![Pomeraniae Ducatus Tabula2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Pomeraniae_Ducatus_Tabula2.jpg)
This is a list of the duchies and dukes of
Pomerania
Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...
.
Dukes of the Slavic Pomeranian tribes (All Pomerania)
The lands of Pomerania were firstly ruled by local tribes, who settled in Pomerania around the 10th and 11th centuries.
Non-dynastic
In 1106, Pomerania is divided by his two older sons:
Wartislaw, who founded 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 ...
and 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 ...
, and
Świętopełk I. After Swietopelk's death, his lands were occupied by the
Saxon prince
Lothar of Supplinburg. In 1155, the lands regained independence under Sobieslaw I, who founded the dynasty of the
Samborides
The Samborides () or House of Sobiesław () were a ruling dynasty in the historic region of Pomerelia. They were first documented about 1155 as governors (''princeps'') in the Eastern Pomeranian lands serving the royal Piast dynasty of Poland ...
, and the Duchy of Pomerelia.
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy resulted from the partition of
Świętobor, Duke of Pomerania, in which his son Wartislaw inherited the lands that would become in fact known as ''Pomerania''.
Partitions of Pomerania
First partition 1155–1264
In 1155, Pomerania was divided in Pomerania-
Szczecin and Pomerania-
Demmin
Demmin () is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the former district of Demmin.
Geography
Demmin lies on the West Pomeranian plain at the confluence of the rivers ...
. In the struggle to shake off Polish and Danish claims to feudal overlordship, Pomerania approached 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 ...
. In 1181, while staying in the camp outside the walls of
Lübeck
Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the state ...
, Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa
Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt o ...
recognised
Bogislaw I as duke of S(c)lavia, as it was called in the document. However, three years later in the
Battle in the Bay of Greifswald (1184) the Danish
Canute VI
Canute VI (; c. 1163 – 12 November 1202) was King of Denmark (1182–1202).
Contemporary sources describe Canute as an earnest, strongly religious man.
Background
Canute VI was the eldest son of King Valdemar I and Sophia of Polotsk. H ...
forced Pomerania to accept him as
liege lord. In 1190 the
Land of Słupsk-Sławno
The Schlawe and Stolp Land, also known as Słupsk and Sławno Land, is a historical region in Pomerania, centered on the towns of Sławno (''Schlawe'') and Słupsk (''Stolp'') in Farther Pomerania, in present-day Poland.
The area is of some hi ...
separated itself from Szczecin. With the defeat of Denmark in the
Battle of Bornhöved (1227)
The (second) Battle of Bornhöved took place on 22 July 1227 near Bornhöved in Holstein. Count Adolf IV of Schauenburg and Holstein — leading an army consisting of troops from the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg, about 1000 Dithmarsians and ...
Pomerania shook off the Danish liege-lordship,
[Erich Hoffmann, „Die Bedeutung der Schlacht von Bornhöved für die deutsche und skandinavische Geschichte“, in: ''Zeitschrift des Vereins für Lübeckische Geschichte und Altertumskunde'', vol. 57 (1977), pp. 9-37, here p. 15.] except for the city of Szczecin which remained under Danish suzerainty until 1235.
In 1231 Emperor
Frederick II granted the immediate
liege lordship over Pomerania to the
Margrave of Brandenburg
This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the period of time that Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Mark, or ''March'', of Brandenburg was one of the primary constituent states of the Hol ...
, who enforced this claim by the
Treaties of Kremmen (1236) and
of Landin (1250). Thus Pomerania had become a fief of Brandenburg, thus an only mediate (indirect) subfief of the Empire, with Brandenburg itself being an immediate imperial fief.
In 1227,
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 ...
came to Eastern Pomerania (
Pomerelia
Pomerelia,, la, Pomerellia, Pomerania, pl, Pomerelia (rarely used) also known as Eastern Pomerania,, csb, Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô Vistula Pomerania, prior to World War II also known as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pome ...
) within fragmented Poland,
Sławno
Sławno ( Kashubian/ Pomeranian: ''Słôwno'', german: Schlawe) is a town on the Wieprza river in Middle Pomerania region, north-western Poland, with 12,511 inhabitants (2019). It is the administrative seat of Gmina Sławno, though not part o ...
to Western Pomerania. In 1238 both became part of Pomerelia, ruled by the
House of Sobiesław, and following the extinction of the line in 1294, both were directly reintegrated with Poland in accordance with the
Treaty of Kępno. In 1317, the area became part of the Pomerania-
Wolgast
Wolgast (; csb, Wòłogòszcz) is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river (or strait) Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom on the Baltic coast that can b ...
(Wołogoszcz), first as a pawn from Brandenburg, and definitively in 1347.
After
Wartislaw III Wartislaw III (c. 1210 – 17 May 1264) was a Griffin duke of Pomerania-Demmin. Son of Casimir II of Pomerania-Demmin and Ingardis of Denmark, he was married to a Sophia of an unknown house. As he did not have any children, Pomerania-Demmin ceas ...
died heirless in 1264,
Barnim I became sole duke of the whole duchy. After Barnim's death, the duchy was to be ruled by his sons
Barnim II,
Otto I
Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of He ...
and
Bogislaw IV. The first years, Bogislaw, being the eldest, ruled in place of his too young brothers.
Second partition 1295–1368
In 1295, 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 divided roughly by the
Peene
The Peene () is a river in Germany.
Geography
The Westpeene, with the Ostpeene as its longer tributary, and the Kleine Peene/Teterower Peene (with a ''Peene '' without specification (or ''Nordpeene'') as its smaller and shorter affluent) flo ...
and
Ina rivers, with the areas north of these rivers ruled by Bogislaw IV became Pomerania-Wolgast, whereas Otto I received Pomerania-Szczecin south of these rivers.
Third partition 1368–1376
In 1368, Pomerania-Wolgast was divided into a western part (German: ''Wolgast diesseits der Swine,'' including the name-giving residence in Wolgast) and an eastern part (German: ''Wolgast jenseits der Swine,'' in literature also called
Pomerania-Stolp
The Duchy of Pomerania-Stolp, also known as the Duchy of Stolp, and the Duchy of Słupsk, was a feudal duchy in Farther Pomerania within the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Słupsk. It was ruled by the Griffin dynasty. It existed in the Hig ...
or Duchy of Słupsk after the residence in
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 ...
(Stolp)), which came back under Polish suzerainty as a
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...
.
Fourth partition 1376/1377–1478 and Pomeranian immediacy
In 1376, the western part of Pomerania-Wolgast (German: ''Wolgast diesseits der Swine'') was subdivided in a smaller western part sometimes named Pomerania-Barth (Bardo) after the residence in
Barth, and an eastern part which included the residence in Wolgast. In the following year, the Duchy of Słupsk was divided into a western part which included
Stargard and an eastern part which included the residence in Słupsk (Stolp).
In 1459, the eastern partitions of Pomerania-Wolgast around Stargard and Stolp ceased to exist. In 1478, after 200 years of partition, the duchy was reunited for a short period when all her parts were inherited by
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 ...
. By the
Treaty of Pyritz in 1493 Pomerania shook off
the Marcher liege lordship and became again
an immediate imperial estate
An Imperial State or Imperial Estate ( la, Status Imperii; german: Reichsstand, plural: ') was a part of the Holy Roman Empire with representation and the right to vote in the Imperial Diet ('). Rulers of these Estates were able to exercise si ...
, after new disputes finally confirmed by the
Treaty of Grimnitz
The Treaty of Grimnitz (26 August 1529)Branig (1997), p.94 was the final settlement of a long-standing dispute between the House of Pomerania and the House of Hohenzollern regarding the legal status and succession in the Duchy of Pomerania.Schl ...
in 1529, both treaties provided Brandenburg succession in case the Pomeranian dukes would become extinct in the male line.
Fifth and sixth partitions 1531–1625
In 1531, Pomerania was partitioned into Pomerania-Stettin (Szczecin) and Pomerania-Wolgast. This time however, in contrast to the earlier partitions with the same names, Pomerania-Wolgast included the western, and Pomerania-Stettin the eastern parts of the duchy. In 1569, were created the duchies of -Barth (split off from -Wolgast) and -Rügenwalde (
Darłowo
Darłowo (Polish pronunciation: ; ; ), in full The Royal City of Darłowo ( pl, Królewskie Miasto Darłowo), is a seaside town in the West Pomeranian Region, at the south coast of the Baltic Sea, north-western Poland, with 13,324 inhabitants as ...
) (split off from -Stettin).
Definitive reunification and annexation to Sweden
In 1625, Bogislaw XIV reunited all Pomerania under his rule. However, in 1637,
Sweden hold western parts of Pomerania (
Hither Pomerania), originally including Stettin, legalised by the
Peace of Westphalia in 1648 (
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania ( sv, Svenska Pommern; german: Schwedisch-Pommern) was a dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held ...
, several times reduced in favour of Brandenburgian Pomerania).
Between 1637 and 1657
Lauenburg-Bütow Land (Lębork and Bytów) were reintegrated directly to Poland as a reverted fief, thereafter passed to Brandenburg under Polish overlordship until the
Partitions of Poland. In 1648, Brandenburg prevailed in the Peace of Westphalia with its claim only for eastern parts of Pomerania (
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 ...
), with the Brandenburg electors officially holding simultaneously the title of dukes of Pomerania until 1806 (end of the Empire and its enfeoffments), but de facto integrating their Pomerania into
Brandenburg-Prussia, making it one of the
provinces of Prussia in 1815, then including former Swedish Pomerania.
Dukes of Pomerania: the
House of Griffins
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 take ...
Partitions of Pomerania under Griffins rule
Table of rulers
(Note: Here the numbering of the dukes is the same for all duchies, as all were titled Dukes of Pomerania, despite the different parts of land or particular numbering of the rulers. The dukes are numbered by the year of their succession.)
Principality of Rugia
The Principality was initially a Danish feud, under local rulers, which formed a dynasty.
House of Wizlaw
Duchy of Pomerelia
In 1155, the lands which belonged to
Świętopełk I were organized by
Sobieslaw I into the
Duchy of Eastern Pomerania, also known as the Pomerelia, a provincial duchy of fragmented Poland. Sobiesław founded the
House of Sobiesław.
The dukes of
Pomerelia
Pomerelia,, la, Pomerellia, Pomerania, pl, Pomerelia (rarely used) also known as Eastern Pomerania,, csb, Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô Vistula Pomerania, prior to World War II also known as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pome ...
were using the Latin title ''dux Pomeraniae'' ("Duke of Pomerania") or ''dux Pomeranorum'' ("Duke of the Pomeranians").
Partitions of the Duchy of Pomerelia
In 1215, the duchy was divided in other smaller duchies: Gdańsk, Białogarda, Lubiszewo and Świecie.
In 1271 the duchy is reunited and in 1294 reincorporated directly into Poland per the
Treaty of Kępno.
Dukes of Pomerelia
Non-dynastic
House of Sambor (1155–1296)
Later history of Pomerelia
* 1296–1299 Part of
Kuyavia
Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three ...
within Poland
* 1299–1308 Part of Poland
* 1308–1454 Part of the
State of the Teutonic Order
The State of the Teutonic Order (german: Staat des Deutschen Ordens, ; la, Civitas Ordinis Theutonici; lt, Vokiečių ordino valstybė; pl, Państwo zakonu krzyżackiego), also called () or (), was a medieval Crusader state, located in Cent ...
* 1454–1466
Thirteen Years' War between Poland and the Teutonic Order
* 1466–1772
Pomeranian Voivodeship (1466–1772)
The Pomeranian Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo pomorskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1454/1466 until the First partition of Poland in 1772.
Fro ...
within the
Kingdom of Poland
The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to:
Historical political entities
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031
* Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...
, which was part of 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 ...
from 1569
* 1772–1793 Mostly annexed by
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
in the
First Partition of Poland, except for
Gdańsk, which remained with Poland until
Second Partition of Poland
The 1793 Second Partition of Poland was the second of three partitions (or partial annexations) that ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by 1795. The second partition occurred in the aftermath of the Polish–Russian W ...
* 1793–1807 Province of
West Prussia
The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...
within the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
(
Prussian Partition
The Prussian Partition ( pl, Zabór pruski), or Prussian Poland, is the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth acquired during the Partitions of Poland, in the late 18th century by the Kingdom of Prussia. The Prussian acquis ...
of Poland)
* 1807–1814 Part of Prussia, except for the
Free City of Danzig (Gdańsk) a
Napoleonic
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...
client state, with
François Joseph Lefebvre
François Joseph Lefebvre ( , ; 25 October 1755 – 14 September 1820), Duc de Dantzig, was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and one of the original eighteen Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon.
Ea ...
ennobled as ''Duc de Dantzic'' (1808–1820)
* 1814–1918 Part of the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. ...
, which was part of the
German Empire from 1871
** 1814–1829 Province of
West Prussia
The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...
** 1829–1878
Province of Prussia
The Province of Prussia (; ; pl, Prowincja Prusy; csb, Prowincjô Prësë) was a province of Prussia from 1829 to 1878. Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1829 from the provinces of East Prussia and West Prussia ...
** 1878–1919 Province of West Prussia
* 1920–1939 Part of Poland as the
Pomeranian Voivodeship, except of
Free City of Danzig, a
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
mandate
* 1939–1945 German occupation:
Danzig-West Prussia, province of Nazi Germany
* 1945–present Part of Poland again
See also
*
History of Pomerania
The history of Pomerania starts shortly before 1000 AD with ongoing conquests by newly arrived Polans rulers. Before that, the area was recorded nearly 2000 years ago as Germania, and in modern-day times Pomerania is split between Germany and Po ...
Further reading
* Gerard Labuda (ed.), "Historia Pomorza", vol. 1–4, Poznan-Torun 1969–2003
* Edmund Kopicki, "Tabele dynastyczne", "Wykazy panujacych", in: "Katalog podstawowych monet i banknotow Polski oraz ziem z historycznie z Polska zwiazanych", vol. IX, part I
* Zugmunt Boras, "Ksiazeta Pomorza Zachdniego", Poznań 1969, 1978, 1996
* Casimir Kozlowski, George Podralski, "Poczet Ksiazat Pomorza Zachdniego", KAW, Szczecin 1985
* L. Badkowski, W.Samp. "Poczet ksiazat Pomorza Gdanskiego", Gdańsk 1974
* B. Sliwinski, "Poczet ksiazaat gdanskich", Gdańsk 1997
* Wojciech Myslenicki, "Pomorscy sprzymierzenscy Jagiellonczylow", Wyd. Poznanskie, Poznań 1979
* J. Spors, "Podzially administracyjne Pomorza Gdanskiego i Slawiensko-Slupksiego od XII do poczatkow XIV w", Słupsk 1983
* K. Slaski, "Podzially terytorialne Pomorza w XII–XII w.", Poznań 1960
* Edward Rymar, Krewni i powinowaci ksiazat pomorskich w zrodłach sredniowiecznych (XII–początek XVI w.), Materially Zachodniopomorskie, vol. XXXI
References
External links
Bogislaw XMap of Pomerania and Pomereliaas part of the
Hohenstaufen
The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynast ...
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 ...
1138–1254.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pomeranian duchies and dukes
Lists of nobility of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire-related lists
Duchies and dukes
Pomeranian duchies
Pomeranian is an adjective referring to the historical region of Pomerania, which is today divided between Poland and Germany.
Peoples and cultures
* Pomeranian Balts, ancient western Baltic people
* Pomeranian culture, an Iron Age culture of ...