List of Pomeranian duchies and dukes


This is a list of the duchies and dukes of Pomerania.

Dukes of the Slavic Pomeranian tribes (All Pomerania)

The lands of Pomerania were firstly ruled by local tribes, who settled in Pomerania around the 10th and 11th centuries.

Non-dynastic

In 1106, Pomerania is divided by his two older sons: Wartislaw, who founded the House of Pomerania and the Duchy of Pomerania, and Świętopełk I. After Swietopelk's death, his lands were occupied by the Saxon prince Lothar of Supplinburg. In 1155, the lands regained independence under Sobieslaw I, who founded the dynasty of the Samborides, and the Duchy of Pomerelia.

Duchy of Pomerania

The Duchy resulted from the partition of Świętobor, Duke of Pomerania, in which his son Wartislaw inherited the lands that would become in fact known as Pomerania.
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Partitions of Pomerania

First partition 1155–1264

In 1155, Pomerania was divided in Pomerania-Stettin and Pomerania-Demmin. In the struggle to shake off Polish and Danish claims to feudal overlordship, Pomerania approached the Holy Roman Empire. In 1181, while staying in the camp outside the walls of Lübeck, Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa recognised Bogislaw I as duke of Slavia, as it was called in the document. However, three years later in the Battle in the Bay of Greifswald the Danish Canute VI forced Pomerania to accept him as liege lord. In 1190 the Land of Słupsk-Sławno separated itself from -Stettin. With the deafeat of Denmark in the Battle of Bornhöved Pomerania shook off the Danish liege-lordship.
In 1231 Emperor Frederick II granted the immediate liege lordship over Pomerania to the Margrave of Brandenburg, who enforced this claim by the Treaties of Kremmen and of Landin. Thus Pomerania had become a fief of Brandenburg, thus an only mediate subfief of the Empire, with Brandenburg itself being an immediate imperial fief.
In 1227, Stolp came to Pomerelia, Schlawe to Pomerania. In 1238–1316 both became part of Pomerelia, ruled by an autonomously acting dynasty of castellans, the Swenzones. In 1316, the area became part of the Pomerania-Wolgast, first as a pawn from Brandenburg, and definitively in 1347.
After Wartislaw III died heirless in 1264, Barnim I became sole duke of the whole duchy. After Barnim's death, the duchy was to be ruled by his sons Barnim II, Otto I and Bogislaw IV. The first years, Bogislaw, being the eldest, ruled in place of his too young brothers.

Second partition 1295–1368

In 1295, the Duchy of Pomerania was divided roughly by the Peene and Ina rivers, with the areas north of these rivers ruled by Bogislaw IV became Pomerania-Wolgast, whereas Otto I received Pomerania-Szczecin south of these rivers.

Third partition 1368–1376

In 1368, Pomerania-Wolgast was divided into a western part and an eastern part.

Fourth partition 1376/1377–1478 and Pomeranian immediacy

In 1376, the western part of Pomerania-Wolgast was subdivided in a smaller western part sometimes named Pomerania-Barth after the residence in Barth, and an eastern part which included the residence in Wolgast. In the following year, the eastern part of Pomerania-Wolgast was divided into a western part which included Stargard and an eastern part which included the residence in Stolp.
In 1459, the eastern partitions of Pomerania-Wolgast around Stargard and Stolp ceased to exist. In 1478, after 200 years of partition, the duchy was reunited for a short period when all her parts were inherited by Bogislaw X. By the Treaty of Pyritz in 1493 Pomerania shook off the Marcher liege lordship and became again an immediate imperial estate, after new disputes finally confirmed by the Treaty of Grimnitz in 1529, both treaties provided Brandenburg succession in case the Pomeranian dukes would become extinct in the male line.

Fifth and sixth partitions 1531–1625

In 1531, Pomerania was partitioned into Pomerania-Stettin and Pomerania-Wolgast. This time however, in contrast to the earlier partitions with the same names, Pomerania-Wolgast included the western, and Pomerania-Stettin the eastern parts of the duchy. In 1569, were created the duchies of -Barth and -Rügenwalde .

Definitive reunification and annexation to Sweden

In 1625, Bogislaw XIV reunited all Pomerania under his rule. However, in 1637, Sweden hold western parts of Pomerania, originally including Stettin, legalised by the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
Between 1637 and 1657 Lauenburg-Bütow Land came to Poland, thereafter to Brandenburg. In 1648, Brandenburg prevailed in the Peace of Westphalia with its claim only for eastern parts of Pomerania, with the Brandenburg electors officially holding simultaneously the title of dukes of Pomerania until 1806, but de facto integrating their Pomerania into Brandenburg-Prussia, making it one of the provinces of Prussia in 1815, then including former Swedish Pomerania.

Dukes of Pomerania: the [House of Griffins]

Partitions of Pomerania under Griffins rule

Table of rulers

Principality of Rugia

1168–1325 feudal fief of Denmark under local rulers:
From 1325 Pomerania-Wolgast or -Barth:
from 1474 part of Pomerania-Wolgast

Duchy of Pomerelia

In 1155, the lands which belonged to Świętopełk I became independent under Sobieslaw I, a possible descendant, who founded the House of Sambor and the Duchy of Pomerelia.
The dukes of Pomerelia were using the Latin title dux Pomeraniae or dux Pomeranorum.
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Partitions of the Duchy of Pomerelia

In 1215, the duchy was divided in other smaller duchies: Gdańsk, Białogarda, Lubiszewo and Świecie.
Duchy of Pomerelia-Gdańsk
Became independent in 1215.		Duchy of Pomerelia-Białogarda
Became independent in 1215.		Duchy of Pomerelia-Lubiszewo
Became independent in 1215.		Duchy of Pomerelia-Świecie
Became independent in 1215.

In 1271 the duchy is reunited and in 1296 annexed to the Kingdom of Poland

Dukes of Pomerelia

Non-dynastic

House of Sambor">Samborides">House of Sambor (1155–1296)

Later history of Pomerelia