History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 286

civilians. Imposition of the new religion involved destruction of pagan idols and places
of worship, and it was definitely met with some resistance. No doubt, in the course of
conversion, the pagan priests and defenders of old beliefs were most likely not
spared.
It appears, then, that the fallacy of total extermination served its purpose as a
propaganda tool for the champions of racial purity and some chauvinists, especialy
during the Nazi times. It also backfired because it was sometimes used by German
neighbours to portrait all the Germans as a Slav-eaters and cruel beasts. Many claims
of almost total anihilation of Polabian Slavs were based on the Helmold of Bossau
chronicle, which on a number of occasions, stated that the Slavs were totaly wiped out
in some areas. However, Helmold contradicted himself almost as many times, when in
later passages he mentioned numerous Slavic inhabitants of the same areas, still
living there. We will return to more evidence for Slavic presence in eastern parts of
Empire later.
In this context, we may postulate that there was no extermination of Slavic inhabitants
in the region. After all, ethnicity was not a main issue and the German landlords
desperately needed people to work on their new estates. Labour was a much sought
commodity. For the German nobility and Empire, it would be against their own
interests to wipe out the Slavic population of the region. Subdue and bind them to the
land: yes, but definitely not to exterminate. Numerous documents indicate that lands
beyond Elbe and Saale were of great economic importance for the Ottonian Empire as
a source of large revenues from the first half of the tenth century. The conquered
Slavs were obliged to pay a tithe equal to a tenth of their produce. It was usually
extracted in honey, furs, slaves, garments, grain, and pigs, but sometimes in silver
and sales tax, or in a form of a labour. There are many examples supporting this
claim.Just to cite afew: According to Thietmar, a Sorbian tribe of Milchane were
obliged to supply labour and "decimae" for building the Meissen stronghold. St.
Maurice monastery at Magdeburg received a tenth from the entire region of Lusatia,
and this was extended to the other lands with their conquest. In the north, a
substantial episcopal tithe was paid to the bishopric of Oldenburg, by at least the
Western Obodrites, from the middle of the tenth century. At the same time, the loyal
landlords in the region as well as some based in Saxony and Thuringia, extracted
substantial revenues for their own coffers. All this clearly indicates that the Slavic
population was well incorporated into the political and economic system of the Empire.

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