Ostsiedlung

Early and High Middle Age German migration movement to the East

Ostsiedlung (German pronunciation: [ˈɔstˌziːdlʊŋ] , lit. 'East settlement') is the term for the early medieval and high medieval migration of ethnic Germans and Germanization of the areas populated by Slavic, Baltic and Uralic peoples; the most settled area is sometimes known today as Germania Slavica. Germanization efforts included eastern parts of Francia, East Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire and beyond; and the consequences for settlement development and social structures in the areas of settlement. Other regions were also settled, though not as heavily.

From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA. More on occurri.