WENDS. - Slavic populations who inhabited vast regions, comprised between the Elbe and the Oder, and bounded to the north by the Baltic Sea and to the south by Moravia.

Their evangelization was rather a work of a political character, willed by the German sovereigns of the 10th century, who aimed to subjugate the turbulent tribes by means of Christianity. The method employed consisted in creating bishoprics, which would become mission centers and would have Magdeburg as their metropolis. The evangelization of the pagans, joined to German colonization, encountered obstacles due to racial questions. The meager results obtained under Otto I (936-73) were annihilated by the uprising of the V. under Otto II (973-86). There were only very few conversions to Christianity in the 11th century, and only in the northern part of the territory. The faith flourished later through the work of Moravian missionaries.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: Tietmaro di Mersebourg, Chronicon, ed. F. Kurze, Hannover 1889; A. Hauck, Kirchengesch. Deutsch., III, 3rd ed., Leipzig 1906 (it is the best work to consult); Fliche-Martin-Fruta, VII, nos. 356-64.

Guglielmo Mollat

@incollection{ec12_vendi, author = {Mollat, Guglielmo}, title = {Vendi}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XII}, pages = {1180}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1954}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/vendi} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Wends

About this entry