Pomerania is a geographical and historical region in northern Poland and Germany, on the south coasts of Baltic Sea on both sides of the Odra river and reaches to the Vistula river in the east and Reknitz river in the west.
In the second half of 10th century Pomerania was part of Poland, but the bishopric of Kolobrzeg established in 1000 was destroyed in ca. 1005. In the 1030s Polish state was destroyed and fragmented into several provinces, but soon rebuild when Casimir I the Restorer was victorius in the battle with Mazovians and Pomeranians in 1047. Polish king Boleslaw Smialy (1058-1080) is reported to have lost control of Pomerania.
The first written trace of the Pomeranian monarch is the 1046 mention of Zemuzil dux Bomeranorum (Siemomysl, duke of Pomeranians). The Chronicle of the Polish dukes written in 1113 by so called Gallus Anomynous mentions several dukes of Pomerania: Swantibor, Gniewomir, and an unnamed duke besieged in Kolobrzeg.
In three military campaigns of 1116, 1119, 1121 entire Pomerania was conquered by the Polish duke Boleslaw the Wrymouth (Boleslaw Krzywousty), and divided into four parts: Eastern Pomerania with Gdansk was put under direct Polish control and the duke had nominated his governors. Middle Pomerania with Slupsk and Slawno was made a Polish fief under a Pomeranian duke Racibor I. Western Pomerania with Kamien, Kolobrzeg and Bialogard were made a Polish fief ruled by duke Warcisław I. Szczecin and Wolin were semi-independent city-republics being Polish fiefs.
Polish governors in Eastern Pomerania gradually gained more and more power and evolved into semi-independent dukes, who ruled the duchy until 1294. In various times they were vassals of Poland and Denmark. The duchy was temporarily split into districts of Gdansk, Bialogarda, Swiecie, and Lubieszewo-Tczew.
Warcislaw I of Western Pomerania gave birth to the Griffin family of dukes who ruled the duchy until 1637. They managed to gather various territories and that way they were vassals of Poland, Denmark, Saxony, Brandenburg and Roman Empire (Germany). The duchy was temporarily split into districts of Szczecin, Wolgast, Barth, Darlowo, Demmin, Slupsk and Stargard.
Ancestors of Racibor I ruled the Duchy of Middle Pomerania until 1238, and next the area was an object of competition betwen the Dukes of Western Pomerania, Eastern Pomerania, Rugen and Brandenburg.
The island of Rugen was conquered by Denmark in 1168 and the local ruler give birth to a dynasty of dukes of Rugen, vassals of Denish kings. In 1325 the Principality of Rugen fell to Pomerania.
Duchy of Pomerania (Eastern) - Ksiestwo Pomorskie (Wschodnie)
Duchy of Bialogarda/Belgard (Ksiestwo bialogardzkie)
Duchy of Gdansk/Danzig (Ksiestwo gdanskie)
Duchy of Lubiszewo (Ksiestwo lubiszewskie)
Duchy of Swiecie/Schwetz (Ksiestwo swieckie)
Duchy of Pomerania (Middle) or Slawno/Schlawe - Ksiestwo Slawienskie
Duchy of Pomerania (Western) - Ksiestwo Pomorskie (Zachodnie)
After 1202 Pomeranian Duchy is divided into several duchies, most important being Wolgast and Szczecin duchies, united into one Pomeranian state from time to time.
- 1264-1278 Barnim I Dobry
- 1278-1295 Barnim II, Otto I and Boguslaw IV
- 1478-1523 Boguslaw X
- 1523-1531 Jerzy I and Barnim XI Pobozny
- 1625-1637 Boguslaw XIV
- from 1637 western part of Pomerania inc. Szczecin to Sweden
- 1637-1657 counties of Lebork and Bytow to Poland, next to Brandenburg
- from 1648 eastern part of Pomerania to Brandenburg
Duchy of Szczecin/Stettin (Ksiestwo Szczecinskie)
- to 1160 part of Duchy of Pomerania (western)
- 1160-1187 Boguslaw I
- 1156-1180 Boguslaw I, Kazimierz I
- 1202-1220 Boguslaw II
- 1220-1278 Barnim I Dobry
- 1278-1295 Barnim II, Otto I and Boguslaw IV
- 1295-1344 Otto I
- 1344-1368 Barnim III Wielki
- 1368-1372 Kazimierz III
- 1372-1404 Swietobor I and Boguslaw VII
- 1404-1413 Swietobor I
- 1413-1428 Otto II and Kazimierz V
- 1428-1435 Kazimierz V
- 1435-1451 Joachim I Mlodszy
- 1451-1464 Otto III
- 1464-1474 Eryk II
- 1474-1523 Boguslaw X
- 1523-1531 Jerzy I and Barnim X
- 1531-1569 Barnim IX
- 1569-1600 Jan Fryderyk
- 1600-1603 Barnim X
- 1603-1606 Boguslaw XIII
- 1606-1618 Filip II
- 1618-1620 Franciszek I
- 1620-1625 Boguslaw XIV
- from 1625 part of united Duchy of Pomerania (Western)
Duchy of Wologoszcz/Wolgast (Ksiestwo wologoskie)
- to 1295 part of Duchy of Pomerania (Western)
- 1295-1309 Boguslaw IV
- 1309-1326 Warcislaw IV
- 1326-1365 Boguslaw V, Warcislaw V and Barnim VI
- 1365-1368 Boguslaw V and Warcislaw V
- 1368-1376 Boguslaw VI and Warcislaw IV (?)
- 1376-1393 Boguslaw VI
- 1393-1394 Warcislaw VI
- 1394-1405 Barnim VI
- 1405-1451 Barnim VII and Warcislaw IX
- 1451-1457 Warcislaw IX
- 1457-1474 Eryk II
- 1474-1478 Warcislaw X
- 1478-1523 Boguslaw X
- 1523-1531 Barnim IX and Jerzy I
- 1532-1560 Filip I
- 1567-1569 Boguslaw XIII, Ernest Ludwik, Jan Fryderyk and Barnim X
- 1569-1592 Ernest Ludwik
- 1592-1625 Filip II Juliusz
- from 1625 part of united Duchy of (Western) Pomerania
Duchy of Bardo/Barth (Ksiestwo bardowskie)
- to 1376 part of Duchy of Wolgast
- 1376-1415 Warcislaw VI
- 1394-1415 Warcislaw VII
- 1415-1451 Barnim VIII
- 1457-1478 Warcislaw IX
- 1478-1531 part of Duchy of Pomerania (Western)
- 1531-1569 part of Duchy of Wolgast
- 1569-1603 Boguslaw XIII
- from 1603 part of Duchy of Szczecin
Duchy of Darlowo/Ruegenwalde (Ksiestwo Darlowskie)
- to 1569 part of Duchy of Szczecin
- 1569-1603 Barnim X
- 1603-1606 Boguslaw XIII
- 1606-1617 Jerzy III i Boguslaw XIV
- 1617-1620 Boguslaw XIV
- from 1569 part of Duchy of Szczecin
Duchy of Dymin/Demmin (Ksiestwo dyminkie)
- to 1160 part of Pomeranian Duchy
- 1160-1180 Kazimierz I
- 1202-1219/20 Kazimierz II
- 1219/20-1264 Warcislaw III
- from 1264 to Duchy of Szczecin
Duchy of Slupsk/Stolp (Ksiestwo Slupskie)
- to ca 1190 part of Western Pomerania
- 1190-1316 Duchy of Slawno (part of Eastern Pomerania)
- 1316-1368 part of Duchy of Wolgast
- 1368-1373 Boguslaw V Stary
- 1374-1377 Kazimierz IV
- 1377-1395 Warcislaw VII
- 1395-1402 Boguslaw VIII i Barnim V
- 1402-1403 Barnim V
- 1403-1418 Boguslaw VIII
- 1418-1446 Boguslaw IX
- 1449-1459 Eryk I
- from 1459 part of Duchy of Wolgast
Duchy of Stargard (Ksiestwo stargardzkie)
- to 1377 part of Duchy of Slupsk
- 1377-1402 Boguslaw VIII i Barnim V
- 1402-1418 Boguslaw VIII
- 1418-1446 Boguslaw IX
- 1449-1459 Eryk I
- from 1459 to Duchy of Wolgast
Principality of Rugia/Rugen/Rana - Ksiestwo Rugijskie/Ranskie
From 1325 Duchy of Wolgast-Rugen or Rugen-Bardo:- 1325-1326 Warcislaw IV
- 1326-1368 Boguslaw V, Warcislaw V, Barnim IV
- 1368-1372 Warcislaw VI, Boguslaw VI
- 1372-1394 Warcislaw VI
- 1394-1415 Warcislaw VIII
- 1415-1432/6 Swietobor II
- 1432/6-1451 Barnim VIII
- 1451-1457 Warcislaw IX
- 1457-1478 Warcislaw X
- from 1474 part of Duchy of Wolgast
- from 1478 part of Duchy of Pomerania
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", Poznan 1969, 1978, 1996
- Kazimierz Kozlowski, Jerzy Podralski, "Poczet Ksiazat Pomorza Zachdniego", KAW, Szczecin 1985
- L. Badkowski, W.Samp. "Poczet ksiazat Pomorza Gdanskiego", Gdansk 1974
- B. Sliwinski, "Poczet ksiazaat gdanskich", Gdansk 1997
- Wojciech Myslenicki, "Pomorscy sprzymierzenscy Jagiellonczylow", Wyd. Poznanskie, Poznan 1979
- J. Spors, "Podzialy administracyjne Pomorza Gdanskiego i Slawiensko-Slupksiego od XII do poczatkow XIV w", Slupsk 1983
- K. Slaski, "Podzialy terytorialne Pomorza w XII-XII w.", Poznan 1960
- Edward Rymar, Krewni i powinowaci ksiazat pomorskich w zrodłach sredniowiecznych (XII-początek XVI w.), Materialy Zachodniopomorskie, vol. XXXI
