tribal confederation · Germany and Central Europe

Lutician Federation

983 CE – 1150 CE (approx.) · capital Rethra

A pagan Slavic alliance east of the Elbe that destroyed German rule in 983 and was governed by assemblies and the oracle of the god at Rethra.

Origins

The Lutici, or Veleti, were West Slavic tribes between the Elbe and the Oder, among them the Redarii, Tollensians, Circipanians and Kessinians. In 983 they rose against German rule, destroying the bishoprics of Havelberg and Brandenburg and expelling the margraves of the Northern March in the Great Slav Rising.

Rule and society

The federation had no prince; decisions were taken by assemblies of the tribes, and Thietmar of Merseburg describes the temple of Radegast (Svarożic) at Rethra, whose priests consulted oracles. Remarkably, Emperor Henry II allied with the pagan Lutici against the Christian Polish ruler Bolesław I, causing scandal among churchmen.

Decline and legacy

Internal war among the tribes in 1057 weakened the federation, and in 1068 Bishop Burchard of Halberstadt destroyed Rethra. The Wendish Crusade of 1147 and campaigns of the Duchy of Pomerania, Albert the Bear and Henry the Lion absorbed the Lutician lands by the mid 12th century.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lutician Federation. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lutician-federation
MLA
“Lutician Federation.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lutician-federation. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Lutician Federation.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lutician-federation.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lutician Federation’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lutician-federation (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻