Wolin (town)
Encyclopedia
Wolin ' is a town situated on the southern tip of the Wolin
island off the Baltic
coast of Poland
. The island lies at the edge of the strait
of Dziwna
in Kamień Pomorski County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
.
The town, now a fishing port and gateway to the island's bathing resorts, has a population of approximately 4,900. Dating from the 9th century, it has been associated with the semi-legendary settlements of Jomsburg, Jumne, Julin and Vineta
. It played an important role in the conversion of Pomerania
and in 1140 became the first see of the Pomeranian diocese. Several ruins from the Slavic
period occupy the area. The early medieval town fell victim to the late 12th century Danish raids, and was refounded during the Ostsiedlung
in 1260. Since 1945, the town is part of Poland
.
settlement of the island in the 8th century. The local tribe was recorded as "Velunzani
" (Wolinians) in the 9th century by the Bavarian Geographer
, and is considered a sub-tribe of both the Slavic Pomeranians and the Veleti
(later Lutizians). Compared to other tribes of these groups, the Wolinian tribal territory was relatively small, but densely settled: In the 11th century, there was one settlement per four square kilometers. The Wolinians are described by Jan Maria Piskorski as the most powerful Pomeranian tribe. This position resulted from the multi-ethnic emporium
at the site of the present-day town. Similar emporia were also set up elsewhere along the southern coastline of the Baltic Sea
since the 8th century.
This emporium, by contemporary chronicles referred to as Jumne or Julin, began to prosper in the 9th century. Archaeological research revealed seaside foritifications that have been dated back to the beginning 10th century, and also remnants of older fortifications, probably pointing to an earlier burgh
with an adjacent open settlement. In the 960s, the Jewish merchant Ibrahim ibn Jakub described the settlement as a town with several thousand inhabitants and twelve gates. Besides the Wolinians, there were Scandinavia
n, Saxons
and Rus%27 %28people%29. Later, the town was mentioned in the chronicles of Adam of Bremen
. Adam mentioned a lighthouse, which he described as "the lamp of Vulcan". All these descriptions contributed to the Vineta
legend. Though other towns are also considered possible locations of Vineta, it is believed today to be identical with Wollin. The same is true for Jomsborg
, a stronghold set up by Danish king Harald Bluetooth and Swedish prince Styrbjörn in the course of Harald's internal struggles with his son, Sweyn Forkbeard, in the 970s or 980s, which housed a garrison of soldiers known as Jomsvikings
.
In the late 10th century, the Polish dukes Mieszko I and Bolesław I Chrobry subdued parts of Pomerania
and also fought the Wolinians. Despite a victory of Mieszko in a 967 battle, the Polish dukes did not succeed to subdue the area.
In 1121/22, the Polish duke Bolesław III Wrymouth conquered the area along with the Duchy of Pomerania
under Wartislaw I
. Boleslaw aimed at Christianizing the area
and in 1122 sent the Spanish eremite Bernard on a mission to Wolin. The inhabitants, reluctant to convert to a religion of a man who did not even wear shoes, beat him up badly and expelled him. With the approval of both Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
, and Pope Callixtus II
, Boleslaw initiated another mission of Saint Otto of Bamberg
in 1124. When Otto, a respected and wealthy man acompagnied by German and Polish clergymen and military units, arrived in Wolin, he had already successfully converted the Pyritz and Cammin
areas. Yet, he was met with distrust, and the town's inhabitants finally gave in to convert to Christianity only if Otto managed to convert Stettin, which the Wolinians assumed was unachievable. Yet, when Otto after two month work and threatening with another military intervention managed to convert Szczecin, he returned to Wolin and the Wolinians accepted conversion.
Otto's second mission in 1128 was initiated by Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair in 1128 after a pagan reaction. While this second mission was oriented more towards Western Pomerania, Otto also visited Wollin again. Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
supported and aided both missions.. In 1140, Wolin was made the first episcopal see in Pomerania
: Pope Innocent II
founded the diocese by a papal bull
of 14 October, and made Wolin's church of St. Adalbert its see. However, the see was moved to Grobe Abbey on the island of Usedom
after 1150.
At the same time Wolin economically decayed and was devastated by Danish expeditions, which contributed to the move of the episkopal see to Grobe. The Danish campaigns completely wiped out the town in the late 12th century.
On the ruins of the early medieval town, a new town was founded and granted Lübeck Law
during the Ostsiedlung
in 1260. The town remained in the Duchy of Pomerania
(which was within the Holy Roman Empire
since 1164/1181), passing with the Duchy of Pomerania-Stettin to the Swedish Crown
following the Treaty of Stettin (1630)
, the Peace of Westphalia
(1648) and the Treaty of Stettin (1653)
. Since the Treaty of Stockholm (Great Northern War)
of 1720, it was incorporated into the Prussia
n Province of Pomerania
. In 1945, with the conclusion of the Second World War, Wollin was conquered by the Red Army
and handed over to Poland and the German population was expelled
The town was renamed Wolin and resettled by Poles.
, France
Staffanstorp
, Sweden
Usedom
, Germany
Wolin
Wolin is the name both of an island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. It is separated from the island of Usedom by the Świna river, and from mainland Pomerania by the Dziwna river...
island off the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The island lies at the edge of the strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
of Dziwna
Dziwna
The Dziwna is an eastern strait, river or a branch of the Oder River out of three straits connecting the Oder Lagoon with the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea, between the island of Wolin and the Polish mainland.Major towns on the Dziwna include:* Wolin...
in Kamień Pomorski County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship
West Pomeranian Voivodeship, , is a voivodeship in northwestern Poland. It borders on Pomeranian Voivodeship to the east, Greater Poland Voivodeship to the southeast, Lubusz Voivodeship to the south, the German federal-state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the north...
.
The town, now a fishing port and gateway to the island's bathing resorts, has a population of approximately 4,900. Dating from the 9th century, it has been associated with the semi-legendary settlements of Jomsburg, Jumne, Julin and Vineta
Vineta
Vineta or Wineta was a possibly legendary ancient town believed to have been on the coast of the Baltic Sea. It was commonly said to be on the present site of Wolin in Poland or of Zinnowitz on Usedom island in Germany. Today it is said to have been near Barth in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
. It played an important role in the conversion of Pomerania
Conversion of Pomerania
Medieval Pomerania was converted from Slavic paganism to Christianity by Otto von Bamberg in 1124 and 1128 , and in 1168 by Absalon .Earlier attempts, undertaken since the 10th century, failed or were short-lived...
and in 1140 became the first see of the Pomeranian diocese. Several ruins from the Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
period occupy the area. The early medieval town fell victim to the late 12th century Danish raids, and was refounded during the Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
in 1260. Since 1945, the town is part of Poland
Oder-Neisse line
The Oder–Neisse line is the border between Germany and Poland which was drawn in the aftermath of World War II. The line is formed primarily by the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers, and meets the Baltic Sea west of the seaport cities of Szczecin and Świnoujście...
.
History
The history of the town starts with the West SlavicWest Slavs
The West Slavs are Slavic peoples speaking West Slavic languages. They include Poles , Czechs, Slovaks, Lusatian Sorbs and the historical Polabians. The northern or Lechitic group includes, along with Polish, the extinct Polabian and Pomeranian languages...
settlement of the island in the 8th century. The local tribe was recorded as "Velunzani
Velunzani
The Wolinians, Wolinianie, Velunzani, or Uelunzani were a medieval tribe in Pomerania. They were first mentioned as "Velunzani" with 70 towns by the Bavarian Geographer, ca. 845. Associated with both the Veleti and the Pomeranians, they were based on the island of Wolin and the adjacent mainland...
" (Wolinians) in the 9th century by the Bavarian Geographer
Bavarian Geographer
The Bavarian Geographer is a conventional name given by Jan Potocki in 1796 to the author of an anonymous medieval document Descriptio civitatum et regionum ad septentrionalem plagam Danubii ....
, and is considered a sub-tribe of both the Slavic Pomeranians and the Veleti
Veleti
The Veleti or Wilzi were a group of medieval Lechites tribes within the territory of modern northeastern Germany; see Polabian Slavs. In common with other Slavic groups between the Elbe and Oder Rivers, they were often described by Germanic sources as Wends. In the late 10th century, they were...
(later Lutizians). Compared to other tribes of these groups, the Wolinian tribal territory was relatively small, but densely settled: In the 11th century, there was one settlement per four square kilometers. The Wolinians are described by Jan Maria Piskorski as the most powerful Pomeranian tribe. This position resulted from the multi-ethnic emporium
Marketplace
A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...
at the site of the present-day town. Similar emporia were also set up elsewhere along the southern coastline of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
since the 8th century.
This emporium, by contemporary chronicles referred to as Jumne or Julin, began to prosper in the 9th century. Archaeological research revealed seaside foritifications that have been dated back to the beginning 10th century, and also remnants of older fortifications, probably pointing to an earlier burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
with an adjacent open settlement. In the 960s, the Jewish merchant Ibrahim ibn Jakub described the settlement as a town with several thousand inhabitants and twelve gates. Besides the Wolinians, there were Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n, Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
and Rus%27 %28people%29. Later, the town was mentioned in the chronicles of Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
. Adam mentioned a lighthouse, which he described as "the lamp of Vulcan". All these descriptions contributed to the Vineta
Vineta
Vineta or Wineta was a possibly legendary ancient town believed to have been on the coast of the Baltic Sea. It was commonly said to be on the present site of Wolin in Poland or of Zinnowitz on Usedom island in Germany. Today it is said to have been near Barth in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
legend. Though other towns are also considered possible locations of Vineta, it is believed today to be identical with Wollin. The same is true for Jomsborg
Jomsborg
Jomsborg was a semi-legendary Viking stronghold at the southern coast of the Baltic Sea , that existed between the 960s and 1043. Its inhabitants are known as Jomsvikings. Jomsborg's exact location has not yet been established, though it is maintained that Jomsborg was somewhere on the islands of...
, a stronghold set up by Danish king Harald Bluetooth and Swedish prince Styrbjörn in the course of Harald's internal struggles with his son, Sweyn Forkbeard, in the 970s or 980s, which housed a garrison of soldiers known as Jomsvikings
Jomsvikings
The Jomsvikings were a possibly-legendary company of Viking mercenaries or brigands of the 10th century and 14th century AD, dedicated to the worship of such deities as Odin and Thor. They were staunchly pagan, but they reputedly would fight for any lord able to pay their substantial fees, and...
.
In the late 10th century, the Polish dukes Mieszko I and Bolesław I Chrobry subdued parts of Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and also fought the Wolinians. Despite a victory of Mieszko in a 967 battle, the Polish dukes did not succeed to subdue the area.
In 1121/22, the Polish duke Bolesław III Wrymouth conquered the area along with 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 ....
under Wartislaw I
Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw I was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin dynasty....
. Boleslaw aimed at Christianizing the area
Conversion of Pomerania
Medieval Pomerania was converted from Slavic paganism to Christianity by Otto von Bamberg in 1124 and 1128 , and in 1168 by Absalon .Earlier attempts, undertaken since the 10th century, failed or were short-lived...
and in 1122 sent the Spanish eremite Bernard on a mission to Wolin. The inhabitants, reluctant to convert to a religion of a man who did not even wear shoes, beat him up badly and expelled him. With the approval of both Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
, and Pope Callixtus II
Pope Callixtus II
Pope Calixtus II , born Guy de Vienne, the fourth son of William I, Count of Burgundy , was elected Pope on February 1, 1119, after the death of Pope Gelasius II . His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy, which he was able to settle through the Concordat of Worms...
, Boleslaw initiated another mission of Saint Otto of Bamberg
Otto of Bamberg
Saint Otto of Bamberg was a medieval German bishop and missionary who, as papal legate, converted much of Pomerania to Christianity.-Life:Otto was born into a noble family in Mistelbach, Franconia...
in 1124. When Otto, a respected and wealthy man acompagnied by German and Polish clergymen and military units, arrived in Wolin, he had already successfully converted the Pyritz and Cammin
Cammin
Cammin may refer to:*Cammin, Bad Doberan, a municipality in the district of Bad Doberan, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany*Cammin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a municipality in the district of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany...
areas. Yet, he was met with distrust, and the town's inhabitants finally gave in to convert to Christianity only if Otto managed to convert Stettin, which the Wolinians assumed was unachievable. Yet, when Otto after two month work and threatening with another military intervention managed to convert Szczecin, he returned to Wolin and the Wolinians accepted conversion.
Otto's second mission in 1128 was initiated by Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Lothair in 1128 after a pagan reaction. While this second mission was oriented more towards Western Pomerania, Otto also visited Wollin again. Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw I was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin dynasty....
supported and aided both missions.. In 1140, Wolin was made the first episcopal see in Pomerania
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....
: Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II
Pope Innocent II , born Gregorio Papareschi, was pope from 1130 to 1143, and was probably one of the clergy in personal attendance on the antipope Clement III .-Early years:...
founded the diocese by a papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
of 14 October, and made Wolin's church of St. Adalbert its see. However, the see was moved to Grobe Abbey on the island 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...
after 1150.
At the same time Wolin economically decayed and was devastated by Danish expeditions, which contributed to the move of the episkopal see to Grobe. The Danish campaigns completely wiped out the town in the late 12th century.
On the ruins of the early medieval town, a new town was founded and granted 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...
during the Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
in 1260. The town remained in 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 ....
(which was within the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
since 1164/1181), passing with the Duchy of Pomerania-Stettin to the Swedish Crown
Swedish Pomerania
Swedish Pomerania was a Dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815, situated on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held extensive control over the lands on the southern Baltic coast, including Pomerania and parts...
following the Treaty of Stettin (1630)
Treaty of Stettin (1630)
The Treaty of Stettin or Alliance of Stettin was the legal framework for the occupation of the Duchy of Pomerania by the Swedish Empire during the Thirty Years' War...
, the Peace of Westphalia
Peace of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia was a series of peace treaties signed between May and October of 1648 in Osnabrück and Münster. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, with Spain formally recognizing the...
(1648) and the Treaty of Stettin (1653)
Treaty of Stettin (1653)
The Treaty of Stettin of 4 May 1653 settled a dispute between Brandenburg and Sweden, who both claimed succession in the Duchy of Pomerania after the extinction of the local House of Pomerania during the Thirty Years' War. Brandenburg's claims were based on the Treaty of Grimnitz , while Sweden's...
. Since the Treaty of Stockholm (Great Northern War)
Treaty of Stockholm (Great Northern War)
With the death of Charles XII of Sweden in 1718 it was obvious that the Great Northern War was coming to a close. His successor Frederick I began negotiating the Treaty of Stockholm, which refers to the two treaties signed in 1719 and 1720 that ended the war between Sweden on one side and Hanover...
of 1720, it was incorporated into the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Province of Pomerania
Province of Pomerania (1653–1815)
The Province of Pomerania was a province of Brandenburg-Prussia, the later Kingdom of Prussia. After the Thirty Years' War, the province consisted of Farther Pomerania. Subsequently, the Lauenburg and Bütow Land, Draheim, and Swedish Pomerania south of the Peene river were joined into the province...
. In 1945, with the conclusion of the Second World War, Wollin was conquered by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and handed over to Poland and the German population was expelled
Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland during and after World War II
The flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland was the largest of a series of flights and expulsions of Germans in Europe during and after World War II...
The town was renamed Wolin and resettled by Poles.
Twin towns
VenansaultVenansault
Venansault is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Staffanstorp
Staffanstorp Municipality
Staffanstorp Municipality is a municipality in Skåne County, southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the town Staffanstorp. Uppåkra, the former location for the city of Lund, is located in the municipality....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Usedom
Usedom (town)
Usedom is a town in Vorpommern-Greifswald district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the seat of the Amt of Usedom-Süd, to which 14 other communities also belong.-Geography:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
People from Wolin
- Johannes BugenhagenJohannes BugenhagenJohannes Bugenhagen , also called Doctor Pomeranus by Martin Luther, introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Duchy of Pomerania and Denmark in the 16th century. Among his major accomplishments was organization of Lutheran churches in Northern Germany and Scandinavia...
(1485–1558), Protestant ReformerProtestant ReformersProtestant Reformers were those theologians, churchmen, and statesmen whose careers, works, and actions brought about the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century... - Ernst Georg Ferdinand KüsterErnst Georg Ferdinand KüsterErnst Georg Ferdinand Küster was a German surgeon born in Wollin.He studied medicine in Bonn, Würzburg and Berlin, and following graduation became an assistant to Robert Ferdinand Wilms at the Bethanien Hospital in Berlin...
(1839–1930), surgeon