The aim of this article is to examine – based on written sources – the rivalry for dominance within the northern region of the Polabian area between the Obodrite Union and the Redarians who played a prominent role in the Lutitian Union that came into existence in the 980s. Despite the scarcity of source information, it has been found that alliances between these political organizations in the 10th century constituted an exception; moreover, they were of impermanent and transient nature. Instead, each of these groupings individually pursued their own fight against the expansion East Frankish kingdom. The outcome of this rivalry was definitely favorable for the Lutitian Union which not only succeeded in expanding its influence to other Slavic tribes, but also in achieving a dominant position for many decades in the northern region of the Polabian area.
