About Slavomir of Obotrites
Lived 750 – 821 (aged 70–71). Slavomir of Obotrites was a sovereign.
Slavomir (, died 821 in Saxony) was a legendary tribal prince of the Obotrites from 809/810 to 819. In 817, he allied with the Danes and opposed the Franks. In 819, he was dethroned and exiled, but reinstated shortly before his death in 821.
In alliance with the Franks (809–817) He assumed power over the Obotrites after the murder of King Thrasco by the Danes. At that time, the emperor exercised supreme authority over this group of Slavs. Four years later, in 815, he assisted Emperor Louis the Pious during the Frankish intervention in Denmark. The Saxon-Obotrite army, under the command of Missus Baldric of Friuli, was tasked with restoring Harald Klak to the throne. However, this expedition was unsuccessful, and after ravaging central Denmark, its participants withdrew to Saxony. Louis may have become acquainted with the position of the latter when, in July 815, an Obodrite embassy was present at the imperial court. Slavomir even swore that he would never again cross the Elbe. Open opposition of the Obodrites against Frankish influence occurred in 817. Refusing to submit to the emperor's orders, Slavomir simultaneously sent an embassy to the sons of the Danish king Gudfred, with whom he formed a military alliance. A joint attack plan on imperial territories was also agreed upon. The Danes and Obodrites were to divide the conquered lands inhabited by the . Gudfred's sons sent a fleet up the Elbe, while the land forces of both the Obodrites and Danes plundered the bordering provinces. However, the military actions were limited to the unsuccessful siege of the border fortress of Itzehoe by the Danish-Obodrite forces.
In 819, Louis sent a punitive Saxon-Frankish expedition across the Elbe against Slavomir, commanded by his legates. The ruler of the Obodrites suffered defeat and was brought by imperial troops to Aachen. There, not only the Franks but also the influential Obodrite nobles opposed him, accusing him of unspecified "numerous crimes". Slavomir was exiled, and the Obodrite throne was handed over to Cedragus by the emperor.
Slavomir remained in exile until 821. In that year, due to loss of trust in Cedragus, Louis the Pious again designated the exile as the prince of the Obodrites and allowed him to return. However, during the journey, he fell seriously ill and, having previously received baptism, died in Saxony.
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Important facts
People in Slavomir of Obotrites's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Slavomir of Obotrites's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Slavomir of Obotrites?
knyaz, slavic noble
When was Slavomir of Obotrites born?
Slavomir of Obotrites was born in 750.
When did Slavomir of Obotrites die?
Slavomir of Obotrites died in 821 in Duchy of Saxony.
What was Slavomir of Obotrites's occupation?
Slavomir of Obotrites was a sovereign.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Slavomir of Obotrites
· DBpedia: Slavomir (Obotrite prince)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Slavomir of Obotrites. https://biography.guide/slavomir-of-obotrites/
MLA: "Slavomir of Obotrites." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/slavomir-of-obotrites/.
Chicago: "Slavomir of Obotrites." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/slavomir-of-obotrites/.
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