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| House of Sobiesław Samborides | |
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| Founded | 12th century |
| Founder | Sobiesław I |
| Final ruler | Ratibor, Duke of Pomerelia at Białogarda |
| Titles | |
| Dissolution | 1262 |
TheSamborides (German:Samboriden) orHouse of Sobiesław (Polish:Sobiesławice) were a ruling dynasty in the historic region ofPomerelia. They were first documented about 1155 as governors (princeps) in the EasternPomeranian lands serving the royalPiast dynasty ofPoland, and from 1227 ruled as autonomous princes until 1294, at which time the dynasty died out. The subsequent war for succession among the PolishPiast dynasty, the ImperialMargraviate of Brandenburg and theState of the Teutonic Order resulted in theTeutonic takeover of Gdańsk (Danzig) in 1308.
The dynasty's dominion, Pomerelia, roughly corresponded with the area of today'sPomeranian Voivodeship in northernPoland. The Samborides from 1227 used theMedieval Latin titledux Pomeraniae; theirDuchy of Pomerelia was therefore referred to as "Duchy of Pomerania", even though there was anotherDuchy of Pomerania to the west, ruled by theHouse of Griffins, who likewise bore the title "Dukes of Pomerania".
In Polish usage, the termPomorze (Pomerania) tends to be associated with the entire strip of land on theBaltic coast between theVistula river in the east and theRaksa (Recknitz) river in the west. Until the Germanic invasions, the term was used as far west as theMorini). The distinction is achieved by the use ofPomorzeGdańskie (i.e., Pomerania-Danzig) for Pomerelia, andPomorzeSzczecińskie (i.e., Pomerania-Stettin) for the former Griffin duchy, to whom the title "Duke of Pomerania" and the term "Duchy of Pomerania" would be used exclusively after the Samborides' extinction.
During the rule of DukeSwiętopełk II, Samboride holdings spread fromSłupsk in the west going east across the Vistula River includingŻuławy Gdańskie, and in the south bordered the Polish dukedoms ofGreater Poland andKuyavia, theNoteć river being the border.
The Polish name "House of Sobiesław" derives from DukeSobiesław I, steward for the Piast dukes ofGreater Poland in Pomerelia, while "Samborides" as used in English and German derives from his probable son and successor, DukeSambor I. According to German historiography the first certainprinceps of Pomerelia was Sambor, as the records concerning Sobiesław I stems from the 15th centuryOliwa chronicle of the 15th century seemed not reliable. Polish historians however do not share this reservation and have been using his father as the name for the dynasty.
During the conquest of thePomeranian lands between 1113 and 1121, the Polish dukeBolesław III Wrymouth about 1116 had installed governors ruling in the Pomerelian lands, probably the ancestors of Sobiesław I. An affiliation with the Pomeranian dukesSiemosił andŚwiętobor or a relation with the Polish Piast dynasty has never been conclusively established.
The most important duke was Swiętopełk II who inKashubian traditional history carries the nickname "the Great". Swiętopełk received Pomerelia as vassaldom from his suzerain, the Polish High DukeLeszek I the White of the Piast dynasty in 1216 or 1217. Perhaps acting in concert with the Piast princeWładysław Odonic of Greater Poland he benefited from his ally action when they had High Duke Leszek I and DukeHenry I the Bearded ofSilesia kidnapped and then Leszek murdered during theGąsawa Piast assembly in 1227. As a result, Swiętopełk declared himself an independent ruler anddux of Pomerania.
Swiętopełk II was the greatest military commander of the dynasty, having defeated various armies of Piast, Prussian, Danish, German and Griffite invaders during his long reign. He was the first Polish (Slavic) ruler who actively was challenged and fought military campaigns against theTeutonic Order and many times aided the paganPrussians against the Order and Piast princes carrying crusading campaigns against them. His brothersSambor II and Ratibor ceded some of their holdings to the Teutonic Knights allowing the Order State to get a first important foothold on the right bank of the Vistula River.
Swiętopełk's son and last Samboride rulerMéstwin II fought various traditional enemies, including the Teutonic Order. As a matter of necessity when fighting for his throne, he pledged feudal homage from a couple of towns to theAscanian margraves of Brandenburg by signing theTreaty of Choszczno in 1269. In 1282 he concluded an inheritance agreement atKępno with DukePrzemysł II of Greater Poland, King of Poland from 1295, who upon his death incorporated Pomerelia into the Lands of thePolish Crown.
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