Pomerelia | |
|---|---|
.jpg)    
| |
 | |
| Coordinates:54°22′00″N18°38′00″E / 54.366667°N 18.633333°E /54.366667; 18.633333 | |
| Country | Poland |
| Largest city | Gdańsk |
Pomerelia,[a] also known asEastern Pomerania,[b]Vistula Pomerania,[c] and also beforeWorld War II asPolish Pomerania, is ahistorical sub-region ofPomerania on the southern shore of theBaltic Sea in northernPoland.
Gdańsk Pomerania[d] is largely coextensive with Pomerelia, but slightly narrower, as it does not includeChełmno Land andMichałów Land.
Its largest and most important city isGdańsk. Since 1999 the region has formed the core ofPomeranian Voivodeship.
Pomerelia is located in northernPoland west of theVistula river and east of theŁeba river, mostly within thePomeranian Voivodeship, with southern part located in theKuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and small parts inWest Pomeranian Voivodeship. It has traditionally been divided intoKashubia,Kociewie,Tuchola Forest andChełmno Land (including theMichałów Land, sometimes with the addition ofLubawa Land). TheLauenburg and Bütow Land is considered by Polish historiography a part ofKashubia (and thus Gdańsk Pomerania and Pomerelia), while German historiography tends to treat it as a part ofFarther Pomerania. Pomerelia has been inhabited by ethnicKashubians,Kociewians,Borowians andChełminians, respectively.
The term Pomerelia originally meant small-Pomerania and has been in use since the Middle Ages. The name served as a distinction from the regionsHither andFarther Pomerania to the west.
In the Polish language, the area has been calledPomorze ('Pomerania') since theEarly Middle Ages. In the early 14th century, theTeutonic Knights annexed the region intotheir monastic state, which already included historicalPrussia, located east of the region. As a result of Teutonic rule, the name of Prussia was extended to the lands east of the Vistula river.[citation needed] The earliest reference of the term Pomerelia can be found in the "Pomerellische Handveste" from 1441 by the Teutonic Grandmaster Konrad von Ehrlichshausen.[1]
The area was incorporated into theCrown of Poland following thePolish–Teutonic War (1454–1466).[2] Subsequently, two names were employed:Pomerelia was used when referring to thePomeranian Voivodeship (Gdańsk Pomerania) and theChełmno Voivodeship, whileRoyal Prussia was used as the name of the wider province, which, however, also included theMalbork Voivodeship and thePrince-Bishopric of Warmia, covering the Prussian historical areas ofPomesania,Pogesania andWarmia.
After thePartitions of Poland, the area was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia and formed part of the newly established province ofWest Prussia. The term Pomerelia remained as a historical name for the region, but without any official meaning.
Outside of Prussia and later Germany, the area was termed Pomerelia (such as in the BelgianTheatrum Orbis Terrarum from 1570), Polish Pomerania (Pomorze Polskie)[3] or West Prussia.
The term Pomerelia fell out of use when the region became part of Poland in the 20th century, being replaced by terms like Gdansk Pomerania or Eastern Pomerania.
In its early history, the territory which later became known as Pomerelia was the site of thePomeranian culture (also called the Pomerelian face urn culture, 650-150 BC),[4] theOksywie culture (150 BC-AD 1, associated with parts of theRugii andLemovii),[5] and theWielbark Culture (AD 1–450, associated withVeneti,Goths,Rugii,Gepids).[6] In the mid-6th centuryJordanes mentioned theVistula estuary as the home of theVidivarii.[7] Pomerelia was settled byWest Slavic andLechitic tribes[8] in the 7th and 8th centuries.[9]
In the tenth century, Pomerelia was already settled byWest-Slavic Pomeranians. The area was conquered and incorporated intoearly medieval Poland either by DukeMieszko I – the firsthistorical Polish ruler - in the second half of the tenth century[10] or even earlier, by hisfather, in the 940s or 950s[11] – the date of incorporation is unknown.[12] Mieszko foundedGdańsk to control the mouth of theVistula between 970 and 980.[13] According toJózef Spors, despite some cultural differences, the inhabitants of the whole ofPomerania had very close ties with residents of otherPiast provinces,[14] from which Pomerelia was separated by large stretches of woodlands and swamps.[12]
The Piasts introducedChristianity to pagan Pomerelia, though it is disputed to what extent the conversion materialized.[15] In the eleventh century the region had loosened its close connections with the kingdom of Poland and subsequently for some years formed an independent duchy.[16] Most scholars suggest that Pomerelia was still part of Poland during the reign of kingBolesław I of Poland and his sonMieszko II Lambert. However, there are also different opinions e.g.Peter Oliver Loew suggests the Slavs in Pomerelia severed their ties with the Piasts and reverted the Piasts' introduction of Christianity already in the first years of the 11th century.[17] The exact date of separation is unknown, however. It was suggested that the inhabitants of Pomerelia participated in thePagan reaction in Poland, actively supportedMiecław who intended to detachMasovia from the power of the rulers of Poland, but after the defeat of Miecław in 1047 accepted the rule of dukeCasimir I the Restorer and that the province remained a part of Poland till the 1060s, when Pomerelian troops took part in the expedition of the Polish kingBolesław II the Generous against Bohemia in 1061 or 1068. Duke Bolesław suffered a defeat during the siege ofHradec and had to retreat to Poland. Soon after Pomerelia separated from his realm.[18] A campaign by Piast dukeWładysław I Herman to conquer Pomerelia in 1090–91 was unsuccessful, but resulted in the burning of many Pomerelian forts during the retreat.[12]
In 1116, direct control over Pomerelia was reestablished byBolesław III Wrymouth of Poland,[19] who by 1122 had also conquered the central and western parts of Pomerania.[20] While the latter regions (forming theDuchy of Pomerania) regained independence quickly, Pomerelia remained within the Polish realm. It was administered by governors of a local dynasty, theSamborides, and subordinated to thebishopric of Włocławek.[12] In 1138, following the death of Bolesław III, Poland was fragmented into several provincial principalities. Theprincipes in Pomerelia gradually gained more local power, evolving into semi-independent entities, much like other fragmented Polish territories, with the difference that the other parts of the realm were governed byPiast descendants of Bolesław III. The Christian centre becameOliwa Abbey near Gdańsk.
Two Samborides administering Pomerelia in the 12th century are known by name:Sobieslaw I and his son,Sambor I.[12]
In 1210, kingValdemar II of Denmark invaded Pomerelia, whoseprincepsMestwin I became his vassal.[21] The Danish suzerainty did not last long, however. Mestwin had already gained more independence from Poland and expanded southward, and his sonSwietopelk II, who succeeded him in 1217,[22] gained full independence in 1227.[16]
After Mestwin I's death, Pomerelia was internally divided among his sonsSwietopelk II, Wartislaw, Sambor II and Ratibor.[23] Swietopelk II, who took his seat in Gdańsk, assumed a leading position over his brothers: Sambor II, who received the castellany ofLubieszewo (the center later moved toTczew), and Ratibor, who received theBiałogard area, were initially under his tutelage.[23] The fourth brother, Wartislaw, took his seat inŚwiecie, thus controlling the second important area besides Gdańsk.[23] Wartislaw died before 27 December 1229, his share was to be given toOliwa Abbey by his brothers.[24] The remaining brothers engaged in a civil war: Sambor II and Ratibor allied with theTeutonic Order[24][25] and theDuke of Kuyavia[24] against Swietopelk, who in turn allied with theOld Prussians,[25] took Ratibor prisoner and temporarily assumed control over the latter's share.[24] The revolt of the Old Prussians against the Teutonic Order in 1242 took place in the context of these alliances.[25] Peace was restored only in theTreaty of Christburg (Dzierzgoń) in 1249, mediated by the later popeUrban IV, then papal legate and archidiacone of Lüttich (Liege).[25]
In the west, the Pomerelian dukes' claim to thelands of Schlawe (Sławno) and Stolp (Słupsk), where the lastRatiboride dukeRatibor II had died after 1223, was challenged by theGriffindukes of Pomerania,Barnim I andWartislaw III.[26] In this conflict, Swietopelk II initially won the upper hand, but could not force a final decision.[26]
Swietopelk II, who styled himselfdux. since 1227, chartered the town ofGdańsk withLübeck law and invited theDominican Order.[22] His conflicts with theTeutonic Order, who had become his eastern neighbor in 1230, were settled in 1253 by exempting the order from theVistula dues.[22] With Swietopelk II's death in 1266, the rule of his realm passed to his sons Wartislaw andMestwin II.[22] These brothers initiated another civil war, with Mestwin II allying with and pledging allegiance to theBrandenburg margraves (Treaty of Arnswalde, 1269).[22] The margraves, who in the 1269 treaty also gained the land of Białogarda, were also supposed to help Mestwin II securing the lands of Schlawe (Sławno) and Stolp (Słupsk), which after Swietopelk II's death were in part taken over by Barnim III.[27] With the margraves' aid, Mestwin II succeeded in expelling Wartislaw from Gdansk in 1270/71.[22] The lands of Schlawe/Slawno, however, were taken over by Mestwin II's nephewWizlaw II, prince of Rügen in 1269/70, who founded the town ofRügenwalde (now Darlowo) near the fort of Dirlow.[27]
In 1273, Mestwin found himself in open conflict against the margraves who refused to remove their troops from Gdańsk, Mestwin's possession, which he had been forced to temporarily lease to them during his struggles against Wartisław and Sambor. Since the lease had now expired, through this action, the Margrave Conrad broke the Treaty of Arnswalde and subsequent agreements. His aim was to capture as much of Mestwin's Pomerelia as possible. Mestwin, unable to dislodge the Brandenburgian troops himself called in the aid ofBolesław the Pious, whose troops took the city with a direct attack. The war against Brandenburg ended in 1273 with a treaty[28] (possibly signed atDrawno Bridge), in which Brandenburg returned Gdańsk to Mestwin while he paid feudal homage to the margraves for the lands of Schlawe (Sławno) and Stolp (Słupsk).[29]
On February 15, 1282,High Duke of Poland andWielkopolskaPrzemysł II and theDuke of PomereliaMestwin II, signed theTreaty of Kępno which transferred the suzerainty over Pomerelia to Przemysł.[30] As a result of the treaty the period of Pomerelian independence ended and the region was again part of Poland. Przemysł adopted the titledux Polonie et Pomeranie (Duke of Poland and Pomerania).[31] Mestwin, per the agreement, retainedde facto control over the province until his death in 1294, at which time Przemysł, who was already thede jure ruler of the territory, took it under his direct rule.[30]
The hereditary ruleta of the Duchy included as follows:
After the death ofMestwin II of Pomerania in 1294, his co-rulerPrzemysł II of Poland, according to theTreaty of Kępno, took control over Pomerelia. He was crowned as king of Poland in 1295, but ruled directly only over Pomerelia andGreater Poland, while the rest of the country (Silesia,Lesser Poland,Masovia) was ruled by otherPiasts. However, Przemysł was murdered soon afterwards and succeeded byWładysław I the Elbow-high. Władysław, sold his rights to theDuchy of Kraków to KingWenceslaus II of Bohemia in 1297 and accepted him as hissuzerain in 1299. However, he lost control of Greater Poland and Pomerelia in 1300 after a nobility revolt.[32] These were captured by Wenceslaus who now, after gaining most of the Polish lands, was crowned inGniezno as king of Poland by archbishopJakub Świnka.[33] Upon the deaths of Wenceslaus and his successorWenceslaus III and with them the extinction of thePřemyslid dynasty, Pomerelia was recaptured byWładysław I the Elbow-high in 1306.
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
During Władysław's rule, theMargraviate of Brandenburg staked its claim on the territory in 1308, leading the local governor appointed byWładysław I the Elbow-high to request assistance from theTeutonic Knights, who evicted the Brandenburgers but took the area for themselves, annexing and incorporating it into theTeutonic Order state in 1309 (Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk) andTreaty of Soldin). At the same time,Stolp (Słupsk) andSchlawe (Sławno) became part of theDuchy of Pomerania. This event caused a long-lasting dispute between Poland and the Teutonic Order over the control of Pomerelia. It resulted in a series ofPolish–Teutonic Wars throughout the 14th and 15th centuries.
In 1440, many cities of the region joined the newly formed anti-TeutonicPrussian Confederation.[34] In 1454, the organization asked Polish KingCasimir IV Jagiellon to reincorporate the region into theCrown of the Kingdom of Poland, to which the King agreed and signed an act of re-incorporation inKraków.[35] After the subsequentThirteen Years' War (1454–1466), the longest of all Polish–Teutonic wars, the Teutonic Knights renounced any claims to the region and recognized it as part of Poland.[36] Pomerelia was organized into thePomeranian Voivodeship, part of the autonomous province ofRoyal Prussia.Lauenburg and Bütow Land (Lębork and Bytów) was a Polish fief ruled by Pomeranian dukes until 1637, when it was incorporated directly into Poland. Inearly modern times,Danzig was the biggest city of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and most of its exports (especially grain) were made through the port. Danzig and theVistula Fens were mostly German-speakingLutheran orReformed, while most of the region remained Polish/Kashubian Catholic. In the 17th century Pomerelia was attacked and destroyed by theSwedish army.[citation needed]
Pomerelia was annexed by theKingdom of Prussia during the late 18th centuryPartitions of Poland, becoming part of the new Province ofWest Prussia. Following theunification of Germany, it became part of the Prussian-ledGerman Reich in 1871. The region was subjected toGermanisation policies.[citation needed]
AfterWorld War I, in 1918, Poland regained its independence as theSecond Polish Republic, and theTreaty of Versailles restored most of the region fromWeimar Germany to Poland, forming thePomeranian Voivodeship (Greater Pomerania as of 1938). Danzig with the Vistula Fens became theFree City of Danzig. In the interbellum, the region was sometimes referred to as thePolish Corridor.[37]
The region was the site of theBattle of Westerplatte, the first battle of the Germaninvasion of Poland which startedWorld War II in September 1939, as well as several other important battles incl. atHel,Gdynia andKępa Oksywska. Afterwards it wasoccupied and illegally annexed byNazi Germany, and the Polish population was subjected tovarious crimes, such as mass arrests, imprisonment,slave labor,kidnapping of children, deportations toNazi concentration camps and genocide, incl. theIntelligenzaktion. The Nazis established theStutthof concentration camp, the first Nazi concentration camp outside of pre-war German borders, with multiple subcamps in the region. Major sites of massacres of Poles in the region includedPiaśnica,Szpęgawsk,Mniszek,Igielska Valley,Luszkówko,Skarszewy,Rudzki Most andGrupa.[38]
After the defeat of Germany in the war in 1945, almost the entire region, including the formerFree City of Danzig, was reclaimed by Poland according to thePotsdam Agreement, except for a small portion of theVistula Spit around the village ofNarmeln (Polski) which was annexed by theSoviet Union. The remaining German populationfled or was expelled to Germany, also in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement.
Historic Pomerelia nowadays forms the bulk of thePomeranian Voivodeship, but its southern part is part of theKuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, while a small western fragment (Gmina Biały Bór) is in theWest Pomeranian Voivodeship.
During theEarly Middle Ages Pomerelia was inhabited byWest Slavic,Lechitic tribes, with occasional presence ofScandinavians operating a fewtrading posts in the area. The region then became a territory of the nascent Polish state and continued as such (briefly interrupted by a Danish invasion) into the 12th century. As a result of the medievalOstsiedlung,German settlers came to the region. They settled particularly in the major urban centers, where they constituted the majority of the population, while in smaller towns and in rural areas, speakers ofKashubian andGreater Polish (i.e.Kociewiacy, andBorowiacy) predominated.[44] In the 14th century, theTeutonic Order developed the land inamelioration projects, dyking of the founding of German-settled Estates and villages.[45] At that time, the majority of Pomerelia's inhabitants were Poles andKashubians, who integrated as loyal subjects to the Order.[46]
Perhaps the earliest census figures (from years 1817 and 1819) about the ethnic or national composition of the region come fromPrussian data published in 1823. At that time, entire West Prussia (of which historical Pomerelia was part) had 630,077 inhabitants – 327,300 ethnic Poles (52%), 290,000 Germans (46%) and 12,700 Jews (2%).[47] In this dataKashubians are included with Poles, whileMennonites (numbering 2% of West Prussia's population) are included with Germans.
| Ethnic or national group | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Percentage | |
| Poles | 327,300 | 52% |
| Germans | 290,000 | 46% |
| Jews | 12,700 | 2% |
| Total | 630,077 | 100% |
Another German author,Karl Andree, in his book "Polen: in geographischer, geschichtlicher und culturhistorischer Hinsicht" (Leipzig 1831), gives the total population of West Prussia as 700,000 inhabitants – including 50% Poles (350,000), 47% Germans (330,000) and 3% Jews (20,000).[48]
There are also estimates of the religious structure (number of temples) of thepre-1772 Pomerelian Voivodeship of Poland. Around year 1772 that voivodeship had 221 (66,6%) Roman Catholic, 79 (23,8%) Lutheran, 23 (6,9%) Jewish, six (1,8%) Mennonite, two (0,6%)Czech Brethren and one (0,3%) Calvinist churches:
| Voivodeship | Roman Catholic | Lutheran | Calvinist | Czech Brethren | Mennonite | Jewish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomerelia | 221 | 79 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 23 |
| Lębork-Bytów | 15 | 23 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Malbork | 62 | 47 | 1 | - | 9 | - |
| Warmia | 124 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chełmno | 151 | 11 | - | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| TOTAL Royal Prussia | 573 | 160 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 32 |
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)In Pomerelia, the Polish and Kaszub population formed the majority and eventually served the Order as loyal subjects, holding land and following their own Polish traditions.
Media related toPomerelia at Wikimedia Commons
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
