Ratibor I

Ratibor I (c. 1040 – 1068) was a Duke of the Polabian Slavs, ruling in the Obotrite territory which corresponds to modern-day northeastern Germany. He is considered a member of the Nakonid dynasty. He succeeded Gottschalk, who was murdered in 1066 during a Slavic uprising against Christianization and German rule. Ratibor I, a pagan, led the Obotrites in resisting further Christian missionary efforts and asserting their independence from the Holy Roman Empire. His reign was relatively short, ending in 1068 when he was killed in battle during a Danish raid. He was succeeded by Henry, Gottschalk's son, who had been in exile. While little specific detail is definitively known about his reign, he is remembered as a significant figure in the history of the Obotrites and their struggle to maintain their cultural and religious identity in the face of increasing pressure from the expanding Holy Roman Empire and the spread of Christianity.