The Duchy of Pomerania-Stolp, also known as the Duchy of Stolp, and the Duchy of Słupsk, was a
feudal duchy in
Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Hinder Pomerania, Rear Pomerania or Eastern Pomerania (german: Hinterpommern, Ostpommern), is the part of Pomerania which comprised the eastern part of the Duchy and later Province of Pomerania. It stretched roughly from the Od ...
within the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars.
From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
. Its capital was
Słupsk
Słupsk (; , ; formerly german: Stolp, ; also known by several alternative names) is a city with powiat rights located on the Słupia River in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland, in the historical region of Pomerania or more specific ...
. It was ruled by the
Griffin dynasty. It existed in the
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 150 ...
era from 1368 to 1478.
Background
The
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania (german: Herzogtum Pommern; pl, Księstwo Pomorskie; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country ha ...
was partitioned several times to satisfy the claims of the male members of the ruling
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty (german: Greifen; pl, Gryfici, da, Grif) was a dynasty ruling the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637. The name "Griffins" was used by the dynasty after the 15th century and had been tak ...
dynasty.
Kyra T. Inachin
Kyra T. Inachin (19 May 1968 – 10 January 2012) was a German historian.
Biography
Kyra T. Inachin was born in New York City and grew up in Lampertheim, West Germany.
From 1987 to 1992 she studied history, anglistics and political sciences ...
, Die Geschichte Pommerns, Hinstorff Rostock, 2008, p.30, The partitions were named after the ducal residences:
Pomerania-Barth, -Demmin, -Rügenwalde, -Stettin, -Stolp, and -Wolgast. None of the partitions had a hereditary character,
[Norbert Buske, Pommern, Helms Schwerin 1997, p.21, ] the members of the
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty (german: Greifen; pl, Gryfici, da, Grif) was a dynasty ruling the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637. The name "Griffins" was used by the dynasty after the 15th century and had been tak ...
inherited the duchy in common.
[ The duchy thus continued to exist as a whole despite its division.][
]
Creation: Partition of 1368/72
After the death of Barnim IV of Pomerania-Wolgast in 1366, an armed conflict arose when Barnim's brother Bogislaw V refused to share his power with Barnim's sons, Wartislaw VI and Bogislaw VI, and his other brother, Wartislaw V, who in turn allied with Mecklenburg to enforce their claims. On May 25, 1368, a compromise was negotiated in Anklam
Anklam [], formerly known as Tanglim and Wendenburg, is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the ''Kleines Haff'', the western ...
,[Hartmut Boockmann, ''Die Anfänge der ständischen Vertretungen in Preussen und seinen Nachbarländern'', Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, 1992, p.131, ] which was made a formal treaty on June 8, 1372 in Stargard,[Hartmut Boockmann, ''Die Anfänge der ständischen Vertretungen in Preussen und seinen Nachbarländern'', Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, 1992, p.132, ] and resulted in a partition of Pomerania-Wolgast.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, pp.143,146,147, ]
Bogislaw V received most of the Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Hinder Pomerania, Rear Pomerania or Eastern Pomerania (german: Hinterpommern, Ostpommern), is the part of Pomerania which comprised the eastern part of the Duchy and later Province of Pomerania. It stretched roughly from the Od ...
n parts. Excepted was the land of Neustettin
Szczecinek ( ; German until 1945: ''Neustettin'') is a historic city in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with a population of more than 40,000 (2011). Formerly in the Koszalin Voivodeship (1950–1998), it has been the capital of Szczecin ...
, which was to be ruled by his brother Wartislaw V, and was integrated into Bogislaw's part-duchy only after his death in 1390. This eastern partition became known as Pomerania-Stolp.
History
The situation of the descendants of Bogislaw V, who ruled Pomerania-Stolp, differed somewhat from the situation of their western counterparts. The area was more sparsely settled and dominated by powerful noble families, so not much income could be derived by the dukes. On the other hand, the Stolpian branch of the House of Pomerania had relatives among the royal houses of Denmark and Poland. Casimir IV and Elisabeth, the children of Bogislaw V and his first wife Elisabeth, the daughter of Casimir III of Poland, were both raised at the Polish court in Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
. Elisabeth would become Holy Roman Empress after her marriage with Charles IV, and Casimir was adopted by and designated heir of his grandfather. Yet, his ambitions were thwarted when Ludwig of Hungary overruled the testament of Casimir of Poland in 1370, Casimir of Pomerania-Stolp only for a short time took the land of Dobrin as a fief.
Treaty of Pyzdry
During the Polish–Teutonic wars, the Pomeranian dukes changed sides between Poland and the knights very frequently. Wartislaw VII
Wartislaw VII ( pl, Warcisław VII) (1363/1365 – 1394/1395) was one of the Dukes of Pomerania. His full name was Henry Wartislaw.The King Who Became a Pirate Story by Anja Klemp Vilgaard · Illustrations by Darya Malikova · Edited by Shawna ...
and Barnim V allied with the Teutonic Order. In 1390 however, after Jogaila (Władysław Jagiełło) had promised to hand part of the heritage of Casimir IV, Wartislaw VII's stepbrother, over to Wartislaw, the latter concluded an alliance with Poland and received the Polish castellany of Naklo (Nakel) and probably some adjacent areas as a fief in return, declaring himself a vassal of Jagiełło III in Pyzdry
Pyzdry (german: Peisern, yi, פּײַזער or ''Peizer'') is a town in Września County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,163 inhabitants (2004).
History
Pyzdry was first mentioned in 1232, when army of Silesian Piast Duke Henry ...
.[Michał Sczaniecki, Kazimierz Ślaski, ''Dzieje Pomorza słupskiego i innych terenów województwa koszalińskiego w wypisach'', Wydawn Poznańskie, 1961, p.55-65][Juliusz Bardach, ''Historia państwa i prawa Polski, Volume 1'', Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe, 1964, p.589][Władysław Czapliński, Tadeusz Ładogórski, ''Atlas historyczny polski'', Państwowe Przedsiębiorstwo Wydawnictw Kartograficznych, 1970, p.12]
Scholars offer somewhat different interpretations of the treaty of Pyzdry. According to scholars such as Juliusz Bardach
Juliusz Bardach (3 November 1914, in Odessa – 26 January 2010, in Warsaw) was a Polish legal historian. Professor of the University of Warsaw, member of the Polish Academy of Sciences. He specialized in the history of governance and law of L ...
, Władysław Czapliński, Fenrych (1961),[ ]Marceli Kosman
Marceli Kosman (born 8 May 1940 in Izbica Kujawska) is a Polish historian. Professor of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
He finished secondary school in 1957. Then he studied at the university in Poznań. He gained MA in history in 196 ...
, Tadeusz Ładogórski, Andrzej Nowakowski, Michał Sczaniecki and Kazimierz Ślaski, Wartislaw's oath was for all territory held by him and meant that Pomerania-Stolp itself become a Polish fief.[ Other descriptions of the treaty included an oath of vassalage of Wartislaw VII to Jagiello without specifying a territory: Gòrski (1947), Labuda (1948),;] Mitkowski (1946) and Zientara (1969) wrote the oath was for the territory Waritislaw received as fiefs from Jagiełło (especially Naklo/Nakel); Mielcarz (1976) said the oath was binding only Wartislaw himself, as a person, to Jagiello; and Gumowski (1951) said the document shows Wartislaw giving a general solemn promise of service.[ Czacharowski (2001) says it was an alliance and refers to Naklo being held as a Polish fief.]
With respect to the discourse in Polish historiography, Branig and Buchholz (1997) say that however the treaty is interpreted, it did not have any significance for the future. The vassalage was short-lived; Wartislaw's brothers Barnim V and Bogislaw VIII
Bogisław VIII ( – 11 February 1418),Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.149, a member of the House of Griffins, was Duke of Pomerania ruling in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until his death. He also served as administrator of the Prin ...
however took on a friendly attitude towards the Teutonic Order, and Naklo returned to the Polish Crown after Wartislaw's death.[
]
After early 1390s
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 – 24 September 1459) was the ruler of the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439, succeeding his grandaunt, Queen Margaret I. He is known as Eric III as King of Norway (1389–1442), Eric VII as King of Denmark (1 ...
, grand-grandchild of Danish king Valdemar IV in contrast became king of the Kalmar Union in 1397.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p.154-158, ] Eric however failed in his most ambitious plan, to make Bogislaw IX Of Pomerania-Stolp king of both the Kalmar Union and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...
. Eric had to leave Denmark in 1449 and ruled Pomerania-Rügenwalde, a small partition of Pomerania-Stolp, until his death in 1459.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, pp.168,170,173 ]
Pomerania-Stolp was a crucial point in the knights' land supply route. Bogislaw VIII
Bogisław VIII ( – 11 February 1418),Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.149, a member of the House of Griffins, was Duke of Pomerania ruling in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until his death. He also served as administrator of the Prin ...
of Pomerania-Stolp allied with both the Teutonic Knights and Poland, but supported the latter after the war had started in 1409 by blocking his lands for the knights' troops and allowing his nobles to kidnap those who were travelling his lands. For his aid, he was granted the Lauenburg (now Lębork
Lębork (; csb, Lãbòrg; formerly german: Lauenburg in Pommern) is a town of 37,000 people on the Łeba River, Łeba and Okalica rivers in the Gdańsk Pomerania region in northern Poland. It is the capital of Lębork County in Pomeranian Voivode ...
) and Bütow (now Bytów
Bytów (; csb, Bëtowò; formerly german: Bütow ) is a town in the Gdańsk Pomerania region of northern Poland with 16,730 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is the capital of Bytów County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
The origins of Byt ...
) areas (Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land (german: Länder or , csb, Lãbòrskò-bëtowskô Zemia, pl, Ziemia lęborsko-bytowska) formed a historical region in the western part of Pomerelia (Polish and papal historiography) or in the eastern part of Farther Po ...
) and others, but those were lost in the First Peace of Thorn
The (First) Peace of Thorn was a peace treaty formally ending the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War between allied Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania on one side, and the Teutonic Knights on the other. It was signed on 1 February 1 ...
in 1411.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p.158, ]
Gain of Lauenburg and Bütow Land (1455–1467)
Eric II of Pomerania-(Wolgast)-Stolp allied with the Polish king Casimir IV in his Thirteen Years' War against the Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians o ...
. On January 3, 1455, he in turn was granted the Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land (german: Länder or , csb, Lãbòrskò-bëtowskô Zemia, pl, Ziemia lęborsko-bytowska) formed a historical region in the western part of Pomerelia (Polish and papal historiography) or in the eastern part of Farther Po ...
at the Pomerelian frontier. When Lauenburg
Lauenburg (), or Lauenburg an der Elbe ( en, Lauenberg on the Elbe), is a town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the northern bank of the river Elbe, east of Hamburg. It is the southernmost town of Schleswig-Holstein ...
was retaken by the knights in 1459, the Polish king was upset and ravaged the Stolp area. Eric reconciled with the king on August 21, 1466, and bought the town from the knights on October 11, six days before the Second Peace of Thorn
The Peace of Thorn or Toruń of 1466, also known as the Second Peace of Thorn or Toruń ( pl, drugi pokój toruński; german: Zweiter Friede von Thorn), was a peace treaty signed in the Hanseatic city of Thorn (Toruń) on 19 October 1466 betwe ...
, which was signed by Eric in 1467.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p.186, ]
Bogislaw X becomes sole ruler of the duchy of Pomerania (1478)
Pomerania-Wolgast was reunited following the death of both Barnim VII and Barnim VIII in 1451. Both dukes died of the Black Death.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p.181, ] The same disease caused the death of Joachim of Pomerania-Stettin (also in 1451), Ertmar and Swantibor, children of Wartislaw X, and Otto III of Pomerania-Stettin (all in 1464).[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p.183, ] Thus, the line of Pomerania-Stettin had died out.
The extinction of the House of Pomerania-Stettin triggered a conflict about inheritance with the Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe.
Brandenburg developed out ...
. In the Treaty of Soldin of 1466, a compromise was negotiated: Wartislaw X and Eric II, the dukes of Pomerania, took over Pomerania-Stettin as a Brandenburgian fief. This was disputed already during the same year by the emperor, who intervened against the Brandenburgian overlordship of Pomerania. This led to a series of further warfare and truces, that were ended by the Treaty of Prenzlau of 1472, basically confirming the ruling of the Soldin treaty, but settling on a border north of Gartz (Oder) resembling Brandenburg's recent gains. This treaty was accepted by the emperor.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, pp.186,189, ]
In 1474, Eric II died of the Black Death, and his son Bogislaw X
Bogislaw X of Pomerania, ''the Great'', (3 June 1454 – 5 October 1523) was Duke of Pomerania from 1474 until his death in 1523.
Biography
Bogislaw was born in Rügenwalde (now Darłowo, Poland). His parents were Eric II, Duke of Pomerania ...
inherited Pomerania-Stolp. Bogislaw's brothers had died the same year. After the death of his uncle Wartislaw X in 1478, he became the first sole ruler in the Duchy of Pomerania since almost 200 years.[''Bogislaw X'' in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie](_blank)
/ref>[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p.189, ]
Eric II had left Pomerania in tense conflicts with Brandenburg and Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...
. Bogislaw managed to resolve these conflicts by both diplomatic and military means. He married his sister, Sophia, to Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg
Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Güstrow (1441 – 20 November 1503) was duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin from 1477 until his death.
Biography
He was the son of Henry IV, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Dorothea of Brandenburg, daugh ...
, and his other sister, Magarete, was married to Magnus's brother Balthasar. Bogislaw himself married Magarete, daughter of Brandenburg's Prince-elector
The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
From the 13th century onwards, the prin ...
Frederick II. Also, in 1478, Bogislaw regained areas lost to Brandenburg by his father, most notably the town of Gartz
Gartz is a town in the Uckermark district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the West bank of the Oder River, on the border with Poland, about 20 km south of Szczecin, Poland. It is located within the historic region of Western Pomer ...
and other small towns and castles north of the Brandenburgian Uckermark
The Uckermark () is a historical region in northeastern Germany, straddles the Uckermark District of Brandenburg and the Vorpommern-Greifswald District of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Its traditional capital is Prenzlau.
Geography
The region is nam ...
. During the confirmation of the Peace of Prenzlau in 1479, the border was finally settled north of Strasburg and Bogislaw had to take his possessions as a fief from Brandenburg.[Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p.190, ]
Dukes
*1368-1373 Bogislaw V
*1374-1377 Casimir IV (V)
*1377-1395 Wartislaw VII
Wartislaw VII ( pl, Warcisław VII) (1363/1365 – 1394/1395) was one of the Dukes of Pomerania. His full name was Henry Wartislaw.The King Who Became a Pirate Story by Anja Klemp Vilgaard · Illustrations by Darya Malikova · Edited by Shawna ...
*1395-1402 Bogislaw VIII
Bogisław VIII ( – 11 February 1418),Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.149, a member of the House of Griffins, was Duke of Pomerania ruling in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until his death. He also served as administrator of the Prin ...
and Barnim V
*1402-1403 Barnim V
*1403-1418 Bogislaw VIII
Bogisław VIII ( – 11 February 1418),Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.149, a member of the House of Griffins, was Duke of Pomerania ruling in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until his death. He also served as administrator of the Prin ...
*1418-1446 Bogislaw IX
*1449-1459 Eric I
See also
*Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania (german: Herzogtum Pommern; pl, Księstwo Pomorskie; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country ha ...
*Pomerania during the Late Middle Ages
Pomerania during the Late Middle Ages covers the history of Pomerania in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The Duchy of Pomerania gained the Principality of Rugia after two wars with Mecklenburg,Buchholz (1999), pp.115,116 the Lands of Schlawe and Sto ...
Notes
References
{{coord, 54.450000, 17.033333, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark
Słupsk
Stolp
States and territories established in 1368
States and territories disestablished in 1459
14th century in the Holy Roman Empire
15th century in the Holy Roman Empire
1360s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
1368 establishments in Europe
1450s disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire
1459 disestablishments in Europe
Fiefdoms of Poland