Pomerania during the Late Middle Ages
Encyclopedia
Pomerania during the Late Middle Ages covers the History of Pomerania
in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The towns of the Hanseatic League
were acting as quasi autonomous political and military entities. The Duchy of Pomerania
gained the Principality of Rugia
after two wars with Mecklenburg
, the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp
and the Lauenburg and Bütow Land
. Pomerelia
was integrated into the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
after the Teutonic takeover of Danzig in 1308, and became a part of province of Royal Prussia
within the Kingdom of Poland
in 1466.
The Duchy of Pomerania was internally fragmented into Pomerania-Wolgast, -Stettin, -Barth, and -Stolp. The dukes were in continuous warfare with the Margraviate of Brandenburg
due to Uckermark
and Neumark
border disputes and disputes over formal overlordship of Pomerania. In 1478, the duchy was reunited under the rule of Bogislaw X
, when most of the other dukes had died of the plague.
.jpg)
The towns of Pomerania that had joined the Hanseatic League
acted independently from the duchy, and sometimes opposed the dukes' interest. The most powerful towns were Stralsund
, Greifswald
, and Stettin, but also Demmin
, Anklam
and Kolberg. Before the Treaty of Stralsund (1370), and during the reign of Eric of Pomerania
, the Hanseatic towns were in a state of war with Denmark for hegemony in the Baltic Sea.
Parts of the Pomeranian nobility were engaged in piracy
against Hanseatic vessels. Barnim VI of Pomerania-Wolgast
did not only engage in piracy himself, he is also known for providing refuge and hideouts for the Likedeeler pirate organisation.
The relation between the towns and the nobility throughout the Middle Ages ranged from alliances and support to cabalism, banditry and outright warfare.
The last duke of Demmin
had died in 1264, and the 1236 territorial losses left Demmin at the westernmost edge of the Duchy of Pomerania.
When Barmin I, for a short period sole ruler of the duchy, died in 1278, his oldest son Bogislaw IV
took his father's seat. When his half-brothers Otto I
and Barnim II
reached adulthood in 1294, the brothers ruled in common until Barnim's death in 1295. Bogislaw and Otto now agreed on a partition of the duchy, that would last until 1464: Bogislaw's share was the area where the towns were under Lübeck law
, that was Vorpommern north of the Peene
river (though including Anklam
and Demmin
on its southern bank) and Farther Pomerania
north of the Ihna and Stepenitz
rivers, both areas were connected by the islands of Usedom
and Wollin. Bogislaw made Wolgast
his residence, thus the partition became known as Pomerania-Wolgast. Otto's share was the remainder between Peene
and Ihna centered around Stettin, where the towns were under Magdeburg law. This partition became known as Pomerania-Stettin.
A series of wars was triggered by Denmark in the early 14th century, when Eric VI Menved attempted to reestablish Danish rule in Northern Germany. Pomeranian and Rugian towns and dukes were involved in these wars in various and often opposing coalitions. Since 1314, a coalition consisting mainly of Waldemar of Brandenburg, Stralsund
, and the Pomeranian dukes opposed a Danish-led coalition joined by Rugian duke Wizlaw III. This war was ended by the Treaty of Templin
in 1317. During this conflict, in 1315, Wartislaw IV
of Pomerania-Wolgast, grandson of Rugian Wizlaw II, made an agreement with Eric VI Menved's brother Christopher II of Denmark
for inheritance of the Principality of Rügen.
Waldemar of Brandenburg died in 1319. Heinrich, his heir, was still a minor, and died in 1320. The Pomeranian dukes and Cammin bishops tried to take advance of Brandenburg's weakness. They did not only envision territorial gains, but also aimed at changing the status of the duchy from a fief of Brandenburg to a fief directly from the emperor. To achieve these goals, the dukes allied with various neighboring states, mounted military campaigns of which the first Battle of Kremmer Damm in 1332 was the most important, and gave their lands to the Cammin bishops (in 1320) and even to pope John XXII
(in 1330). In 1337, the Brandenburg margrave had to take the terrae Lippehne, Schivelbein and Falkenberg
(all in Neumark
) as a fief from the Cammin bishops. In 1338, Barnim III
of Pomerania-Stettin was granted his part-duchy as a fief directly from the emperor, while Pomerania-Wolgast remained under formal Brandenburgian overlordship.
The towns Stettin, Greifenhagen
, and Gollnow in Pomerania-Stettin, concerned about a permanent division of the duchy in case Barnim III would not have children, rebelled in 1339 and sided with Pomerania-Wolgast in 1341. Barnim had to move his court to Gartz (Oder). On June 12, 1348, German king and later emperor Karl IV
granted the Duchy of Pomerania as a whole and the Rugian principality as a fief to the dukes of both Pomerania-Stettin and Pomerania-Wolgast, erasing Brandenburg's claims. The Pomeranian dukes and towns reconciled in 1344/54.
Barnim III, against the will of the burghers, erected a castle within Stettin's walls
in 1346 (the old burgh had been leveled in 1249), and gained from Brandenburg the eastern parts of the Uckermark
, that was in 1354 Pasewalk
, in 1355 Schwedt
, Angermünde
, and Brüssow
, and in 1359 (Torgelow
).
of Pomerania-Wolgast took over the principality according to the 1315 agreement with Christopher II of Denmark
. Yet, in the meantime Christopher's throne had been challenged by Valdemar III of Denmark
, and Christopher had granted Rugia to Mecklenburg for her aid against his opponent. After Wartislaw died in 1326, Mecklenburg invaded the principality. Wartislaw's minor sons were aided by primarily by Greifswald
and Demmin
, but also by Stralsund
, Anklam
, and Valdemar III, who decisively defeated the Mecklenburgian army in 1228 near Völschow
. In the subsequent Treaty of Brudersdorf, Mecklenburg withdrew her claims for 31,000 mark
in silver. In exchange, the terrae Tribsees
, Grimmen
and Barth were pawned to her. When the Pomeranian dukes in 1340 were not able to bail out these lands, but refused to formally hand them over, a second war started. This time, the dukes of Pomerania-Wolgast were aided by those of Pomerania-Stettin and the Counts of Gützkow. After the Pomeranian forces defeated the Mecklenburgians in the Battle of Schopendamm near Loitz
in 1351, they were able to take Grimmen and Barth in 1354 and Tribsees in 1356. Mecklenburg dropped her claims thereafter. Another party in these wars for Rugian succession was the bishop of Schwerin, who sought to enforce his claims by legal means, but was not successful in his appeals to various ecclesial courts.
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
, which was made a formal treaty on June 8, 1372, in Stargard
, and resulted in a partition of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Bogislaw V received most of the Farther Pomerania
n parts. Excepted was the land of Neustettin, 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 part duchy became known as Pomerania-Stolp. The western remainder of Pomerania-Wolgast was further partitioned between Bogislaw IV and Wartislaw VI on December 6, 1376. Wartislaw VI received Pomerania-(Wolgast)-Barth, the former principality of Rügen, and Bogislaw IV's Pomerania-Wolgast was reduced to an area between Greifswald
and the Swine river. When Bogislaw VI died in 1393 and Wartislaw VI in 1394, the latter's sons Barnim VI
and Wartislaw VIII
ruled in common.
On December 6, 1425, the western part of Pomerania-Wolgast (without Pomerania-Stolp) was partitioned again at a congress in Eldena Abbey
, this time among the Wartislaw IX
and his brother Barnim VII
, who received the eastern part with Wolgast
, and their cousins Swantibor II and his brother Barnim VIII
, who received the Rugian part with Barth.
In 1456, the University of Greifswald was founded on behalf of Heinrich Rubenow, becoming the first university of Pomerania and one of the oldest in northern Europe.
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
, where both raised at the Polish court in Cracow. 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. Eric II of Pomerania-Stolp
, great-grandson of Danish king Valdemar IV
in contrast became king of the Kalmar Union
in 1397.
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
. Eric had to leave Denmark in 1449 and ruled Pomerania-Rügenwalde, a small partition of Pomerania-Stolp, until his death in 1459.
Pomerania-Stolp was a crucial point in the knights' land supply route. Bogislaw VIII
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 traveling his lands. For his aid, he was granted the Lauenburg (now Lębork
) and Bütow (now Bytów
) areas (Lauenburg and Bütow Land
) and others, but those were lost in the First Peace of Thorn in 1411.
.jpg)
Casimir V
of Pomerania-Stettin at the same time allied with the Teutonic Knights and took part in the Battle of Grunwald
, where he was caught by the Poles and bailed out by the knights after the First Peace of Thorn.
The main concern of the Stettin dukes however was the conflict with Brandenburg
, primarily in the Neumark and Uckermark regions. Casimir III
died in 1372 during a siege of Königsberg (Neumark), after he had managed to receive an empirial approval of his Uckermark possessions in 1370. On May 17, 1373, all dukes of Pomerania concluded an alliance in Kaseburg, but situation eased when margrave Otto III of Brandenburg abdicated on August 15, 1373, and the House of Luxembourg
took over the march on October 2 of the same year. In 1374, the Luxembourgians allied with all branches of the House of Pomerania
. Pomeranian dukes even held positions in the march's administration.
When Brandenburg changed hands from the House of Luxembourg to the House of Hohenzollern
on January 11, 1411, the dukes of Pomerania-Stettin understood their position endangered and reacted with warfare. The first major battle was the second Battle of Kremmer Damm on October 24, 1412. While the dukes of Pomerania-Wolgast had sided with the emperor, disappointment over the emperors disapproval of ridding them of formal Brandenburgian overlordship in 1417 drove them to ally with their Stettin relatives and Mecklenburg. This coalition was backed by Denmark and Poland. A series of battles culminated in a decisive defeat on March 26, 1420, in the streets of Angermünde
, and the Uckermark possessions were lost once again.
On September 15, 1423, all Pomeranian dukes (including Eric
) allied with the Teutonic Knights against Brandenburg and against the Hanseatic towns. In early 1425, this coalition was joined by Mecklenburg and Poland and successfully invaded Brandenburg. A peace treaty concluded on May 22, 1427, in Eberswalde
, left Pomerania with the Uckermark north of Angermünde
. On June 16, 1427, this was confirmed by the Treaty of Templin
, which also included a coalition of Pomerania, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. Yet, in 1440 Pomerania and Brandenburg invaded Mecklenburg, and in 1444 Brandenburg demanded from Pomerania to again hand over the Uckermark to her. When the Pomeranians refused, war broke out again. The first Treaty of Prenzlau
in 1448 set the border south of Pasewalk
.
allied with the Landmeister of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
in Prussia
against king Casimir III
of Poland. When the Treaty of Kalisz had ended the subsequent Polish–Teutonic War (1326–1332)
in 1343, Wartislaw's sons Bogislaw V
, Barnim IV
and Wartislaw V
changed sides, and Bogislaw V
married Casimir III
's daughter, Elisabeth
. Barnim III of Pomerania-Stettin
joined this alliance in 1348. After Poland and Lithuania
had formed the Union of Krėva in 1385, and Poland had rejected the claims of Casimir III
's grand-son Casimir IV of Pomerania-Stolp, Bogislaw VIII
and Wartislaw VII
of Pomerania-Stolp in 1386 concluded an anti-Polish alliance with the Teutonic Knights
, after they had settled their common border. In 1388, this alliance was joined by Swantibor I and Bogislaw VII of Pomerania-Stettin as well as Barnim VI
and Wartislaw VI
of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Later in 1388 however, the dukes of Pomerania-Stolp left this alliance and sided with Poland, who had promised to partially respect their claims as Casimir III
's heirs. Thence, the nobles of Pomerania-Stolp robbed
the Teutonic knights
and their supply routes, provoking a counter-attack that destroyed many noble strongholds
and the fortifications of Köslin (now Koszalin). Bogislaw VIII
, Barnim V and Wartislaw VII
reacted by siding with Polish king Jogaila
and concluding mutual trade alleviations.
When Wartislaw VII
died, Bogislaw VIII
and Barnim V concluded a treaty with the Teutonic Knights
to safeguard their supply routes in turn for a financial credit. Swantibor I and Bogislaw VII of Pomerania-Stettin changed sides in 1395 and allied with the knights in turn for financial aid. Barnim V in 1397 concluded an alliance with Poland, married Vytautas' niece Hedwig and was in Jogaila
's service in 1401 until he died in 1402 or 1404. Bogislaw VIII
also entered into Jogaila
's service, but changed sides in 1407/08, when he allied with the Teutonic Knights
and settled their common border.
Nikolaus Bock, Cammin bishop
from 1398–1410, had also sided with the knights before and placed his bishopric under their suzerainity. Wartislaw VIII
of Pomerania-Wolgast allied with the knights in return for an assumption of a debt and additional payments. Swantibor I and Bogislaw VII of Pomerania-Stettin joined this alliance in 1409, after they had concluded a ten-year truce with the knights in return for debt cancellation before. When the knights lost the Battle of Tannenberg
in 1410, Bogislaw VIII
of Pomerania-Stolp changed sides again and allied with Poland in return for the Bütow
, Schlochau, Preußisch-Friedland, Baldenburg, Hammerstein
and Schivelbein areas, which Poland had gained from the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
before. This was however cancelled by the First Peace of Thorn in 1411.
While Bogislaw VIII
nevertheless upheld his alliance with Jogaila
, Konrad Bonow of the Cammin diocese
in 1414 concluded an alliance with the Teutonic knights
against both Bogislaw VIII
and Jogaila
, which was turned into a truce soon after. In 1417, Bogislaw VIII
and the Teutonic knights
settled their common border in the Hammerstein
area, ending their conflicts. Bogislaw VIII
's son Bogislaw IX
together with all other Pomeranian dukes in 1423 allied with the Teutonic knights
.
of Pomerania-Wolgast and successor of Bogislaw IX
in Pomerania-Stolp again allied with Jogaila
and his son and successor Casimir IV in his Thirteen Years' War against the Teutonic Knights
. On January 3, 1455, he in turn was granted the Lauenburg and Bütow Land
at the Pomerelian frontier. When Lauenburg 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, that was signed by Eric in 1467.
, and Otto III
of Pomerania-Stettin (all in 1464). 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
. 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.
In 1474, Eric II died of the plague, and his son Bogislaw X
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.
Eric II had left Pomerania in tense conflicts with Brandenburg and Mecklenburg
. Bogislaw managed to resolve these conflicts by both diplomatic and military means. He married his sister, Sophia, to Magnus, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and his other sister, Magarete, was married to Magnus' brother Balthasar. Bogislaw himself married Magarete, daughter of Brandenburg's Prince-elector
Frederick II. Also, in 1478, Bogislaw regained areas lost to Brandenburg by his father, most notably the town of Gartz
and other small towns and castles north of the Brandenburgian Uckermark
. 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.
that ruled the Duchy of Pomerelia died in 1294, disputes over succession arose. Involved in internal dynastic conflicts, Mestwin had promised his duchy to Conrad, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal, for aiding him in his struggles with his brother, Wratislaw. Yet, in the 1282 Treaty of Kępno
he also promised Pomerelia to his ally Przemyslaw II, duke and later king of Poland. The Teutonic Order, who also held claims regarding Pomerelia, had inherited Mewe from Sambor II, thus gaining a foothold on the left bank of the Vistula.
At the beginning of the 14th century, the region was plunged into war involving local Pomeranian nobility and the principality of Margraviate of Brandenburg
to the west, which had acquired rights by the Treaty of Arnswalde
of 1269. Brandenburg's claim to the harbour city and Pomerania was partially based on a treaty of August 8, 1305, between the Rulers of Brandenburg and Wenceslaus III
, promising the Meissen
territory to the Bohemia
n crown in exchange for Pomerelia
, although it never was finalised.
On becoming king of Poland, in summer 1300, Wenceslaus II of Bohemia asked the Teutonic Knights
to protect Pomerania from the claims of Brandenburg. In 1306 Władysław Lokietek's forces seized Gdańsk
(Danzig). Also in 1306–07, Brandenburg took the terra Schlawe, and in 1308 the terra Stolp and Danzig. When Gdańsk was subsequently attacked by the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1308, Lokietek was unable to help and called in the Teutonic Knights for support. The Brandenburgers were repelled. The king did not pay the Teutonic Knights, however, and then they took over Danzig (Gdańsk) and ousted the remaining Polish garrison from the castle. Poles later claimed that the Knights committed a massacre of 10,000 civilians.
Teutonic Grandmaster Siegfried von Feuchtwangen
and Master Heinrich von Dirschau und Schwetz integrated Pomerelia in the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
. The Margraves sold the area to the Teutonic Order in the 1309 Treaty of Soldin. Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
ratified the Soldin Treaty in 1313.
(Darłowo or Rügenwalde) and Slupsk
(Słupsk or Stolp), however, remained with Brandenburg. Previously, they were part of Pomerelia
.
In 1316–17, the Griffin duke
of Pomerania-Wolgast took over these areas as a fief from Waldemar of Brandenburg. In 1347, the area became fully attached to Pomerania-Wolgast. The lands of Stolp were pawned to the Teutonic Order from 1329 to 1341, the Bütow
area was bought by the knights in 1329 and thus remained outside Pomerania-Wolgast. The Swenzones
family was de facto ruling the area regardless of the respective overlord, their power was broken only by the dukes of Pomerania-Wolgast.
History of Pomerania
The history of Pomerania dates back more than 10,000 years. Settlement in the area started by the end of the Vistula Glacial Stage, about 13,000 years ago. Archeological traces have been found of various cultures during the Stone and Bronze Age, of Veneti and Germanic peoples during the Iron Age...
in the 14th and 15th centuries.
The towns of the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
were acting as quasi autonomous political and military entities. The Duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
gained the Principality of Rugia
Principality of Rugia
The Principality of Rugia or Principality of Rügen was a Danish principality consisting of the island of Rügen and the adjacent mainland from 1168 until 1325. It was governed by a local dynasty of princes of the Wizlawiden dynasty...
after two wars with Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
, the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp
Lands of Schlawe and Stolp
The Lands of Schlawe and Stolp are a historical region in Pomerania, centered around the towns of Sławno and Słupsk in Farther Pomerania...
and the Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land formed a historical region in eastern in eastern Pomerania. Composed of two districts centered around the towns of Lauenburg and Bütow , it was on the western periphery of Pomerelia...
. Pomerelia
Pomerelia
Pomerelia is a historical region in northern Poland. Pomerelia lay in eastern Pomerania: on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea and west of the Vistula and its delta. The area centered on the city of Gdańsk at the mouth of the Vistula...
was integrated into the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
after the Teutonic takeover of Danzig in 1308, and became a part of province of Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia was a Region of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Polish Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land , Malbork Voivodeship , Gdańsk , Toruń , and Elbląg . It is distinguished from Ducal Prussia...
within the Kingdom of Poland
Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)
The Kingdom of Poland of the Jagiellons was the Polish state created by the accession of Jogaila , Grand Duke of Lithuania, to the Polish throne in 1386. The Union of Krewo or Krėva Act, united Poland and Lithuania under the rule of a single monarch...
in 1466.
The Duchy of Pomerania was internally fragmented into Pomerania-Wolgast, -Stettin, -Barth, and -Stolp. The dukes were in continuous warfare with the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
due to Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
and Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
border disputes and disputes over formal overlordship of Pomerania. In 1478, the duchy was reunited under the rule of Bogislaw X
Bogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw X of Pomerania, the Great, was Duke of Pomerania from 1474 until his death in 1523.Bogislaw was born in Rügenwalde into the House of Pomerania . His father was Eric II, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast, his mother was the duchess Sophia of Pomerania, both distant relatives of the House of...
, when most of the other dukes had died of the plague.
Hanseatic towns
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
acted independently from the duchy, and sometimes opposed the dukes' interest. The most powerful towns were Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
, Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
, and Stettin, but also Demmin
Demmin
Demmin is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the former district Demmin.- Name :...
, Anklam
Anklam
Anklam 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 part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
and Kolberg. Before the Treaty of Stralsund (1370), and during the reign of Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
, the Hanseatic towns were in a state of war with Denmark for hegemony in the Baltic Sea.
Parts of the Pomeranian nobility were engaged in piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
against Hanseatic vessels. Barnim VI of Pomerania-Wolgast
Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim VI was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1394 to 1405. He was the son of Wartislaw VI of Pomerania-Wolgast.Barnim is known for his engagement in piracy. He erected a fort and a port for this purpose in Ahrenshoop, which was destroyed by Rostock in 1395...
did not only engage in piracy himself, he is also known for providing refuge and hideouts for the Likedeeler pirate organisation.
The relation between the towns and the nobility throughout the Middle Ages ranged from alliances and support to cabalism, banditry and outright warfare.
Duchy of Pomerania
Pomerania-Wolgast and -Stettin after the partition of 1295
Wartislaw III, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw III 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 ceased to exist with his death.Ingardis ruled Pomerania-Demmin in place of young...
had died in 1264, and the 1236 territorial losses left Demmin at the westernmost edge of the Duchy of Pomerania.
When Barmin I, for a short period sole ruler of the duchy, died in 1278, his oldest son Bogislaw IV
Bogislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw IV , of the Griffins dynasty, was Duke of Pomerania for thirty years.Bogislaw was the eldest son of Duke Barnim I by his first wife, sometimes said to be a daughter of King Eric X of Sweden. He was an adult at his father's death in 1278, having been co-ruler since 1276...
took his father's seat. When his half-brothers Otto I
Otto I, Duke of Pomerania
Otto I was Duke of Pomerania-Stettin.Youngest, and probably posthumous, son of Duke Barnim I and his third wife, Mechtild of Brandenburg, Otto became titular co-ruler at his birth, along with his elder half-brother Barnim II and his much older half-brother Bogislaw IV.Bogislaw was effectively sole...
and Barnim II
Barnim II, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim II was Duke of Pomerania.Son of Duke Barnim I and his third wife, Mechtild of Brandenburg, Barnim's father died in 1278 when he was still a child. He was titular co-ruler with younger brother Otto I and his much older half-brother Bogislaw IV, in whose hands effective power lay...
reached adulthood in 1294, the brothers ruled in common until Barnim's death in 1295. Bogislaw and Otto now agreed on a partition of the duchy, that would last until 1464: Bogislaw's share was the area where the towns were under Lübeck law
Lübeck law
The Lübeck law was the constitution of a municipal form of government developed at Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein after it was made a free city in 1226. The law provides for self-government. It replaced the personal rule of tribal monarchs descending from ancient times or the rule of the regional...
, that was Vorpommern north of the Peene
Peene
The Peene is a river in Germany. The Westpeene, Kleine Peene and Ostpeene flow into the Kummerower See, and from there as Peene proper to Anklam and into the Oder Lagoon....
river (though including Anklam
Anklam
Anklam 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 part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
and Demmin
Demmin
Demmin is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the former district Demmin.- Name :...
on its southern bank) and Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Further Pomerania, Transpomerania or Eastern Pomerania , which before the German-Polish border shift of 1945 comprised the eastern part of the Duchy, later Province of Pomerania, roughly stretching from the Oder River in the West to Pomerelia in the East...
north of the Ihna and Stepenitz
Stepenitz (Mecklenburg)
The Stepenitz is a tributary of the Trave in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.The Stepenitz flows from the elongated and narrow Neumühler See, which is in the northwest portion of the city of Schwerin.-External links:*...
rivers, both areas were connected by the islands of Usedom
Usedom
Usedom is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania...
and Wollin. Bogislaw made Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
his residence, thus the partition became known as Pomerania-Wolgast. Otto's share was the remainder between Peene
Peene
The Peene is a river in Germany. The Westpeene, Kleine Peene and Ostpeene flow into the Kummerower See, and from there as Peene proper to Anklam and into the Oder Lagoon....
and Ihna centered around Stettin, where the towns were under Magdeburg law. This partition became known as Pomerania-Stettin.
A series of wars was triggered by Denmark in the early 14th century, when Eric VI Menved attempted to reestablish Danish rule in Northern Germany. Pomeranian and Rugian towns and dukes were involved in these wars in various and often opposing coalitions. Since 1314, a coalition consisting mainly of Waldemar of Brandenburg, Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
, and the Pomeranian dukes opposed a Danish-led coalition joined by Rugian duke Wizlaw III. This war was ended by the Treaty of Templin
Treaty of Templin
The Treaty of Templin was concluded on November 24/25, 1317, ending a war between the Margraviate of Brandenburg and Denmark, the latter leading a North German alliance. During this war, Brandenburgian margrave Waldemar and his troops were decisively defeated in the 1316 Battle of Gransee, fought...
in 1317. During this conflict, in 1315, Wartislaw IV
Wartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw IV was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1309 until his death. He was the only son of Duke Bogislaw IV of Pomerania and his wife Margareta, a daughter of Prince Wizlaw II of Rugia...
of Pomerania-Wolgast, grandson of Rugian Wizlaw II, made an agreement with Eric VI Menved's brother Christopher II of Denmark
Christopher II of Denmark
Christopher II was king of Denmark from 1320 to 1326 and again from 1329 until his death. He was son of Eric V. His name is connected with national disaster, as his rule ended in an almost total dissolution of the Danish state.-Biography:Being the brother of King Eric VI, Christopher was a...
for inheritance of the Principality of Rügen.
Waldemar of Brandenburg died in 1319. Heinrich, his heir, was still a minor, and died in 1320. The Pomeranian dukes and Cammin bishops tried to take advance of Brandenburg's weakness. They did not only envision territorial gains, but also aimed at changing the status of the duchy from a fief of Brandenburg to a fief directly from the emperor. To achieve these goals, the dukes allied with various neighboring states, mounted military campaigns of which the first Battle of Kremmer Damm in 1332 was the most important, and gave their lands to the Cammin bishops (in 1320) and even to pope John XXII
Pope John XXII
Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
(in 1330). In 1337, the Brandenburg margrave had to take the terrae Lippehne, Schivelbein and Falkenberg
Falkenberg
Falkenberg is a locality and the seat of Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 18,972 inhabitants in 2005.The town has a population of 19,000 and is located at the mouth of the river Ätran. The name consists of the Swedish words for falcon and mountain...
(all in Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
) as a fief from the Cammin bishops. In 1338, Barnim III
Barnim III, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim III was a Pomeranian duke from the Griffin dynasty. He ruled Pomerania-Stettin in the years 1344–1368, although he had been a co-regent of his father Otto I since 1320, taking a prominent part in the defence and government of the duchy. Aiming for independence from the Margraviate of...
of Pomerania-Stettin was granted his part-duchy as a fief directly from the emperor, while Pomerania-Wolgast remained under formal Brandenburgian overlordship.
The towns Stettin, Greifenhagen
Greifenhagen
Greifenhagen is a village and a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it has been part of the town of Arnstein....
, and Gollnow in Pomerania-Stettin, concerned about a permanent division of the duchy in case Barnim III would not have children, rebelled in 1339 and sided with Pomerania-Wolgast in 1341. Barnim had to move his court to Gartz (Oder). On June 12, 1348, German king and later emperor Karl IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
granted the Duchy of Pomerania as a whole and the Rugian principality as a fief to the dukes of both Pomerania-Stettin and Pomerania-Wolgast, erasing Brandenburg's claims. The Pomeranian dukes and towns reconciled in 1344/54.
Barnim III, against the will of the burghers, erected a castle within Stettin's walls
Pomeranian Dukes' Castle, Szczecin
The Ducal Castle in Szczecin, Poland, was the seat of the dukes of Pomerania-Stettin of the House of Pomerania , who ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from 1121 to 1637.-History:...
in 1346 (the old burgh had been leveled in 1249), and gained from Brandenburg the eastern parts of the Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
, that was in 1354 Pasewalk
Pasewalk
Pasewalk is a town in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany. Located on the Uecker river, it is the capital of the former Uecker-Randow district, and the seat of the Uecker-Randow-Tal Amt of which it is not part.Pasewalk became a town during the 12th...
, in 1355 Schwedt
Schwedt
Schwedt is a city in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the largest city of the district Uckermark near the Oder river on the border with Poland.-Overview:...
, Angermünde
Angermünde
Angermünde is a town in the district of Uckermark in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the Mündesee, 43 miles northeast of Berlin on the Berlin–Szczecin railway...
, and Brüssow
Brüssow
Brüssow is a town in the Uckermark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 16 km southeast of Pasewalk, and 27 km west of Szczecin....
, and in 1359 (Torgelow
Torgelow
Torgelow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Uecker, 12 km south of Ueckermünde, and 41 km northwest of Stettin....
).
First and Second War for Rugian Succession
The Rugian prince Wizlaw III died in 1325. Because of the earlier death of his son, he had no male heir, and Wartislaw IVWartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw IV was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1309 until his death. He was the only son of Duke Bogislaw IV of Pomerania and his wife Margareta, a daughter of Prince Wizlaw II of Rugia...
of Pomerania-Wolgast took over the principality according to the 1315 agreement with Christopher II of Denmark
Christopher II of Denmark
Christopher II was king of Denmark from 1320 to 1326 and again from 1329 until his death. He was son of Eric V. His name is connected with national disaster, as his rule ended in an almost total dissolution of the Danish state.-Biography:Being the brother of King Eric VI, Christopher was a...
. Yet, in the meantime Christopher's throne had been challenged by Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark
Valdemar III of Denmark was a king of Denmark from 1326 to 1329 briefly when underage, as well as in 1325–26 and from 1330 to 1364 Duke of Schleswig as Valdemar V. He was a rival king set up against the unsuccessful Christopher II and was widely opposed by his many subjects. His term was ended...
, and Christopher had granted Rugia to Mecklenburg for her aid against his opponent. After Wartislaw died in 1326, Mecklenburg invaded the principality. Wartislaw's minor sons were aided by primarily by Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
and Demmin
Demmin
Demmin is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the former district Demmin.- Name :...
, but also by Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
, Anklam
Anklam
Anklam 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 part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
, and Valdemar III, who decisively defeated the Mecklenburgian army in 1228 near Völschow
Völschow
Völschow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
. In the subsequent Treaty of Brudersdorf, Mecklenburg withdrew her claims for 31,000 mark
Mark (money)
Mark was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and often equivalent to 8 ounces. Considerable variations, however, occurred throughout the Middle Ages Mark (from a merging of three Teutonic/Germanic languages words, Latinized in 9th century...
in silver. In exchange, the terrae Tribsees
Tribsees
Tribsees is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated 33 km southwest of Stralsund, and 40 km east of Rostock....
, Grimmen
Grimmen
Grimmen is the capital of Vorpommern-Rügen, a district in the Bundesland Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.-Geography:Grimmen is located in southeastern Nordvorpommern on the banks of the river Trebel, about 30 km south of Stralsund and 30 km west of Greifswald. The town is connected to...
and Barth were pawned to her. When the Pomeranian dukes in 1340 were not able to bail out these lands, but refused to formally hand them over, a second war started. This time, the dukes of Pomerania-Wolgast were aided by those of Pomerania-Stettin and the Counts of Gützkow. After the Pomeranian forces defeated the Mecklenburgians in the Battle of Schopendamm near Loitz
Loitz
Loitz is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Peene, 10 km northeast of Demmin, and 22 km southwest of Greifswald.-External links:*...
in 1351, they were able to take Grimmen and Barth in 1354 and Tribsees in 1356. Mecklenburg dropped her claims thereafter. Another party in these wars for Rugian succession was the bishop of Schwerin, who sought to enforce his claims by legal means, but was not successful in his appeals to various ecclesial courts.
After the partition of Pomerania-Wolgast (1368–72)
After the death of Barnim IVBarnim IV, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim IV of Pomerania was a Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast-Rügen.He was the second son of Duke Wartislaw of Pomerania-Wolgast and the brother of Bogislaw V and Wartislaw V....
of Pomerania-Wolgast in 1366, an armed conflict arose when Barnim's brother Bogislaw V
Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw V was a Duke of Pomerania.Eldest son of Duke Wartislaw IV and Elisabeth of Silesia, Bogislaw had two brothers, Barnim IV and Wartislaw V. The brothers were joint rulers from their father's death in 1326. They allied with King Casimir III of Poland, whose daughter Elisabeth married...
refused to share his power with Barnim's sons, Wartislaw VI
Wartislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VI of Pomarania was the eldest son of the Duke Barnim IV of Pomerania-Wolgast-Rügen....
and Bogislaw VI
Bogislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast.In 1365, after the death of his father, Bogislaw IV, he ruled Pomerania jointly with his brother Wartislaw VI. As they were both minors, they stood under the guardianship of their uncle Bogislaw V, who died in 1374...
, and his other brother, Wartislaw V
Wartislaw V, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw V. was a duke of Pomerania from the House of Griffins. He initially ruled Pomerania-Wolgast jointly with his elder brothers Barnim IV and Bogislaw V. He stood in their shadow and after 1368, he ruled his own part of the Duchy: the Land of Neustettin...
, who in turn allied with Mecklenburg to enforce their claims. On May 25, 1368, a compromise was negotiated in Anklam
Anklam
Anklam 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 part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
, which was made a formal treaty on June 8, 1372, in Stargard
Stargard
Starogard or Stargard means old fort or old city in the Pomeranian language, and gard is Old Slavic, Old Germanic, Old Baltic, and Old Finnic for castle or fortification...
, and resulted in a partition of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Bogislaw V received most of the Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania
Farther Pomerania, Further Pomerania, Transpomerania or Eastern Pomerania , which before the German-Polish border shift of 1945 comprised the eastern part of the Duchy, later Province of Pomerania, roughly stretching from the Oder River in the West to Pomerelia in the East...
n parts. Excepted was the land of Neustettin, 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 part duchy became known as Pomerania-Stolp. The western remainder of Pomerania-Wolgast was further partitioned between Bogislaw IV and Wartislaw VI on December 6, 1376. Wartislaw VI received Pomerania-(Wolgast)-Barth, the former principality of Rügen, and Bogislaw IV's Pomerania-Wolgast was reduced to an area between Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
and the Swine river. When Bogislaw VI died in 1393 and Wartislaw VI in 1394, the latter's sons Barnim VI
Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim VI was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1394 to 1405. He was the son of Wartislaw VI of Pomerania-Wolgast.Barnim is known for his engagement in piracy. He erected a fort and a port for this purpose in Ahrenshoop, which was destroyed by Rostock in 1395...
and Wartislaw VIII
Wartislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VIII was a duke of Pomerania from the House of Griffins house. He ruled in Pomerania-Wolgast from 1394 together with his brother Barnim VI...
ruled in common.
On December 6, 1425, the western part of Pomerania-Wolgast (without Pomerania-Stolp) was partitioned again at a congress in Eldena Abbey
Eldena Abbey
Eldena Abbey , originally Hilda Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery near the present town of Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany...
, this time among the Wartislaw IX
Wartislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania
Duke Wartislaw IX of Pomerania-Wolgast was the eldest son of the Duke Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania and Veronica of Hohenzollern. He reigned from 1417 until his death in 1457 and he married to Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg-Ratzeburg in 1420...
and his brother Barnim VII
Barnim VII, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim VII was the son of Duke Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania. He was from 1425 Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast-Demmin and later also Duke of Pomerania-Barth. He supported his brother Wartislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania against Brandenburg.- References :...
, who received the eastern part with Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
, and their cousins Swantibor II and his brother Barnim VIII
Barnim VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim VIII, Duke of Pomerania was Duke of Pomerania -Wolgast-Barth.Barnim VIII was the son of Duke Wartislaw VIII of Pomerania-Wolgast...
, who received the Rugian part with Barth.
In 1456, the University of Greifswald was founded on behalf of Heinrich Rubenow, becoming the first university of Pomerania and one of the oldest in northern Europe.
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
, where both raised at the Polish court in Cracow. Elisabeth would become Holy Roman Empress
Elizabeth of Pomerania
Elizabeth of Pomerania was the fourth and final wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia. Her parents were Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Elizabeth of Poland,...
after her marriage with Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
, 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
Dobrzyn, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Dobrzyń is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Gryfice, within Gryfice County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland. It lies approximately west of Gryfice and north-east of the regional capital Szczecin....
as a fief. Eric II of Pomerania-Stolp
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
, great-grandson of Danish king Valdemar IV
Valdemar IV of Denmark
Valdemar IV of Denmark or Waldemar ; , was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375.-Ascension to the throne:...
in contrast became king of the Kalmar Union
Kalmar Union
The Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
in 1397.
Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw IX was a duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp, whose residence was Stargard.Bogislaw was the son of Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania, and Sophia of Holstein. On June 24, 1432 he married Maria of Masovia, daughter of Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia and Alexandra of Lithuania...
Of Pomerania-Stolp king of both the Kalmar Union and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
. Eric had to leave Denmark in 1449 and ruled Pomerania-Rügenwalde, a small partition of Pomerania-Stolp, until his death in 1459.
Pomerania-Stolp was a crucial point in the knights' land supply route. Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
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 traveling his lands. For his aid, he was granted the Lauenburg (now Lębork
Lebork
Lębork is a town on the Łeba and Okalica rivers in Middle Pomerania region, north-western Poland with some 37,000 inhabitants.Lębork is also the capital of Lębork County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, formerly in Słupsk Voivodeship ....
) and Bütow (now Bytów
Bytów
Bytów is a town in the Middle Pomerania region of northern Poland in the Bytów Lakeland with 16,888 inhabitants . Previously in Słupsk Voivodeship , it is the capital of Bytów County in Pomeranian Voivodeship .-History:...
) areas (Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land formed a historical region in eastern in eastern Pomerania. Composed of two districts centered around the towns of Lauenburg and Bütow , it was on the western periphery of Pomerelia...
) and others, but those were lost in the First Peace of Thorn in 1411.
Casimir V, Duke of Pomerania
Duke Casimir V of Pomerania was a member of the House of Griffins and a Duke of Pomerania. He ruled in Pomerania-Stettin together with his brother Otto II from 1413 to 1428...
of Pomerania-Stettin at the same time allied with the Teutonic Knights and took part in the Battle of Grunwald
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
, where he was caught by the Poles and bailed out by the knights after the First Peace of Thorn.
The main concern of the Stettin dukes however was the conflict with Brandenburg
Brandenburg-Pomeranian conflict
Starting in the 12th century, the Margraviate, later Electorate of Brandenburg was in conflict with the neighboring Duchy of Pomerania over frontier territories claimed by both Brandenburg and Pomerania, and over the status of the Pomeranian duchy, which Brandenburg claimed as a fief, whereas...
, primarily in the Neumark and Uckermark regions. Casimir III
Casimir III, Duke of Pomerania
Casimir or Kasimir III '; , oldest son of Barnim III, was one of the Dukes of Pomerania-Stettin . He died during a campaign against the Margraviate of Brandenburg in an ambush on Königsberg in 1372.-See also:*List of Pomeranian duchies and dukes*History of Pomerania*Duchy of Pomerania*House of...
died in 1372 during a siege of Königsberg (Neumark), after he had managed to receive an empirial approval of his Uckermark possessions in 1370. On May 17, 1373, all dukes of Pomerania concluded an alliance in Kaseburg, but situation eased when margrave Otto III of Brandenburg abdicated on August 15, 1373, and the House of Luxembourg
House of Luxembourg
The House of Luxembourg was a late medieval German dynasty, which between 1308 and 1437 ruled the Holy Roman Empire, twice interrupted by the rivaling House of Wittelsbach.-History:...
took over the march on October 2 of the same year. In 1374, the Luxembourgians allied with all branches of the House of Pomerania
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
. Pomeranian dukes even held positions in the march's administration.
When Brandenburg changed hands from the House of Luxembourg to the House of Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
on January 11, 1411, the dukes of Pomerania-Stettin understood their position endangered and reacted with warfare. The first major battle was the second Battle of Kremmer Damm on October 24, 1412. While the dukes of Pomerania-Wolgast had sided with the emperor, disappointment over the emperors disapproval of ridding them of formal Brandenburgian overlordship in 1417 drove them to ally with their Stettin relatives and Mecklenburg. This coalition was backed by Denmark and Poland. A series of battles culminated in a decisive defeat on March 26, 1420, in the streets of Angermünde
Angermünde
Angermünde is a town in the district of Uckermark in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the Mündesee, 43 miles northeast of Berlin on the Berlin–Szczecin railway...
, and the Uckermark possessions were lost once again.
On September 15, 1423, all Pomeranian dukes (including Eric
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
) allied with the Teutonic Knights against Brandenburg and against the Hanseatic towns. In early 1425, this coalition was joined by Mecklenburg and Poland and successfully invaded Brandenburg. A peace treaty concluded on May 22, 1427, in Eberswalde
Eberswalde
Eberswalde is a major town and the administrative seat of the district Barnim in the German Federal State of Brandenburg, about 50 km northeast of Berlin. Population 42144 , geographical location . The town is often called Waldstadt , because of the large forests around it, including the...
, left Pomerania with the Uckermark north of Angermünde
Angermünde
Angermünde is a town in the district of Uckermark in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the Mündesee, 43 miles northeast of Berlin on the Berlin–Szczecin railway...
. On June 16, 1427, this was confirmed by the Treaty of Templin
Treaty of Templin
The Treaty of Templin was concluded on November 24/25, 1317, ending a war between the Margraviate of Brandenburg and Denmark, the latter leading a North German alliance. During this war, Brandenburgian margrave Waldemar and his troops were decisively defeated in the 1316 Battle of Gransee, fought...
, which also included a coalition of Pomerania, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg. Yet, in 1440 Pomerania and Brandenburg invaded Mecklenburg, and in 1444 Brandenburg demanded from Pomerania to again hand over the Uckermark to her. When the Pomeranians refused, war broke out again. The first Treaty of Prenzlau
Treaty of Prenzlau
Treaty of Prenzlau or Peace of Prenzlau may refer to several treaties during a series of wars between the Margraviate of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Pomerania fought for control of Pomerania-Stettin, and possession of the Uckermark in the 15th century...
in 1448 set the border south of Pasewalk
Pasewalk
Pasewalk is a town in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Germany. Located on the Uecker river, it is the capital of the former Uecker-Randow district, and the seat of the Uecker-Randow-Tal Amt of which it is not part.Pasewalk became a town during the 12th...
.
Polish-Teutonic Wars
In 1320 and 1325, Wartislaw IV of Pomerania-WolgastWartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw IV was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1309 until his death. He was the only son of Duke Bogislaw IV of Pomerania and his wife Margareta, a daughter of Prince Wizlaw II of Rugia...
allied with the Landmeister of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
in Prussia
Prussia (region)
Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe extending from the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the Masurian Lake District. It is now divided between Poland, Russia, and Lithuania...
against king Casimir III
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
of Poland. When the Treaty of Kalisz had ended the subsequent Polish–Teutonic War (1326–1332)
Polish–Teutonic War (1326–1332)
Polish–Teutonic War was the war between the Kingdom of Poland and the State of the Teutonic Order over Pomerelia, fought from 1326 to 1332.-Background:...
in 1343, Wartislaw's sons Bogislaw V
Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw V was a Duke of Pomerania.Eldest son of Duke Wartislaw IV and Elisabeth of Silesia, Bogislaw had two brothers, Barnim IV and Wartislaw V. The brothers were joint rulers from their father's death in 1326. They allied with King Casimir III of Poland, whose daughter Elisabeth married...
, Barnim IV
Barnim IV, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim IV of Pomerania was a Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast-Rügen.He was the second son of Duke Wartislaw of Pomerania-Wolgast and the brother of Bogislaw V and Wartislaw V....
and Wartislaw V
Wartislaw V, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw V. was a duke of Pomerania from the House of Griffins. He initially ruled Pomerania-Wolgast jointly with his elder brothers Barnim IV and Bogislaw V. He stood in their shadow and after 1368, he ruled his own part of the Duchy: the Land of Neustettin...
changed sides, and Bogislaw V
Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw V was a Duke of Pomerania.Eldest son of Duke Wartislaw IV and Elisabeth of Silesia, Bogislaw had two brothers, Barnim IV and Wartislaw V. The brothers were joint rulers from their father's death in 1326. They allied with King Casimir III of Poland, whose daughter Elisabeth married...
married Casimir III
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
's daughter, Elisabeth
Elisabeth of Poland (1326–1361)
Elisabeth of Poland was the eldest child of Casimir III of Poland and his first wife Aldona of Lithuania.- Family :Elisabeth had one full-blood sister, Cunigunde of Poland, who married Louis VI the Roman. After Aldona's death, Casimir went on to marry three more times. His second wife was...
. Barnim III of Pomerania-Stettin
Barnim III, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim III was a Pomeranian duke from the Griffin dynasty. He ruled Pomerania-Stettin in the years 1344–1368, although he had been a co-regent of his father Otto I since 1320, taking a prominent part in the defence and government of the duchy. Aiming for independence from the Margraviate of...
joined this alliance in 1348. After Poland and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
had formed the Union of Krėva in 1385, and Poland had rejected the claims of Casimir III
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
's grand-son Casimir IV of Pomerania-Stolp, Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
and Wartislaw VII
Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VII was one of the Dukes of Pomerania. He was the son of Bogislaw V, brother of Casimir IV and Bogislaw VIII. He married Maria of Mecklenburg and was the father of Eric of Pomerania and Catherine of Pomerania....
of Pomerania-Stolp in 1386 concluded an anti-Polish alliance with the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, after they had settled their common border. In 1388, this alliance was joined by Swantibor I and Bogislaw VII of Pomerania-Stettin as well as Barnim VI
Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania
Barnim VI was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1394 to 1405. He was the son of Wartislaw VI of Pomerania-Wolgast.Barnim is known for his engagement in piracy. He erected a fort and a port for this purpose in Ahrenshoop, which was destroyed by Rostock in 1395...
and Wartislaw VI
Wartislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VI of Pomarania was the eldest son of the Duke Barnim IV of Pomerania-Wolgast-Rügen....
of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Later in 1388 however, the dukes of Pomerania-Stolp left this alliance and sided with Poland, who had promised to partially respect their claims as Casimir III
Casimir III of Poland
Casimir III the Great , last King of Poland from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Władysław I the Elbow-high and Hedwig of Kalisz.-Biography:...
's heirs. Thence, the nobles of Pomerania-Stolp robbed
Robber baron
A robber baron or robber knight was an unscrupulous and despotic nobility of the medieval period in Europe, for example, Berlichingen. It has slightly different meanings in different countries. In modern US parlance, the term is also used to describe unscrupulous industrialists...
the Teutonic knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
and their supply routes, provoking a counter-attack that destroyed many noble strongholds
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
and the fortifications of Köslin (now Koszalin). Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
, Barnim V and Wartislaw VII
Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VII was one of the Dukes of Pomerania. He was the son of Bogislaw V, brother of Casimir IV and Bogislaw VIII. He married Maria of Mecklenburg and was the father of Eric of Pomerania and Catherine of Pomerania....
reacted by siding with Polish king Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
and concluding mutual trade alleviations.
When Wartislaw VII
Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VII was one of the Dukes of Pomerania. He was the son of Bogislaw V, brother of Casimir IV and Bogislaw VIII. He married Maria of Mecklenburg and was the father of Eric of Pomerania and Catherine of Pomerania....
died, Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
and Barnim V concluded a treaty with the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
to safeguard their supply routes in turn for a financial credit. Swantibor I and Bogislaw VII of Pomerania-Stettin changed sides in 1395 and allied with the knights in turn for financial aid. Barnim V in 1397 concluded an alliance with Poland, married Vytautas' niece Hedwig and was in Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
's service in 1401 until he died in 1402 or 1404. Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
also entered into Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
's service, but changed sides in 1407/08, when he allied with the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
and settled their common border.
Nikolaus Bock, Cammin bishop
Roman Catholic Diocese of Kammin
The Bishopric of Cammin was both a former Roman Catholic diocese in the Duchy of Pomerania from 1140 to 1544, and a secular territory in the Kolberg area from 1248 to 1650....
from 1398–1410, had also sided with the knights before and placed his bishopric under their suzerainity. Wartislaw VIII
Wartislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VIII was a duke of Pomerania from the House of Griffins house. He ruled in Pomerania-Wolgast from 1394 together with his brother Barnim VI...
of Pomerania-Wolgast allied with the knights in return for an assumption of a debt and additional payments. Swantibor I and Bogislaw VII of Pomerania-Stettin joined this alliance in 1409, after they had concluded a ten-year truce with the knights in return for debt cancellation before. When the knights lost the Battle of Tannenberg
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...
in 1410, Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
of Pomerania-Stolp changed sides again and allied with Poland in return for the Bütow
Bütow
Bütow is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
, Schlochau, Preußisch-Friedland, Baldenburg, Hammerstein
Hammerstein
Hammerstein is a municipality on the Rhine River in the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany....
and Schivelbein areas, which Poland had gained from the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
before. This was however cancelled by the First Peace of Thorn in 1411.
While Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
nevertheless upheld his alliance with Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
, Konrad Bonow of the Cammin diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Kammin
The Bishopric of Cammin was both a former Roman Catholic diocese in the Duchy of Pomerania from 1140 to 1544, and a secular territory in the Kolberg area from 1248 to 1650....
in 1414 concluded an alliance with the Teutonic knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
against both Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
and Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
, which was turned into a truce soon after. In 1417, Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
and the Teutonic knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
settled their common border in the Hammerstein
Hammerstein
Hammerstein is a municipality on the Rhine River in the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany....
area, ending their conflicts. Bogislaw VIII
Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw VIII was Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until 1418. He was married to Sophie of Holstein, with whom he had Bogislaw IX and Adelheid of Pomerania , married with Duke Bernard II of Saxe-Lauenburg on 2 February 1429.The reign of Bogislaw was influenced by the contemporary...
's son Bogislaw IX
Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw IX was a duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp, whose residence was Stargard.Bogislaw was the son of Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania, and Sophia of Holstein. On June 24, 1432 he married Maria of Masovia, daughter of Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia and Alexandra of Lithuania...
together with all other Pomeranian dukes in 1423 allied with the Teutonic knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
.
Gain of Lauenburg and Bütow Land (1455–1467)
Eric IIEric II, Duke of Pomerania
Eric II or Erich II, of the House of Pomerania , , was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1457 to 1474. He was the son of Wartislaw IX of Pomerania-Wolgast and Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg Eric II or Erich II, of the House of Pomerania (Griffins), (between 1418 and 1425 – 1474), was Duke of...
of Pomerania-Wolgast and successor of Bogislaw IX
Bogislaw IX, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw IX was a duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp, whose residence was Stargard.Bogislaw was the son of Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania, and Sophia of Holstein. On June 24, 1432 he married Maria of Masovia, daughter of Siemowit IV, Duke of Masovia and Alexandra of Lithuania...
in Pomerania-Stolp again allied with Jogaila
Jogaila
Jogaila, later 'He is known under a number of names: ; ; . See also: Jogaila : names and titles. was Grand Duke of Lithuania , king consort of Kingdom of Poland , and sole King of Poland . He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle Kęstutis...
and his son and successor Casimir IV in his Thirteen Years' War against the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
. On January 3, 1455, he in turn was granted the Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land
Lauenburg and Bütow Land formed a historical region in eastern in eastern Pomerania. Composed of two districts centered around the towns of Lauenburg and Bütow , it was on the western periphery of Pomerelia...
at the Pomerelian frontier. When Lauenburg 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, that was signed by Eric in 1467.
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 plague. The same disease caused the death of Joachim of Pomerania-Stettin (also in 1451), Ertmar and Swantibor, children of Wartislaw XWartislaw X, Duke of Pomerania
Duke Wartislaw X of Pomerania was the second son of Duke Wartislaw IX of Pomerania and his wife, Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg....
, and Otto III
Otto III, Duke of Pomerania
Otto III, Duke of Pomerania was a member of the House of Griffins and a Duke of Pomerania-Stettin.- Life :...
of Pomerania-Stettin (all in 1464). 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
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
. In the Treaty of Soldin of 1466
Treaty of Soldin (1466)
The Treaty of Soldin was signed on 21 January 1466 at Soldin by the Brandenburgian elector Frederick II and the Pomeranian dukes Eric II and Wartislaw X. It was mediated by the town of Stettin...
, a compromise was negotiated: Wartislaw X and Eric II
Eric II, Duke of Pomerania
Eric II or Erich II, of the House of Pomerania , , was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1457 to 1474. He was the son of Wartislaw IX of Pomerania-Wolgast and Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg Eric II or Erich II, of the House of Pomerania (Griffins), (between 1418 and 1425 – 1474), was Duke of...
, 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
Treaty of Prenzlau
Treaty of Prenzlau or Peace of Prenzlau may refer to several treaties during a series of wars between the Margraviate of Brandenburg and the Duchy of Pomerania fought for control of Pomerania-Stettin, and possession of the Uckermark in the 15th century...
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.
In 1474, Eric II died of the plague, and his son Bogislaw X
Bogislaw X, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw X of Pomerania, the Great, was Duke of Pomerania from 1474 until his death in 1523.Bogislaw was born in Rügenwalde into the House of Pomerania . His father was Eric II, Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast, his mother was the duchess Sophia of Pomerania, both distant relatives of the House of...
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.
Eric II had left Pomerania in tense conflicts with Brandenburg and Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
. Bogislaw managed to resolve these conflicts by both diplomatic and military means. He married his sister, Sophia, to Magnus, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and his other sister, Magarete, was married to Magnus' brother Balthasar. Bogislaw himself married Magarete, daughter of Brandenburg's Prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
Frederick II. Also, in 1478, Bogislaw regained areas lost to Brandenburg by his father, most notably the town of Gartz
Gartz
Gartz is a town in the Uckermark district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the West bank of the Oder River, about 30 km south of Szczecin .-Overview:...
and other small towns and castles north of the Brandenburgian Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
. 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.
Brandenburg, Poland and the Teutonic Order compete for Pomerelia (1294–1309)
After the Mestwin II, the last member of the SamboridesSamborides
The Samborides or House of Sobiesław were a ruling dynasty in the historic region of Pomerania. They were first documented about 1155 as governors in the eastern Pomerelian lands serving the royal Piast dynasty of Poland, and from 1227 ruled as autonomous princes until 1294, at which time the...
that ruled the Duchy of Pomerelia died in 1294, disputes over succession arose. Involved in internal dynastic conflicts, Mestwin had promised his duchy to Conrad, Margrave of Brandenburg-Stendal, for aiding him in his struggles with his brother, Wratislaw. Yet, in the 1282 Treaty of Kępno
Treaty of Kępno
The Treaty of Kępno was an agreement between the High Duke of Poland and Wielkopolska Przemysł II and the Duke of Pomerania Mestwin II signed on February 15, 1282, which transferred the suzerainty over Gdańsk Pomerania to Przemysł...
he also promised Pomerelia to his ally Przemyslaw II, duke and later king of Poland. The Teutonic Order, who also held claims regarding Pomerelia, had inherited Mewe from Sambor II, thus gaining a foothold on the left bank of the Vistula.
At the beginning of the 14th century, the region was plunged into war involving local Pomeranian nobility and the principality of Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
to the west, which had acquired rights by the Treaty of Arnswalde
Treaty of Arnswalde
In the Treaty of Choszczno , signed on 1 April 1269, the Brandenburgian Margraves of the House of Ascania John II, Otto IV and Conrad signed a treaty with Duke Mestwin II of Pomerania in Choszczno...
of 1269. Brandenburg's claim to the harbour city and Pomerania was partially based on a treaty of August 8, 1305, between the Rulers of Brandenburg and Wenceslaus III
Wenceslaus III of Bohemia
Wenceslaus III Premyslid was the King of Hungary , King of Bohemia and the king of Poland ....
, promising the Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
territory to the Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
n crown in exchange for Pomerelia
Pomerelia
Pomerelia is a historical region in northern Poland. Pomerelia lay in eastern Pomerania: on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea and west of the Vistula and its delta. The area centered on the city of Gdańsk at the mouth of the Vistula...
, although it never was finalised.
On becoming king of Poland, in summer 1300, Wenceslaus II of Bohemia asked the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
to protect Pomerania from the claims of Brandenburg. In 1306 Władysław Lokietek's forces seized Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
(Danzig). Also in 1306–07, Brandenburg took the terra Schlawe, and in 1308 the terra Stolp and Danzig. When Gdańsk was subsequently attacked by the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1308, Lokietek was unable to help and called in the Teutonic Knights for support. The Brandenburgers were repelled. The king did not pay the Teutonic Knights, however, and then they took over Danzig (Gdańsk) and ousted the remaining Polish garrison from the castle. Poles later claimed that the Knights committed a massacre of 10,000 civilians.
Pomerelia in the Teutonic Knights' monastic state (1309–1466)
Siegfried von Feuchtwangen
Siegfried von Feuchtwangen was the 15th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1303 to 1311.Von Feuchtwangen was born in Feuchtwangen in Middle Franconia, and was a relative of the earlier Grand Master Konrad von Feuchtwangen. He took the office after his predecessor, Gottfried von...
and Master Heinrich von Dirschau und Schwetz integrated Pomerelia in the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....
. The Margraves sold the area to the Teutonic Order in the 1309 Treaty of Soldin. Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
ratified the Soldin Treaty in 1313.
Schlawe-Stolp as a part of Brandenburg, the Teutonic Knights' state and Pomerania-Wolgast
The districts of Sławno (Schlawe or Sławno), DarlowoDarlowo
Darłowo is a town at the south coast of the Baltic Sea in Middle Pomerania, north-western Poland, with 14,931 inhabitants...
(Darłowo or Rügenwalde) and Slupsk
Slupsk
Słupsk is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, in the northern part of Poland. Before 1 January 1999, it was the capital of the separate Słupsk Voivodeship. It is also a part of the historic region of Pomerania....
(Słupsk or Stolp), however, remained with Brandenburg. Previously, they were part of Pomerelia
Pomerelia
Pomerelia is a historical region in northern Poland. Pomerelia lay in eastern Pomerania: on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea and west of the Vistula and its delta. The area centered on the city of Gdańsk at the mouth of the Vistula...
.
In 1316–17, the Griffin duke
House of Pomerania
The House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
of Pomerania-Wolgast took over these areas as a fief from Waldemar of Brandenburg. In 1347, the area became fully attached to Pomerania-Wolgast. The lands of Stolp were pawned to the Teutonic Order from 1329 to 1341, the Bütow
Bütow
Bütow is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
area was bought by the knights in 1329 and thus remained outside Pomerania-Wolgast. The Swenzones
Swenzones
The collective name Swenzones , refers in historical literature to a Pomeranian noble family which at the transition from the Middle Ages to modern times made in the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp and Pomerelia from 1269 to 1357 a remarkable career under various political powers struggling for...
family was de facto ruling the area regardless of the respective overlord, their power was broken only by the dukes of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Further reading
- Werner BuchholzWerner Buchholz (German historian)Werner Buchholz is a German historian, currently a professor for Pomeranian History at the University of Greifswald.- Biography :...
et al., Pommern, Siedler, 1999/2002, ISBN 3886807800, 576 pages; this book is part of the Deutsche Geschichte im Osten Europas series and primarily covers the history of the Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy of PomeraniaThe Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
and Province of Pomerania from the 12th century to 1945, and Western Pomerania after 1945. - Jan Maria Piskorski et al. (Werner Buchholz, Jörg Hackmann, Alina Hutnikiewicz, Norbert Kersken, Hans-Werner Rautenberg, Wlodzimierz Stepinski, Zygmunt Szultka, Bogdan Wachowiak, Edward Wlodarczyk), Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, Zamek Ksiazat Pomorskich, 1999 . This book is a co-edition of several German and Polish experts on Pomeranian history and covers the history of Pomerania, except for PomereliaPomereliaPomerelia is a historical region in northern Poland. Pomerelia lay in eastern Pomerania: on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea and west of the Vistula and its delta. The area centered on the city of Gdańsk at the mouth of the Vistula...
, from the earliest appearance of humans in the area until the end of the second millennium. It is also available in a Polish version, ISBN 8391029107.