Jaromar I, Prince of Rügen

prince Jaromar or "Jaromir" was Prince of Rügen ("Principality of Rugia") between 1170 and 1218.

Native of the island, a polabian Ranish nobleman Jaromar rose to be ruler of Rügen as result of the Danish conquest of Rügen in late 12th century. The Christian Danish, from the other side of the channel north of Rügen (see Baltic Sea), organized a war to Christianize pagan islanders, to have their piracy and raids to Danish lands ended, and to destroy the pagan strongholds and cult places. Danish navy, led by, among other militaries, archbishop Absalon (member of the Hvide clan), conquered and destroyed the fortress of Arkona.

The Danish set up Rügen as their vassal. Chieftain Jaromar, who was not committed to hitherto pagan rulers of the island, accepted Christianity and promised loyalty to Valdemar I of Denmark. He ultimately managed to have the duchy under himself.

His successors, Princes of Rügen, continued as Denmark's vassals since the Danish in late 12th century destroyed pagan rulers of the island.

Jaromar allied with the Danish Hvide and Galen magnate clans (leaders of, respectively, Zealand and Skåne), who were influential in those parts of Denmark that were closest to Rügen. Jaromar had his son and heir Wizlaw I to marry a lady of those Danish magnates' families.

Jaromar I had, starting by 1185, a church ("Marienkirche") erected to his town (which was later known as Bergen-auf-Rügen), and in 1193 the church was completed and then consecrated as the monastery church. It is Rügen's oldest maintained building. It is said that Jaromar is buried under the gravestone embedded in the church's outer wall. Also, he founded the Cisterciensian abbey of Hilda.

Predecessor: 1162-1170 Tezlaw (who in 1168 had submitted to the Danish)

Successor: 1218-1249 Wizlaw I