Pomerelia

Pomerelia ( _de. 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

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 known as Pomeranians.

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. While the bulk of Pomerania was within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cammin, Pomerelia was made part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Leslau. The Christian center was Oliva Abbey.

Pomerelia as a part of the Teutonic Knights' monastic state

Wenceslaus received the Polish crown from Albert. [http://books.google.com/books?id=dYIVAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA65&dq=Wenzel+II+koenig+albrecht&lr=#PRA1-PA65,M1]

Upon the deaths of Wenceslaus and his successor Wenceslaus III and with them the extinction of the House of Przemysł, Pomerelia was recaptured by Władysław I the Elbow-high in 1306. Despite that 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.

ee also

* History of Pomerania
* History of Gdańsk

External links

* [http://www.library.ucla.edu/yrl/reference/maps/blaeu/germania.jpgMap of Pomerelia included in Prussia, ca. 1600]
* [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/roman_empire_1138_1254.jpgMap of Pomerelia] (within a map of the Holy Roman Empire, 1138-1254)