Frankish kingdom, to the south-west of the Saxons, to the west of the Lusatians in Great Moravia, to the north-west of the Milchans (also in Great Moravia), and to the east of the Thuringians.

c.842

The earliest of the Piast rulers of the Western Polans to be known in any source is Chościsko. He is mentioned in the first Polish chronicle, Cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum (The Deeds of the Princes of Poland) by Gallus Anonymus. It dates to the early twelfth century and is therefore a far from reliable source, although 'Anonymus' may have access to earlier material which has not survived.

Chościsko's son is Piast, who is the first of the early Piast rulers of the tribes of the Polans and Goplans. He and the subsequent three princes of early Poland are of dubious certainty.

King Louis 'the Pious' of the Frankish empire attempted to leave the empire intact for his eldest son, Lothar, but the others rebelled at the idea. The treaty of Verdun in AD 843 confirmed the official division of the empire between Charlemagne's three surviving grandsons (click or tap on map to view full sized)

However, it is they, or their historical counterparts, who begin the process of uniting the other West Slavic tribes in the region into a single state. The village of Giecz is the main centre of this early Polish state.

936

German expansion to the east of Saxony begins in earnest when territory on the western side of the Oder is incorporated into two border zones or 'marches'. The northernmost of the two is the march of the Saxon family of the Billungs while the North March neighbours it to the south, with the march of Lusatia (Lausitz) to its own south. The main target of conquest both now and for several decades previously is the Polabian Slavs of the Elbe.

962

The successor to Siemomysl is his son, Mjeczislas, or Mieszko, the first documented ruler of the Western Polans. He is also the figure who is responsible for completing the task of uniting several of the West Slavic tribes of the region.

This task includes subsuming the West Slavic-dominated Pomeranians, and also the Masovians, creating a region and duchy of Masovia in the process. He forms a duchy which is quickly elevated to a kingdom of Poland.

The Baptism of Poland, by Jan Matejko in 1888-1889, portrays a romanticised version of the acceptance of Christianity by Duke Mieszko on behalf of his people in 966

983

The Slavic revolt of the Saxon marches sees the Polabians, plus the Lutici (also a target of Polish expansion) and Obotrite tribes, on the east bank of the Elbe rise up against German overlordship.

Faced with a drive to convert them to Christianity as a way of integrating them into the German empire, they take the rare act of organising under Lutici leadership and destroy several churches and settlements (including Hamburg). The Saxons are only just able to defend the line of the Elbe, but the march of the Billungs and the North March are lost.

1107

The establishment of the German duchy of Pomerania leads to more and more conquest of native lands on the southern Baltic coast and a gradual end to native rule. This is the beginning of the German crusades at the eastern end of the Baltic Sea.

Stettin in Pomerania was for a brief time controlled by Poland during one of that state's many forays into Pomeranian lands in an attempt to control the pagan natives (and possibly also to block similar German incursions)

The same crusader enthusiasm also destroys Polabian groups along the Elbe, between now and about 1125. The Holy Roman empire gradually assumes overall control, ultimately Germanising their conquered eastern populations. Only the Sorbs retain any measure of their identity.