After the lost 1164 Battle of Verchen, where Casimir and Bogislaw aided an Obodrite rebellion against the duke of Saxony, Henry the Lion, Casimir and Bogislaw joined Saxony receiving their respective part duchies as a fief from Henry the Lion.
In October 955 A.D. the vicinity of river was the site of famous Schlacht an der Raxa (Battle of Recknitz) between the German (Saxons and Frisians) army of Emperor Otto I of Germany commanded by Gero the Great and the Obodrite and other Polabian Slavs warriors army under prince Stoigniew, brother of prince Nakon.
After expelling the Obodrites from Christian territory, the crusaders targeted the Obodrite fort at Dobin and the Liutizian fort at Demmin.