Wendish Crusade

Common card · No. 283895

The Wendish Crusade (German: Wendenkreuzzug) was a religious military campaign in central and eastern Europe, initiated in 1147. As one of the Northern Crusades, it was led primarily by the Catholic Kingdom of Germany — a constituent of the Holy Roman Empire — and directed against the then-pagan Polabian Slavs (or "Wends"). The Wends were made up of the Slavic tribes of Abrotrites, Rani, Liutizians, Wagarians, and Pomeranians who lived east of the River Elbe in present-day northeast Germany and Poland. The lands inhabited by the Wends were rich in resources, which played a factor in the motivations of those who participated in the crusade. The mild climate of the Baltic area allowed for the cultivation of land and livestock. Animals of this region were also thickly furred, supporting the dependence on fur trading. Access to the coastline also developed fishing and trade networks. The land was attractive for the resources it boasted, and the crusade offered an opportunity for noble families...

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