Obotrites

The Obotrites (sometimes Abodrites, Obodrites) were a mixed group among the Slavic peoples who had in the 6th century AD settled in the regions later known as Mecklenburg and Schleswig-Holstein in what is now north-eastern Germany.

They alternately fought with and served as tributaries to the Frankish kings and their successors in the East, acknowledging finally the suzerainty of the Holy Roman Empire in 1170, after which the region underwent rapid Germanisation. However, through the late 15th century, most villagers were still speaking Slavic dialects (Polabian language).

In common with other Slavic groups, they were often described by Frankish sources as Wends, a term properly denoting the distinct (but possibly related) ancestors of today's Sorbs, who lived to the south-east.