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The 'West Slavs' are Slavic peoples speaking West Slavic languages. Czechs, Kashubians, Poles, Slovaks, and Sorbs are the ethnic groups that originated from the original Western Slavic tribes. Of these, the Kashubians were assimilated by the Poles, while the Sorbs were integrated within German society; the others retained their cultural identity to this very day. The societies of the West Slavs developed along the lines of other western European nations by coming into political affiliation with the Holy Roman Empire.^[1]

Contents

History

West Slavic ethnic groups ca. 10th c.

West Slavs from the Bavarian Geographer

Gallery

See also

References

History

The first Slavic states known from written sources inhabited by the group southern of West Slavs were the Empire of Samo 623 - 658 and Great Moravia (833 - 907). The Sorbs and some of the other West Slavs came under direct Holy Roman Empire domination and had been strongly assimilated by Germans at the end of 19th century. The (eastern) Poles created their own state in the 10th century, which in the 20th century assimilated the Kashubians. For many centuries Poland has close ties with its western neighbours, with the Polish ruler Bolesław I the Brave declared by Holy Roman Emperor Otto III as "Frater et Cooperator Imperii" ("Brother and Partner in the Empire")^[2]. The Czechs created their own state, Bohemia, in the 10th century and became part of the Holy Roman Empire as well, but Bohemia enjoyed a special status within that empire. The Slovaks gradually came under Hungarian domination in the 10th - 11th century. Both the Czechs and the Slovaks were since the 1526 under the Habsburg monarchy), from 1867 - 1918 part of Austro-Hungary.

West Slavic ethnic groups ca. 10th c.

★ Lechitic group

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★ Poles

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★ Masovians

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★ Polans

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★ Vistulans

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★ Lendians

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★ Silesians

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★ Pomeranians

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★ Kashubians

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★ Slovincians

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★ Polabians

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★ Obodrites/Abodrites

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★ Veleti

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★ Volinians (Velunzani)

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★ Pyritzans (Prissani)

★ Czech-Slovak group

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★ Czechs

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★ Moravians

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★ Slovaks

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★ Pannonian Rusyns

★ Sorbs (Serbo-Lusatians)

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★ Milceni (Upper Sorbs)

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★ Lusatians (Lower Sorbs)

West Slavs from the Bavarian Geographer

In 845 the Bavarian Geographer listed several West Slavic ethnic groups in a territory(which is today, the country of Poland) and the surrounding area, including some non-Slavic groups:

pos.:	latin name in 845	polish name	nr of gords
7,	'Hehfeldi'	Hawelanie	8
15,	'Miloxi'		67
17,	'Thadesi'		200
18,	'Glopeani'	Goplanie	400
33,	'Lendizi'	Lędzianie	68
34,	'Thafnezi'		257
36,	'Prissani'	Pyrzyczanie()	70
37,	'Uelunzani'	Wolinianie()	70
38,	'Bruzi'	Prusowie
47,	'Ungare'	Węgrzy
48,	'Uuislane'	Wiślanie
49,	'Sleenzane'	Ślężanie	15
50,	'Lunsizi'	Łużyczanie	30
52,	'Milzane'	Milczanie	30
56,	'Lupiglaa'	Głupczanie()	30
57,	'Opolini'	Opolanie()	20
58,	'Golensizi'	Golenczycy()	5
53,	'Besunzane'	Biezunczanie()	2
51,	'Diadesisi'	Dziadoszenie()	20

Gallery

See also

★ West Slavic languages

★ East Slavs

★ South Slavs

References

1. [1]
2. [2]