Wendish Crusade The Wendish Crusade ( ) was an 1147 campaign , one of the Northern Crusades and also a part of the Second Crusade , led primarily by the Kingdom of Germany inside the Holy Roman Empire and directed against the Polabian Slavs ( or " Wends " ) . By the early 12th century , the German archbishoprics of Bremen and Magdeburg sought the conversion of neighboring pagan West Slavs to Christianity through peaceful means . During the preparation of the Second Crusade to the Holy Land , however , a papal bull was issued which supported a crusade against these Slavs . The Slavic leader Niklot preemptively invaded Wagria in June , 1147 , leading to the march of the crusaders in late summer , 1147 . They achieved an ostensible baptism of Slavs at Dobin and were repulsed from Demmin . Another crusading army marched on the already Christian city of Szczecin ( Stettin ) , whereupon the crusaders dispersed upon arrival . The Christian army , composed primarily of Saxons and Danes , forced tribute from the pagan Slavs and affirmed German control of Wagria and Polabia , but failed to convert the bulk of the population immediately . Background . The Ottonian dynasty supported eastward expansion of the Holy Roman Empire towards Wendish ( West Slavic ) lands during the 10th century . The campaigns of King Henry the Fowler and Emperor Otto the Great led to the introduction of burgward s to protect German conquests in the lands of the Sorbs . Otto ' s lieutenants , Margraves Gero and Hermann Billung , advanced eastward and northward respectively to claim tribute from conquered Slavs . Bishoprics were established at Meissen , Brandenburg , Havelberg , and Oldenburg to administer the territory . A great Slavic rebellion in 983 reversed the initial German gains , however . While the burgwards allowed the Saxons to retain control of Meissen , they lost Brandenburg and Havelberg . The Elbe River thus became the eastern limit of German - Roman control . By the early 12th century , the Archbishoprics of Bremen , Magdeburg and Gniezno sought the conversion of the pagan Slavs to Christianity through peaceful means : notable missionaries included Vicelin , Norbert of Xanten , and Otto of Bamberg ( sent to Pomerania by Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland ) . Lacking support from the Salian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire , secular Saxon princes seeking Slavic territory found themselves in a military stalemate with their adversaries . Christians , especially Saxons from Holstein , and pagans raided each other across the Limes Saxonicus , usually for tribute . From 1140 - 43 Holsatian nobles advanced into Wagria to permanently settle in the lands of the pagan Wagri . Count Adolf II of Holstein and Henry of Badewide took control of Polabian settlements which would later become Lübeck and Ratzeburg ; Vicelin was subsequently installed as bishop at Oldenburg . Adolf sought peace with the chief of the Obodrite confederacy , Niklot , and encouraged German colonization and missionary activity in Wagria . The fall of Edessa in 1144 shocked Christendom , causing Pope Eugenius III and St . Bernard of Clairvaux to preach a Second Crusade to reinforce Outremer . While many south Germans volunteered to crusade in the Middle East , the north German Saxons were reluctant . They told Bernard of their desire to campaign against the Slavs at a Reichstag meeting in Frankfurt on 13 March 1147 . Approving of the Saxons ' plan , pope Eugenius issued a papal bull known as the " Divina dispensatione " on 13 April ; there was to be no difference between the spiritual rewards of the different crusaders . Those who volunteered to crusade against the Slavs were primarily Danes , Saxons , and Poles , although there were also some Bohemians . The German monarchy took no part in the crusade , which was led by Saxon families such as the Ascanians , Wettin , and Schauenburgers . Papal legate Anselm of Havelberg was placed in overall command . Holy war . Upset at Adolf ' s participation in the crusade , Niklot preemptively invaded Wagria in June 1147 , leading to the march of the crusaders in late summer 1147 . After expelling the Obodrites from his territory , Adolf signed a peace treaty with Niklot . The remaining Christian crusaders targeted the Obodrite fort Dobin and the Liutizian fort Demmin . The forces attacking Dobin included those of the Danes Canute V and Sweyn III , Archbishop Adalbert II of Bremen , and Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony . Avoiding pitched battles , Niklot ably defended the marshland of Dobin . One army of Danes was defeated by Slavs from Dobin , while another had to defend the Danish fleet from Niklot ' s allies , the Rani of Rügen . Henry and Adalbert maintained the siege of Dobin after the retreat of the Danes . When some crusaders advocated ravaging the countryside , others objected by asking , " Is not the land we are devastating our land , and the people we are fighting our people ? " The Saxon army under Henry the Lion withdrew after Niklot agreed to have Dobin ' s garrison undergo baptism . The Saxon army directed against Demmin was led by several bishops , including those of Mainz , Halberstadt , Münster , Merseburg , Brandenburg , Olmütz , and Bishop Anselm of Havelberg . While their stated goal was to achieve the conversion of the pagans , most also sought additional territory and tithe for their dioceses ; Abbot Wibald of Corvey went in the hopes of acquiring the island of Rügen . The Demmin campaign also included the secular margraves Conrad I and Albert the Bear , who hoped to expand their marches . A Royal Polish contingent wanted to add to the Bishopric of Lebus . Marching from Magdeburg , Albert the Bear recovered Havelberg , lost since the 983 Slavic rebellion . The crusaders then destroyed a pagan temple and castle at Malchow . After an unsuccessful siege of Demmin , a contingent of crusaders was diverted by the margraves to attack central Pomerania instead . They reached the already Christian city Szczecin , whereupon the crusaders dispersed after meeting with Bishop Adalbert of Pomerania and Christian duke Ratibor I of Pomerania . Aftermath . The Wendish Crusade achieved mixed results . While the Saxons affirmed their possession of Wagria and Polabia , Niklot retained control of the Obodrite land east of Lübeck . The Saxons also received tribute from Niklot , enabled the colonization of the Bishopric of Havelberg , and freed some Danish prisoners . However , the disparate Christian leaders regarded their counterparts with suspicion and accused each other of sabotaging the campaign . According to Bernard of Clairvaux , the goal of the crusade was to battle the pagan Slavs " until such a time as , by God ' s help , they shall either be converted or deleted " . However , the crusade failed to achieve the conversion of most of the Wends . The Saxons achieved largely token conversions at Dobin , as the Slavs returned to their pagan beliefs once the Christian armies dispersed ; Albert of Pomerania explained , " If they had come to strengthen the Christian faith . . . they should have done so by preaching , not by arms " . The countryside of Mecklenburg and central Pomerania was plundered and depopulated with much bloodshed , especially by the troops of Henry the Lion . Of Henry ' s campaigns , Helmold of Bosau wrote that " there was no mention of Christianity , but only of money " . The Slavic inhabitants also lost much of their methods of production , limiting their resistance in the future .