Wendish Crusade

Wendish Crusade
Part of the Northern Crusades
The Capture of the Wends
Date 1147 Location Modern day Mecklenburg, in Dobin am See, Demmin and Malchow Result Crusader military victory, successful partial conversion of Slavs and Niklot and Pribislav agreed to accept Catholicism Territorial changes March of Brandenburg reconquers Havelberg, County of Holstein expels its Wends
Belligerents
Crusade Holy Roman Empire Bishopric of Havelberg March of Meissen March of Brandenburg Duchy of Saxony Archbishopric of Bremen Archbishopric of Mainz Bishopric of Halberstadt County of Holstein Bishopric of Münster Bishopric of Olmütz Bishopric of Brandenburg Bishopric of Merseburg Jutland-Kingdom of Denmark Zealand/Scania-Kingdom of Denmark Kingdom of Poland	Wends: Obotrite Confederacy Obotrites Wagrians Liutizian Confederacy Wendish allies: Duchy of Pomerania
Commanders and leaders
Anselm of Havelberg Conrad, Margrave of Meissen Albert the Bear Henry the Lion Canute V of Denmark Sweyn III of Denmark Adalbert II of Bremen Henry I of Mainz Rudolf I of Halberstadt Werner of Münster Reinhard of Merseburg Wiggar of Brandenburg Henry of Olmütz Adolf II of Holstein Unknown Polish Captain	Niklot Pribislav of Wagria Ratibor I of Pomerania
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

Crusade

Wends:

Wendish allies:

The Wendish Crusade (German: Wendenkreuzzug) was a military campaign in 1147, one of the Northern Crusades and a part of the Second Crusade, led primarily by the Kingdom of Germany within the Holy Roman Empire and directed against the Polabian Slavs (or "Wends").

By the early 12th century, the German archbishoprics of Bremen and Magdeburg sought the conversion to Christianity of neighboring pagan West Slavs through peaceful means. During the preparation of the Second Crusade to the Holy Land, however, a papal bull was issued supporting a crusade against these Slavs. The Slavic leader Niklot preemptively invaded Wagria in June 1147, leading to the march of the crusaders later that summer. They achieved an ostensible forced baptism of Slavs at Dobin but were repulsed from Demmin. Another crusading army marched on the already Christian city of Szczecin (Stettin), whereupon the crusaders dispersed upon arrival.

The Christian army, composed primarily of Saxons and Danes, forced tribute from the pagan Slavs and affirmed German control of Wagria and Polabia, but failed to convert the bulk of the population immediately.

The Ottonian dynasty supported eastward expansion of the Holy Roman Empire towards Wendish (West Slavic) lands during the 10th century. The campaigns of King Henry the Fowler and Emperor Otto the Great led to the introduction of burgwards to protect German conquests in the lands of the Sorbs. Otto's lieutenants, Margraves Gero and Hermann Billung, advanced eastward and northward respectively to claim tribute from conquered Slavs. Bishoprics were established at Meissen, Brandenburg, Havelberg, and Oldenburg to administer the territory. A great Slavic rebellion in 983 reversed the initial German gains, however. While the burgwards allowed the Saxons to retain control of Meissen, they lost Brandenburg and Havelberg. The Elbe River thus became the eastern limit of German-Roman control.

...
Wikipedia