Wends

Wends, name given by the Germans in medieval times to all the Slavic tribes occupying the territory roughly between the Elbe and Saale rivers on the west and the Odra (Oder) River on the east. German rulers waged wars against the powerful Wends from about the 6th century, conquering and Christianizing them in the 12th century. A descendant group of the Wends, who call themselves Sorbs, has survived to the present day. The Sorbs are centered largely in the valley of the upper Spree River in Lusatia, a former region of eastern Germany and southwestern Poland. Their language, Wendish, or Sorbian, is a West Slavic language similar to Polish and Czech.