Which peoples lived in Mecklenburg before German settlement expanded eastward?

Before the expansion of German settlement into the region, Mecklenburg was inhabited by Slavic peoples known as the Obodrites in the west and the Lutycy (or Lyutichi) in the east. These groups were part of the Polab Slavs, who had replaced earlier Germanic inhabitants in the area by the 7th century CE.12

Following a long period of resistance, these Slavic populations were eventually subdued and Christianized during the 12th century by Saxon forces under Henry the Lion. Over time, the Obodrite people and their descendants were assimilated into the German population.13