Slavs

slavz, a race of people in central, eastern, and southeastern Europe. The Slavs are a distinct race, but are related to the Celts, the Teutons, and to the Greeks and Romans. It is customary to divide the Slavs into two groups, the Russians, Servians, and Bulgarians, and the Poles, Moravans, Bohemians, Wends, etc. In the migration of peoples they may have followed the Teutons westward. They occupied northern Germany as far as Utrecht. Leipsic, Vienna, Lubeck, Magdeburg, and Halle were at one time Slavonic towns. The Teutons or Germans thrice drove the Slavs eastward, though many remained and became subject to the Germans. The dark-haired, dark-eyed people found in parts of Prussia and Saxony are of Slavonic origin. They occupy many villages. In fact, the original Prussians or Lithuanians were Slavs. About eight per cent of the inhabitants of Germany still speak a Slavonic language. A much greater proportion has become German, just as Germans in this country become Americans. See Russia; Poland; Moravia; Bohemia, etc.