Administrative division of Pomerania
'Pomerania' is a collective term used to refer to the three regions of
Hither Pomerania,
Farther Pomerania, and
Pomerelia.
[1] It is located on the south coast of the
Baltic Sea, divided today between
Germany in the west and
Poland in the east by the Polish-German border.
While its boundaries have varied, and are somewhat differently interpreted,
[2] Pomerania can be said to stretch roughly from
Stralsund in the west to
Gdańsk in the east, centred on the
Oder River delta around
Szczecin.
The Polish part of Pomerania is divided into three
voivodeships:
West Pomeranian,
Pomeranian, and
Kuyavian-Pomerian. The German part of Pomerania is included within the
Federal State Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Geography
Pomerania is the area along the
Baltic Sea between the
Vistula,
Noteć,
Warta and
Recknitz rivers. The islands of
Rügen,
Usedom and
Wolin lie along the Pomeranian coast, while the
Hel peninsula and the
Vistula peninsula jut out into the Baltic.
The Baltic forms the
Bay of Pomerania,
Lagoon of Szczecin,
Gdańsk Bay with
Bay of Puck, and
Vistula Bay along the coast. Lakes
Lebsko,
Jamno and
Gardno were formerly bays but have been cut off from the sea.
Etymology
Pomerania (,
German and
Swedish: Pommern, or Pòmòrskô, or Pomorania) means "country by/next to/along the sea." The Polish name, "''Pomorze''," is literally "seacoast", referring to its proximity to the
Baltic Sea.
There is a probable first mention of Pomerania as the Latin "''longum mare''" ("along the sea") in a monastery document or note from around 1080, the ''
Dagome iudex'', shortened copy of an earlier document supposedly referring to the year 992. The document speaks of
Oda von Haldensleben and her husband "''Dagome''", presumably the Polish ruler
Mieszko I, and refers to territory gifted by "''Dagome''" to the Pope. An imperial document of 1046 makes an actual first mention of "Pomerania" in reference to "''Zemuzil dux Bomeranorum''" (Siemomysl, Duke of the Pomeranians). From then on, "Pomerania" appears repeatedly in the chronicles of
Adam of Bremen (ca. 1070) and
Gallus Anonymous (ca. 1113).
Subdivisions of Pomerania
In the German tradition Pomerania is often divided into:
#''Vorpommern'' (
Hither Pomerania, on the left bank of the
Oder river)
#''Hinterpommern'' (
Further Pomerania, on its right bank).
#''Pommerellen'' (
Pomerelia), bordering and overlapping with
West Prussia. The German term ''Pommern'', and therefore pre-1945 references to Pomerania as well as present German understanding of that term, does in contrast to Polish ''Pomorze'' not include ''Pommerellen''/Pomerelia in the vast majorities of its means.
Polish terminology divides Pomerania into:
#''Pomorze Zachodnie'', ''Pomorze Szczecińskie'', or ''Pomorze Nadodrzańskie'' (Western Pomerania, the entire area of the former
Duchy and
Province of Pomerania)
#''Pomorze Wschodnie'' or ''Pomorze Gdańskie'' (
Pomerelia).
The former covers roughly the territories referred to in German as ''Vorpommern'' and ''Hinterpommern'', the latter corresponds to ''Pommerellen'' (Pomerelia). Under Polish administration a number of several different
voivodeships all using the name Pomerania have been established.
Kashubian geographic terminology with regard to Pomerania is similar to Polish, and distinguishes between ''Zôpadnô Pòmòrskô'' (Western Pomerania) and ''Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô'' (Eastern Pomerania).
Demographics
Polish Voivodeship/
German Kreis | Capitals | Registration
plates | Area
w km² | Population
Polish 31 December 1999
German 2001 | Territorial code |
|---|
| Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship | Bydgoszcz'¹'
Toruń'²' | C | 17,969.72 | 2,100,771 | 04 |
| Pomeranian Voivodeship | Gdańsk | G | 18,292.88 | 2,192,268 | 22 |
| West Pomeranian Voivodeship | Szczecin | Z | |
align="right">22,901.481,732,838 | 32 |
| ('¹') - the site of the Voivod office. ('²') - the site of the Voivod council |
| 'Polish Pomerania total' | | | '59,164.08' | '6,025,877' | |
|
| Nordvorpommern | Grimmen | NPV | 2,168 | 117,722 | |
| Ostvorpommern | Anklam | OVP | 1,910 | 113,623 | |
| Rügen | Bergen auf Rügen | RÜG | 974 | 74,400 | |
| Uecker-Randow | Pasewalk | UER | 1,624 | 83,459 | |
| Demmin (district) | Demmin | DM | 1,921 | 93,700 | |
| Greifswald | | HGW | 52.2 | 52,984 | |
| Stralsund | | HST | est. 52.2 | 60,000 | |
| 'German Pomerania total' | | | '8,701' | '595,888' | |
The biggest cities are (with population figures for 1999):
;in Polish Pomerania
★
Tricity metropolitan area (population (2001): 1,035,000; area 1,332,51 km²), including:
★
★
Gdańsk (458,988) (1905 - 159,685)
★
★
Gdynia (253,521)
★
★
Sopot (46,000)
★
Szczecin (416,988) (1905 - 224,078)
★
Bydgoszcz (369,151)
★
Toruń (206,158)
★
Koszalin (112,375)
★
Słupsk (102,370)
★
Grudziądz (98,000)
★
Stargard Szczeciński (72,000)
and
Kołobrzeg,
Szczecinek and
Świnoujście
; in German Pomerania
★
Greifswald (52,984)
★
Stralsund (63,000)
★
Wolgast
★
Barth
History of Pomerania
Main articles: History of Pomerania
Timeline
The history of the region is rich and varied, probably due to its having been fragmented into several independent duchies through the centuries.
★
1200 BC:
Germanic peoples (e.g. the
Rugians) until the
Migration Period
★
6th century AD: Germanic Goth and Getae, Gutones, Vidivarier, Aesti, are recorded by
Jordanes at
Gothiscandza
★
Slavic peoples, such as the
Volinians,
Liuticians start to arrive
★ 918:
Duchy of Saxony,
Holy Roman Empire
★
10th–
12th century: several
warlords try to conquer Pomerania
★
Harald I of Denmark and later
kings
★
Mieszko I of Poland since 970, succeeded in 979 between
Oder and
Vistula
★
Kingdom of Poland (1025–1138),
★
★ 1035: Pomerania regains independency
★
★ 1040: war between the Duke of Poland
Casimir I the Restorer and
Siemomysł of Pomerania, the Duke of Pomerania
★
★ 1046: negotiations between the dukes in
Meißen, Pomerania remains independent but has to pay a yearly
tribute to Poland
★
★ 1116–1121:
Bolesław III Wrymouth conquers Pomerania
★
Denmark (1168/1186–1227)
★
★ 1168: Danish expedition lead by Roskilde archbishop
Absalon takes duchy of
Rügen
★
★ 1170s and early 1180s: various encounters between Pomeranians and Danes. Danes raid
Circipania and
Wolin
★
★ 1186 All Pomerania under Danish control
★
★ 1227 Denmarks navy utterly defeated in
Bornhöved battle, Danish unable to keep Pomerania thereafter
★ various small duchies; see
Griffins (until 1637),
House of Sobiesław,
Dukes of Pomerania, and
Dukes of Masovia
★
Holy Roman Empire
★
★ 1150: Brandenburg
Albert the Bear
★
★ 1164:
Henry the Lion gets Pomerania, excluding Pomerelia, as a fief of the HRE
★
★ 1181:
Bogislaw I, son of
Wartisław I, swears allegiance to Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa [3]
★
★ 1308: The
monastic state of the Teutonic Knights purchases the
Margraviate of Brandenburg's disputed claim to
Pomerelia (Gdańsk-Pomerania) after conquering the territory
[4]
★
★ 1466:
Second Peace of Thorn: the
Teutonic Order cedes Pomerelia to the King of Poland as part of what is later called
Royal Prussia
★
★ 1648:
Peace of Westphalia,
Hither Pomerania becomes
Swedish Pomerania
★
★ several wars between
Brandenburg-Prussia,
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and
Sweden [5]
★
German Confederation,
German Empire
★
★ 1815: all of Pomerania within the Kingdom of
Prussia [6]
★ After
World War I
★
★ 1919:
Treaty of Versailles, most of West Prussia (including Pomerelia or Gdańsk-Pomerania) becomes part of the
Second Polish Republic
★
★ 1939:
Nazi Germany annexes the territories lost in 1919
★
★ 1945:
Soviet capture,
Oder-Neisse line becomes new border between
Poland and
Germany, the historical duchy / province of Pomerania cedes to excist
★
★ 1945/46: Pomeranian population form ''Farther'' and Eastern ''Hither Pomerania'', except for Polish and Kashubs, is expelled to post-war Germany, as well as the German population of all other "German terretories under Polish and Soviet control". The area is resettled and rebuildt by Polish who were expelled from Polish settlement areas annexed by the Soviets. ''Hither Pomerania'' without the Stettin/Szczeczin area and Wollin/Wolin was fused with
Mecklenburg to form the (East-) German state of ''Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'', the former ''Farther Pomeranian'' area is roughly represented by Polish ''West Pomerania''
Prehistoric times, Germanic and Slavic tribes
The territory of northern Germania, as it was recorded 20,000 years ago, was covered with ice, which did not start to recede until the late period of the
Old Stone Age or
Paleolithic some 10,000 years BC, when the
Scandinavian
glacier receded to the north. Various archaeological cultures developed in the
Mesolithic,
Neolithic,
Bronze Age, and
Iron Age.
Initially at least pasrt of Pomerania was dominated by Baltic tribes. Since around 500BC and before 500 AD Pomerania was dominated by
East Germanic tribes including several tribes of
Goths, who according to
archeological evidence and their own tradition have come from
Scandinavia. Goths and
Rugians are recorded by
Roman historians in the areas of Pomerania in 98 AD.
Venedes, non-Germanic tribe, which some once considered to be ancestors of Slavs, are recorded by
Ptolemy and
Pliny the Elder around Vistula in first century AD. By the 7th century
Slavic tribes (
Wends) such as the
Pomeranians settled the area.
Pomerania as a part of Poland, Denmark and Germany; German settlement
Pomerania was conquered by the Polish duke
Mieszko I in the second half of the 10th century (see
beginnings of Poland map, in the center, white, with some surrounding territories already conquered). During the big pagan uprising in Poland in 1038, it again became independent. It was regained by Poland at the beginning of 12th century. After the 1138 partition of Poland among the sons of
Boleslaus Wrymouth it became a part of the Polish
seniorat (see
Map of Poland before the fragmentation period) which was declared fief of the
Holy Roman Empire in
1156. The western part of Pomerania was declared part of the
Holy Roman Empire (1181). After a brief period of Danish rule (1168/1186-1227), it remained part of
Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation until
1806. The eastern part, which was directly part of
Kingdom of Poland, was disputed by Brandenburg and conquered by the
Teutonic Knights in 1309, becoming part of the
Teutonic Order state. After the rebellion of the
Prussian Confederation, it was then annexed by the
Kingdom of Poland in 1466 as a province with considerable autonomy. This part of Pomerelia and Prussia was centuries later referred to as "
Royal Prussia". In 1569 the province agreed to sacrifice part of its autonomy to join the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as the new entity to unify lands of the Kingdom of Poland and the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Since ~1200, a steady influx of German settlers had been arriving in Pomerania. One of the first recorded German settler came to Szczecin in 1187. The western parts of Pomerania were however still predominantly Slavic in character before the advent of
Protestantism. Later though the duchy of Pomerania became German by ethnicity, language and culture, whereas Pomerelia still preserved a Slav charakter.
In 15th century, conflict with Brandenburg about the rule of the
Uckermark and Pomerania resulted in 1425 war of Brandenburg against Pomerania, Mecklenburg, the Teutonic Order and even Poland. Brandenburg was able to keep the Uckermark, but Hohenzollern pretensions to rule Pomerania were thwarted.
The 16th–17th centuries
Disputes with Brandenburg continued. These were partially agreed at the Conference of Juterbog (1527) between
Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg, and the Duke of Pomerania. As the
Protestant Reformation gathered pace, Pomerania also converted to
Lutheranism, but the process was slower than in Brandenburg.
In 1637 the last of the Dukes of Pomerania,
Boguslaw XIV, died without direct male successor. During the
Thirty Years' War, King
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden occupied Pomerania. In the negotiations between France, Brandenburg, and Sweden following the
Northern War the Brandenburg diplomats Joachim Friedrich von Blumenthal and his son Christoph Caspar obtained the rights of succession for Brandenburg, though the argument with Sweden, especially over Hither Pomerania, continued to the end of the 17th century and beyond, until the
Treaty of Stockholm in 1720.
The 18th–19th centuries
Prussian noblemen began to acquire estates in Pomerania, while Pomeranian noblemen were integrated into Prussian society. Thus originally Wendish noble families such as the von Lettows, von Strelows, von Peglows, von Zitzewitzes and von Krockows intermarried with German families from Brandenburg such as the
von Blumenthals, who possessed great estates at Quackenburg,
Varzin, Dubberzin, Schlönwitz and elsewhere. By the nineteenth century Pomerania was mostly Germanised, and was a popular place of retirement for the well-to-do such as
Bismarck, who bought Varzin.
The 20th century
After
the first World War, Pomerelia (as West Prussia and Danzig (Gdansk)) came to Poland. After the
defeat of Germany in
World War II in 1945, the
Potsdam Conference placed most of Pomerania under Polish administration. The German population of the transferred territories
fled, was expelled, or lost their lives. Some Germans were retained by
Soviet authorities to do
forced labour in the Soviet exclaves for a number of years after 1945.
[7] The now Polish parts of Pomerania were resettled with Poles.
See also
★
Kashubian-Pomeranian Association
★
Pomeranian (dog)
Footnotes
1. Pomerelia overlaps with and is also sometimes called West Prussia.
2. For instance whether Pomerelia is to be included.
3. http://www.genemaas.net/Pommern.htm
4. The dispute between the Teutonic Knights and the Polish kings was settled in negotiations in the Treaty of Kalisz (1343). This easternmost part of Pomerania remained under the rule of the Teutonic Knights as a fief of the Polish Crown. Polish kings held the title of ''Duke of Pomerania'' within the Holy Roman Empire's fief of entire Pomerania.
5. In 1654 Farther Pomerania was conquered by Brandenburg-Prussia from the Swedes. In 1720 Hither Pomerania became also a part of the then Kingdom of Prussia. With the Partitions of Poland 1772–1795 Pomerelia was incorporated into Prussia as the Province of West Prussia.
6. In the Prussian provinces of Pomerania and West Prussia. The Kingdom of Prussia was a member state of the German Confederation (1815–1866), the North German Confederation (1867–1871), and the German Empire (since 1871).
7. Vegelahn Familiengeschichte
Further reading
Publications in English
★ Byrnes, James F., ''Speaking Frankly'', New York, 1947.
★ Keesing's Research Report, ''Germany and Eastern Europe since 1945'', New York,
1973, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 72-7729. ISBN 0-684-13190-0
★ de Zayas, Alfred M, ''Nemesis at Potsdam'',
Routledge, (1st edition 1977), Revised edition
1979, ISBN 0-7100-0458-3
★ Boehlke, LeRoy, ''Pomerania - Its People and Its History'', Pommerscher Verein Freistadt, Germantown, WI, U.S.A., 1983.
★ von Krockow, Christian, ''Hour of the Women'', UK edition 1992,
Faber & Faber, ISBN 0-571-14320-2
★ Herrick, Linda, & Wendy Uncapher, ''Pomerania - Atlantic Bridge to Germany'', Origins, Janesville, WI, U.S.A., 2005.
Publications in Polish
★ Gerard Labuda (ed.), ''Historia Pomorza, vol. I (to 1466)'', parts 1-2, Poznań 1969
★ Gerard Labuda (ed.), ''Historia Pomorza, vol. II (1466–1815)'', parts 1-2, Poznań 1976
★ Gerard Labuda (ed.), ''Historia Pomorza, vol. III (1815–1850)'', parts 1-3, Poznań
★ Gerard Labuda (ed.), ''Historia Pomorza, vol. IV (1850–1918)'', part 1, Toruń 2003
★ Marian Biskup (ed.), ''Śląsk i Pomorze w historii stosunków polsko-niemieckich w średniowieczu. XII Konferencja Wspólnej Komisji Podręcznikowej PRL-RFN Historyków 5–10 VI 1979 Olsztyn'', Instytut Zachdni, Poznań 1987
★ Antoni Czubiński, Zbigniew Kulak (ed.), ''Śląsk i Pomorze w stosunkach polsko-niemieckich od XVI do XVII w. XIV Konferencja Wspólnej Komisji Podręcznikowej PRL-RFN Historyków, 9–14 VI 1981 r. Zamość'', Instytut Zachodni, Poznań 1987
★ Szkice do dziejów Pomorza, vol. 1-3, Warszawa 1958-61
★ B. Wachowiak, Rozwój gospodarczo-społeczny Pomorza Zachodniego od połowy XV do początku XVII wieku, Studia i Materiały do dziejów Wielkopolski i Pomorza, 1958, z. 1
★ J. Wiśniewski, Początki układu kapitalistycznego na Pomorzu Zachodnim w XVIII wieku, Studia i Materiały do dziejów Wielkopolski i Pomorza, 1958, z. 1
★ A. Wielopolski, Gospodarka Pomorza Zachodniego w latach 1800–1918, Szczecin 1959
★ W. Odyniec, Dzieje Prus Królewskich (1454–1772). Zarys monograficzny, Warszawa 1972
★ Dzieje Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego od VII wieku do 1945 roku, Gdańsk 1978
★ Zygmunt Boras, "Książęta Pomorza Zachodniego", Poznań 1969, 1978, 1996
★ Zygmunt Boras, "Stosunki polsko-pomorskie w XVI w", Poznań 1965
★ Zygmunt Boras, "Związki Śląska i Pomorza Zachdoniego z Polską w XVI wieku", Poznań 1981
★ Kazimierz Kozłowski, Jerzy Podralski, "Poczet Książąt Pomorza Zachodniego", KAW, Szczecin 1985
★ Lech Bądkowski, W. Samp. "Poczet książąt Pomorza Gdańskiego", Gdańsk 1974
★ B. Śliwiński, "Poczet książąt gdańskich", Gdańsk 1997
★ Wojciech Myślenicki, "Pomorscy sprzymierzenscy Jagiellończyków", Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1979
★ Józef Spors, "Podziały administracyjne Pomorza Gdańskiego i Sławieńsko-Słupskiego od XII do początków XIV w", Słupsk 1983
★ Kazimierz Ślaski, "Podziały terytorialne Pomorza w XII-XII w.", Poznań 1960
★ Benon Miśkiewicz, "Z dziejów wojennych Pomorza Zachodniego. Cedynia 972-Siekierki 1945", Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1972
Publications in German
★ M. Wehrmann, Geschichte von Pommern, vol. 1-2, Gotha 1919-21
★ M. Spahn, Verfassungs- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte des Herzogtums Pommern von 1476 bis 1625, Leipzig 1896
★ B. Schumacher, Geschichte Ost- und Westpreussens, Würzburg 1959
External links
Internet directories
★
★
★
★
Culture and history
★
Pomeranian dukes castle in Szczecin (Polish, German, English)
★
Pomeranian (German)
★
History of Pomerania
Maps of Pomerania
★
Map of Pomerania as in 1905, in German Wikipedia
★
Woiewództwa Pomorskie i Małborskie oraz Pomerania Elektorska, G.B.A.Rizzi-Zannoni 1772
★
FEEFHS Map Room: German Empire - East (1882) - Pommern (Pomerania), Prussia
★
Pomerania in 1789
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