Pomerelia (German: Pommerellen) is a historical region in northern Poland. Pomerelia was situated in eastern Pomerania on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea, centered on the city of Gdańsk (Danzig) at the mouth of the Vistula. It is now located in the Polish geographic region of Gdańsk Pomerania and the Pomeranian Voivodeship.
Early history
The territory is situated entirely in the eastern part of what Greek and Roman historians called "Magna Germania", a cultural rather than ethnographic concept. When the territory began to be called Pomerania in the 11th century, Pomerelia, along with the rest of Pomerania, was inhabited by West Slavic tribes and was under the rule of Duchy of Polans.
Duchy of Pomerelia
-
In 1116/1121, Pomerania was conquered by Poland. While the Duchy of Pomerania regained independence quickly, Pomerelia remained within the Polish realm. In 1138, following the death of Duke Bolesław III, Poland was fragmented into several semi-independent principalities. The princeps in Pomerelia gradually gained more power, evolving into semi-independent dukes, in contrast with other Polish territories that were governed by Piast descendants of Bolesław III. The Samborides ruling Pomerelia gradually evolved into independent dukes, who ruled the duchy until 1294. Before 1227, they were vassals of Poland and Denmark. The duchy was temporarily partitioned into the principalities of Gdańsk (Danzig), Białogarda (Belgard a.d.Leba), Świecie (Schwetz), and Lubieszewo-Tczew (Liebschau, Dirschau). The most famous dukes were Mestwin I (1207–1220), Swantopolk II (1215–1266), and Mestwin II (1271–1294).
Christianity was introduced by Bolesław III of Poland and Otto von Bamberg. In 1181 Pomerania came under the direct control of the Holy Roman Empire. It was under Danish suzerainty from 1210-1227, after which it became independent again.
Pomerelia as a part of the Teutonic Knights' monastic state
-
After the death of Mestwin II of Pomerania in 1294, his co-ruler Przemysł II of Poland claimed Pomerelia basing it on the treaty made at Langenfort , later Kempen (Treaty of Kępno) from 1282, in which Mestwin declared Przemysł II his sole successor. Yet, the Brandenburg margraves also held claims based on the Treaty of Arnswalde of 1269. Przemysł was soon succeeded by King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. That agreement was made between Albert I, King of the Romans, and Wenceslaus, who received the territories of Greater Poland and Pomerelia into his possession and accepted sovereignty over it by King Albert I. In 1300 at Mainz Wenceslaus received the Polish crown from Albert.[1]
Upon the deaths of Wenceslaus and his successor Wenceslaus III and with them the extinction of the House of Przemysł, the Margraviate of Brandenburg staked its claim on the territory in 1308, leading Władysław I the Elbow-high to request assistance from the Teutonic Knights, which evicted the Brandenburgers. After Władysław refused to pay the substantial fee to the Teutonic Knights, the province was annexed and incorporated into the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in 1309 (Teutonic takeover of Danzig). After the Second Peace of Thorn (1466), Pomerelia, as part of western Prussia, became part of the Polish province of Royal Prussia.
Pomerelia as the western part of Prussia
-
As part of Royal Prussia, Pomerelia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the 18th century Partitions of Poland, becoming part of the new Province of West Prussia. After World War I (1914-1918), the Treaty of Versailles transferred most of the region from Weimar Germany to the new Second Polish Republic, forming the so-called Polish Corridor.
Population
Some of the minority indigenous population of Pomerelia are the West Slavic Kashubians, the Kociewiacy, and the Borowiacy.
See also
External links
|
