Eric II, Duke of Pomerania

Eric II or Erich II, of the House of Pomerania ("Griffins"), (* between 1418 and 1425, † 1474), was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1457 to 1474. He was the son of Wartislaw IX of Pomerania-Wolgast and Sophia of Saxony-Lauenburg, and married to Sophia of Pomerania-Stolp. With his wife, he had nine children, including his successor Bogislaw X.

In 1451, Wartislaw IX arranged his son's marriage to Sophia, daughter of Bogislaw IX of Pomerania-Stolp and heiress of Eric I of Pomerania-Stolp, who had also been king of the Kalmar Union. The marriage of these distant relatives granted Eric II access to Eric I's lands in Farther Pomerania. Also, Eric I arranged the Lauenburg-Bütow Land at the Pomerelian border to be granted by the Polish king to Eric II in January 3, 1455, as a reward for aiding Poland in her struggles with the Teutonic Knights.

In 1456, Eric took over Wassow Land in Farther Pomerania, despite Wassow being not included in his share of Pomerania. This led to conflicts with Otto III, Duke of Pomerania-Stettin and even Eric I. Even though the Pomeranian cities were able to mediate negotiations between the dukes which led to a compromise in January 16, 1457, at Rügenwalde, Eric lost the support of the other Pomeranian dukes with this action.

In August of 1457, Eric was hunting in the forests near Horst, belonging not to his lands, but to the Hanseatic city of Greifswald. In further disrespect of the city's rights he ordered local peasants to aid him. Greifswald's mayor Heinrich Rubenow led the burghers of Greifswald and Stralsund in an attempt to arrest Eric. Although the burghers captured his guards, Eric managed to escape. Yet, by now he was not only opposed by his co-ruling Pomeranian dukes, but also by the Pomeranian cities.

After death of his father, Wartislaw IX, later in 1457, Eric received Pomerania-Wolgast together with his younger brother, Wartislaw X. They split the duchy with Wartislaw X receiving the principality of Rügen (with Rügen, Barth, Tribsees and Grimmen) while Eric received the eastern parts. Upon Eric I's death, in 1459 Eric II gained Pomerania-Stolp and Pomerania-Rügenwalde due to the claims of his wife. Despite being a partitioned duchy in reality, Pomerania was granted to the dukes as one fief to be co-ruled ("zur gesamten Hand", which meant that several issues had to be acted upon in common). Because Eric did not respect Wartislaw X's rights as a co-ruler, Wartislaw sought for an alliance with the Margraviate of Brandenburg on September 6, 1459, in Angermünde. He pawned the area north of the Brandenburgian Uckermark to Hohenzollern margrave Frederick II and in return became assured of military protection against his brother.

Eric's wife, feeling not to be admitted to exercise power as she felt she deserved being the heir of Eric I, retreated to Rügenwalde castle to live their with Hans of Wassow.

In 1464, Eric's cousin Otto III of Pomerania-Stettin died of the Black Death, leaving both Eric and Wartislaw as well as Brandenburg's Frederick II with claims for inheritance. Aware he would not withstand Brandenburg without allies, Eric finally settled the conflicts and allied with his brother and the Pomeranian cities. Brandenburg allied with Mecklenburg and decided to take over Pomerania-Stettin by force. While a Mecklenburgian army moved eastward following the Tollense River, a Brandenburgian army advanced to the North from the Uckermark following the Randow River. After the initial Brandenburgian gains of Löcknitz and Gartz, they were repelled after unsuccessful sieges of Stettin and Ückermünde. The Pomeranians even saw an opportunity for a counterattack and ravanged through Neumark.

The campaigns were ended by the Peace of Prenzlau of May 31, 1472. Brandenburg was again granted inheritance of Pomerania when the extinction of the House of Pomerania.

Eric died in 1474. He was buried in Eldena Abbey near Greifswald and was succeeded by his son Bogislaw X.

See also

*Pomeranian duchies and dukes
*House of Pomerania
*History of Pomerania

ources

Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie: "Erich II", [http://mdz10.bib-bvb.de/~db/bsb00008364/images/index.html?id=00008364&fip=217.184.160.58&no=5&seite=210]