The Samborides () or House of Sobiesław () were a ruling dynasty in the historic region of

Pomerelia Pomerelia, also known as Eastern Pomerania, Vistula Pomerania, and also before World War II as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pomerania on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland. Gdańsk Pomerania is largely c ...

. They were first documented about 1155 as governors (''princeps'') in the Eastern

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

n lands serving the royal

Piast dynasty The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented List of Polish monarchs, Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I of Poland, Mieszko I (–992). The Poland during the Piast dynasty, Piasts' royal rule in Pol ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, and from 1227 ruled as autonomous princes until 1294, at which time the dynasty died out. The subsequent war for succession between the Polish

, the Imperial

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg () was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that, having electoral status although being quite poor, grew rapidly in importance after inheriting the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 and then came ...

and the

State of the Teutonic Order The State of the Teutonic Order () was a theocratic state located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It was formed by the knights of the Teutonic Order during the early 13th century Northern Crusades in the region ...

resulted in the Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk (Danzig) in 1308.

Geography

The dynasty's dominion, Pomerelia, roughly corresponded with the area of today's

Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship ( ; ) is a Voivodeships of Poland, voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk. The voivodeship was established on January 1, 1999, out of the former voivodeships of Gdańsk Voivo ...

in northern

. The Samborides from 1227 used the

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...

title ''dux Pomeraniae''; their

Duchy of Pomerelia The Duchy of Eastern Pomerania ( Polish: ''Księstwo wschodniopomorskie''; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae Orientalis'') was a duchy centred on Pomerelia, with Gdańsk as its capital. The duchy was formed after gaining independence from the Kingdom ...

was therefore referred to as "Duchy of Pomerania", even though there was another

Duchy of Pomerania The Duchy of Pomerania (; ; 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 existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–11 ...

to the west, ruled by the

House of Griffins The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty, (; , ; Latin: ''Gryphes''), or House of Pomerania (see ), 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 ...

, who likewise bore the title "Dukes of Pomerania". In Polish usage, the term ''Pomorze'' (

) tends to be associated with the entire strip of land on the Baltic coast between the

Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

river in the east and the Raksa (Recknitz) river in the west. Until the Germanic invasions, the term was used as far west as the

Morini The Morini (Gaulish language, Gaulish: 'sea folk, sailors') were a Belgae, Belgic coastal tribe dwelling in the modern Pas-de-Calais, Pas de Calais region, around present-day Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the La Tène culture, Iron Age and the Roman ...

). The distinction is achieved by the use of ''Pomorze

Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...

ie'' (i.e., Pomerania- Danzig) for Pomerelia, and ''Pomorze Szczecińskie'' (i.e., Pomerania-

Stettin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...

) for the former Griffin duchy, to whom the title "Duke of Pomerania" and the term "Duchy of Pomerania" would be used exclusively after the Samborides' extinction. During the rule of Duke Swiętopełk II, Samboride holdings spread from

Słupsk Słupsk (; ; ) 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 specifically in its part known in contemporary Poland as Central Pomerania ...

in the west going east across the Vistula River including Żuławy Gdańskie, and in the south bordered the Polish dukedoms of

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; ), is a Polish Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland. The bound ...

and

Kuyavia Kuyavia (; ), 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 traditional parts: north-western (with th ...

, the

Noteć The Noteć (; , ) is a river in central Poland with a length of (7th longest) and a basin area of .Sobiesław I, steward for the Piast dukes of

in Pomerelia, while "Samborides" as used in English and German derives from his probable son and successor, Duke Sambor I. According to German historiography the first certain ''princeps'' of Pomerelia was Sambor, as the records concerning Sobiesław I stems from the 15th century Oliwa chronicle of the 15th century seemed not reliable. Polish historians however do not share this reservation and have been using his father as the name for the dynasty. During the conquest of the Pomeranian lands between 1113 and 1121, the Polish duke

Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth (; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between 1107 and 1138. He was the onl ...

about 1116 had installed governors ruling in the Pomerelian lands, probably the ancestors of Sobiesław I. An affiliation with the Pomeranian dukes Siemosił and Świętobor or a relation with the Polish Piast dynasty has never been conclusively established. The most important duke was Swiętopełk II who in Kashubian traditional history carries the nickname "the Great". Swiętopełk received Pomerelia as vassaldom from his suzerain, the Polish High Duke

Leszek I the White Leszek the White (; c. 1184/85 – 24 November 1227) was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland in the years 1194–1198, 1199, 1206–1210, and 1211–1227. During the early stages of his reign, his uncle Duke Mieszko III the Old and cou ...

of the Piast dynasty in 1216 or 1217. Perhaps acting in concert with the Piast prince Władysław Odonic of Greater Poland he benefited from his ally action when they had High Duke Leszek I and Duke

Henry I the Bearded Henry the Bearded (, ; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty. He was Dukes of Silesia, Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Seniorate Province, Duke of Kraków and List of Polish monarchs, High Duke of all Kin ...

Silesia Silesia (see names #Etymology, below) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at 8, ...

kidnapped and then Leszek murdered during the Gąsawa Piast assembly in 1227. As a result, Swiętopełk declared himself an independent ruler and ''dux'' of Pomerania. Swiętopełk II was the greatest military commander of the dynasty, having defeated various armies of Piast, Prussian, Danish, German and Griffite invaders during his long reign. He was the first Polish (Slavic) ruler who actively was challenged and fought military campaigns against the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

and many times aided the pagan Prussians against the Order and Piast princes carrying crusading campaigns against them. His brothers Sambor II and Ratibor ceded some of their holdings to the Teutonic Knights allowing the Order State to get a first important foothold on the right bank of the Vistula River. Swiętopełk's son and last Samboride ruler Méstwin II fought various traditional enemies, including the Teutonic Order. As a matter of necessity when fighting for his throne, he pledged feudal homage from a couple of towns to the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg by signing the Treaty of Choszczno in 1269. In 1282 he concluded an inheritance agreement at

Kępno Kępno is a town in south-central Poland. Kępno is located in the historical Wieluń Land. It lies on the outskirts of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, bordering the historical region of Silesia and the Łódź Voivodeship. As of December 31, 200 ...

with Duke

Przemysł II Przemysł II ( also given in English and Latin language, Latin as ''Premyslas'' or ''Premislaus'' or in Polish as '; 14 October 1257 – 8 February 1296) was the Duke of Poznań from 1257–1279, of Greater Poland from 1279 to 1296, of Kraków fr ...

of Greater Poland, King of Poland from 1295, who upon his death incorporated Pomerelia into the Lands of the Polish Crown.

Samborides ancestry

# Sobiesław I (Subislaw I), ''princeps'' of

about 1155–1177/79 ## Sambor I, ''princeps'' of Pomerelia 1177/79–1205 ###Sobiesław II (Subislaw II), died about 1217/23, under tutelage ###unidentified son, died young ## Méstwin I ''the Peaceful'', ''princeps'' of Pomerelia 1205–1220 ###Mirosława, ∞ Bogislaw II, Duke of Pomerania ### Swiętopełk II ''the Great'', ''princeps of Pomerelia'' from 1220, Duke of Pomerelia at Gdańsk 1227-1266 ####Euphemia, ∞

Jaromar II, Prince of Rugia Jaromar is a masculine given name. It is the Polabian form of the West Slavic name, Jaromir. It may refer to: People: Jaromar, also Jaromar of Rügen, is the name of several members of Rügen's princely house: * Jaromar I (1141–1218), Prince ...

#### Méstwin II, Duke of Pomerelia at Świecie from 1255, last Duke of Pomerelia 1270–1294, ∞ Jutta, daughter of Count Dietrich I of

Brehna Brehna is a town and a former municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Sandersdorf-Brehna. It is situated southwest of Bitterfeld. Important in this city is the churc ...

and Wettin #####Katharina, ∞ Duke Pribislaw II of

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; ) 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, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...

Parchim Parchim (; Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch: ''Parchen'') is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the capital of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. It was the birthplace of Helmuth von Moltke the Elde ...

, Lord of

Białogard Białogard (; ; Pomeranian language, Pomeranian: ''Biôłogard'') is a historic town in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with 23,614 inhabitants as of December 2021. The capital of Białogard County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Bi ...

#####Euphemia, ∞ Count Adolph V of

Holstein Holstein (; ; ; ; ) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider (river), Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost States of Germany, state of Germany. Holstein once existed as the German County of Holstein (; 8 ...

Segeberg Segeberg (; ) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the southwest and clockwise) the districts of Pinneberg, Steinburg and Rendsburg-Eckernförde, the city of Neumünster, the districts of Plön, Ostholstein and St ...

####John, died 1248 ####unidentified daughter, ∞ unidentified Count of Kevenberg ####Wratisław II, Duke of Pomerelia at Gdańsk 1266-1270 ### Jadwiga (Hedwig), ∞ Duke Władysław Odonic of Greater Poland ### Witosława, prioress of

Żukowo Żukowo (, , ) is a town in Kartuzy County, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of northern Poland in the cultural region of Kashubia, with 6,236 inhabitants (2005). It is located along the Radunia river in the historic Pomerelia, about southwest of G ...

Abbey ###Wratisław I, Duke of Pomerelia at

Świecie Świecie (; ) is a town in northern Poland with 24,841 inhabitants (2023), capital of Świecie County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is located within the ethnocultural region of Kociewie in the historic region of Pomerania. Founded ...

1227-1233 ### Sambor II, Duke of Pomerelia at Lubiszewo (''Liebschau'') 1233–1269, ∞ Mechthild, daughter of Prince Henry Borwin II of

####Sobiesław III (Subislaw III), died 1254 #### Margaret Sambiria, ∞ King Christopher I of Denmark ####Gertrude, unmarried ####Euphemia ∞ Duke Bolesław II the Bald of

####Salome ∞ Prince Ziemomysł of Kuyavia ####Jolanta (Jolanthe) ###Ratibor, Duke of Pomerelia at Białogarda 1233-1262

Bibliography

* Rymar E., Rodowód książąt pomorskich, t. 1, Szczecin 1995; Supplement, Gdańsk 2003; Śliwiński B., Poczet książąt gdańskich, Gdańsk 1997 {{DEFAULTSORT:Samborides Polish royal houses Dukes of Pomerania *

Geography

Samborides ancestry

See also

Bibliography