Wends facts for kids
The Limes Saxoniae border between the Saxons and the Lechites Obotrites, set up around 810 in what is now Schleswig-Holstein.
Germaniae veteris typus (Old Germany). This map from 1645 shows the Aestui, Venedi, Gythones and Ingaevones in the top right corner. It was made by Willem and Joan Blaeu.
The Wends are a historical name for Slavs who lived close to Germanic areas. It's not about one single group of people. Instead, it refers to different peoples, tribes, or groups depending on the time and place. Today, communities who identify as Wendish live in Slovenia, Austria, Lusatia, the United States (like the Texas Wends), and Australia.
In German-speaking Europe during the Middle Ages, "Wends" often meant "Slavs." It was sometimes used for West Slavs and South Slavs living inside the Holy Roman Empire. The name might still be found in Finnic languages (like Finnish: Venäjä for modern Russia).
