Medieval Pomerania was converted fromSlavic paganism toChristianity underBolesław III Wrymouth, by bishopOtto of Bamberg in 1124 and 1128 (Duchy of Pomerania), and in 1168 byAbsalon (Principality of Rügen).
Earlier attempts atChristianization, undertaken since the 10th century, failed or were short-lived. The new religion stabilized when thePomeranian dukes founded several monasteries and called in Christian, primarily German settlers during theOstsiedlung. Thefirst Pomeranian abbey was founded in 1153 at the site where the first Christian duke of Pomerania,Wartislaw I, was slain by a pagan. TheDuchy of Pomerania was organized by theRoman Catholic Church in theBishopric of Cammin in 1140. Pomeranian areas not belonging to the duchy at this time were attached to the dioceses ofWłocławek (East), Roskilde (Rügen) andSchwerin (West).
When theBishopric of Havelberg was founded in 948, the constitution document mentions the area betweenPeene andOder among the bishopric's belongings.[1] In 983, theHoly Roman Empire lost control over the region due to a Slavic uprising.[1]
The first Polish dukeMieszko I invadedPomerania and subdued thegard ofKołobrzeg (Kolberg) and the adjacent areas in the 960s.[2] He also fought theWolinians, but despite a won battle in 967, he did not succeed in the town of Wolin itself.[3] His son and successorBoleslaw I continued to campaign in Pomerania, but also failed to subdue the Wolinians and the lowerOder areas.[4]
During theCongress of Gniezno in 1000, Boleslaw created the first, yet short-lived bishopric in PomeraniaDiocese of Kołobrzeg, subordinate to theArchdiocese of Gniezno, headed bySaxon bishopReinbern, which was destroyed when Pomeranians revolted in 1005.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][failed verification][12][13][14] Of all Lutici, the Wolinians were especially devoted to participation in the wars between theHoly Roman Empire andPoland from 1002 to 1018 to preventBoleslaw I from reinstating his rule inPomerania.[15]
In 1017, a priest called Günther tried to convert the inhabitants ofVorpommern; the mission was not successful.[16]
Another attempt was made following the subjugation of Pomerania byBoleslaw III of Poland. In 1122,Spanish monkBernard (also Bernhard) traveled to Jumne (Wolin), accompanied only by his chaplain and an interpreter. The Pomeranians however were not impressed by his missionary efforts and finally threw him out of town.[18][19][20]
Bernard was later madebishop of Lebus.[19]
After Bernard's failure, Boleslaw III askedOtto of Bamberg[21] to convert Pomerania to Christianity, which he accomplished in his first visit in 1124/25.[22] Otto's strategy differed markedly from the one Bernard used: While Bernard traveled alone and as a poor and unknown priest, Otto, a wealthy and famous man, was accompanied by 20 clergy of his own diocese, numerous servants, and 60 warriors supplied to him by Boleslaw, and carried with him numerous supplies and gifts. Otto arrived inPyritz, and the fact that he was already wealthy assured the Pomeranians that his aim was only to convert them to Christianity, not to become wealthy at the expense of the Pomeranian people. He persuaded the Pomeranians that their conversion would protect them from further punishment by his God, which was how the devastating Polish conquest was depicted. This approach turned out to be successful, and was backed by parts of the Pomeranian nobility who had already been raised as Christians, like DukeWartislaw I, who encouraged and promoted Otto's mission. Many Pomeranians had already been baptized in Pyritz and also in the other burghs Otto visited.[19][23][24][25][26]
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| May 1124 | Otto von Bamberg arrives in Pomerania via theZantoch stronghold.[27] |
| 5 or 6 June 1124 | first baptism in Pomerania[27] |
| 8 June 1124 | arrival inPyrzyce[27] |
| 18/19 June 1124 | first baptism in Pyrzyce[27] |
| 24 June - mid-September 1124 | mission inKamień Pomorski[27] |
| eight days in late September 1124 | mission in and around Wolin[27] |
| nine weeks since early October 1124 | mission in Szczecin[27] |
| mid-December 1124 | mission inGartz,Lubin, return to Szczecin, return to Wolin[27] |
| late January and early February 1125 | return to Kammin, mission inCloden,Kołobrzeg andBiałogard[27] |
| 11 February 1125 | Otto von Bamberg enters the woodlands between Pomerania and Greater Poland[27] |
| 15 February 1125 or later | Otto arrives in Usch and proceeds towardsGniezno[27] |
Otto of Bamberg returned on 19 April[28] 1128,[24] this time invited by dukeWartislaw I himself, aided by the emperorHoly Roman Emperor Lothar II, to convert the Slavs ofWestern Pomerania just incorporated into the Pomeranian duchy, and to strengthen the Christian faith of the inhabitants of Stettin and Wollin, who fell back into heathen practices and idolatry.[25] Otto this time visited primarilyWestern Pomeranian burghs, had the temples ofGützkow andWolgast torn down and on their sites erected the predecessors of today'sSt Nikolai andSt Petri churches, respectively. The nobility assembled to a congress inUsedom, where they accepted Christianity on June 10, 1128.[22][25][29] Otto then was titledapostolus gentis Pomeranorum, made asaint by popeClement III in 1189, and was worshipped in Pomerania even after theProtestant Reformation.[30] Otto aborted the mission in November 1128 on behalf of the emperor, after he had sought to mediate the conflicts between the Pomeranian and Polish dukes.[28]
Adalbert of Pomerania, the later Pomeranian bishop, participated in Otto's mission as an interpreter and assistant.[31]
On Otto of Bamberg's behalf, adiocese was founded with the see inWollin (Julin,Jumne,Vineta),[22] a major Slavic and Viking town in theOder estituary. On October 14, 1140,Adalbert of Pomerania was made the firstBishop byPope Innocent II.[22] Otto however had died the year before.[22] There was a rivalry between Otto'sDiocese of Bamberg, theDiocese of Magdeburg and theDiocese of Gniezno for the incorporation of Pomerania. Pope Innocence II solved the dispute by repelling their claims and placed the new diocese directly under hisHoly See. The see of the diocese was the church ofSt Adalbert inWollin.[31] The diocese had no clear-cut borders in the beginning, but roughly reached from theTribsees burgh in the West to theLeba River in the East. In the South, it comprised the northern parts ofUckermark andNeumark. As such, it was shaped after the territory held byRatibor I, Duke of Pomerania.[31]
After ongoing Danish raids, Wollin was destroyed, and the see of the diocese was shifted across theDievenow toCammin's (alsoKammin, nowKamień Pomorskie)St John's church in 1176. This was confirmed by the pope in 1186. In the early 13th century, the Cammin diocese along with the Pomeranian dukes gained control over Circipania. Also, the bishops managed to gain direct control over a territory around Kolberg (nowKolobrzeg) and Köslin (nowKoszalin).
Pomeranian areas outside theDuchy of Pomerania were assigned to other dioceses. ThePomerelian areas were integrated into theKuyavianDiocese of Włocławek. TheRugian areas were integrated into theDiocese of Schwerin (mainland) and theDiocese of Roskilde (islands).
In 1147, theWendish Crusade, a campaign of theNorthern Crusades, was mounted by bishops and nobles of the Holy Roman Empire. The crusaders pillaged the land and besiegedDemmin andSzczecin despite the fact that both towns were (officially) Christian already. Wollin's bishopAdalbert took part in the negotiations that finally led to the lifting of the Szczecin siege by the crusaders.Ratibor I, Duke of Pomerania, went to the assembly of theImperial Diet inHavelberg the following year, where he swore to be a Christian.[22][32][33]
After Otto von Bamberg's mission, only theRaniprincipality of Rugia (Rügen) remained pagan. This was changed by aDanish expedition of 1168, launched byValdemar I of Denmark andAbsalon,archbishop of Roskilde.[22] The Danish success in this expedition ended a series of conflicts between Denmark and Rügen. The Rügen princes, starting withJaromar I, became vassals of Denmark,[34] and the principality would be Denmark's bridgehead on the southern shore of the Baltic for the next few centuries. The 1168 expedition was decided when, after a Danish siege of theburgh ofArkona, a fire broke out leaving the defendants unable to further withstand the siege. Since Arkona was the major temple of the superior godSwantewit and therefore crucial for the powerful clerics, the Rani surrendered their other strongholds and temples without further fighting.Absalon had the Rani burn the wooden statues of their gods and integrated Rügen into the Diocese of Roskilde. The mainland of the Rügen principality was integrated into theDiocese of Schwerin.
After the successful conversion of the nobility, monasteries were set up on vast areas granted by local dukes both to further implement Christian faith and to develop the land. The monasteries actively took part in theOstsiedlung.[25]
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