Pommern und Pommerellen in der Zeit Swantopolks Von Danzig (bis 1266)
Western Pomerania in Relation to Eastern Pomerania in the Time of Świętopełk Gdańsk (Up Till 1266)

Summary/Abstract: In the 13th century, Pomerania was divided between two princely houses. The western partof the region was ruled by princes from the Griffin dynasty. In the most recent source literature,a claim has been made that members of this house also ruled the Land of Sławno fromthe second half of the thirties or until the early forties of the thirteenth century. It is thereforedifficult to prove that their power also stretched as far as the Land of Słupsk. The Landof Sławno was also under ecclesial, and later feudal jurisdiction of the bishops of Kamień.In Eastern Pomerania, the Samborides (Polish: Sobiesławice), as they are called in source literature,were the ruling house. For a long time they held the office of Pomeranian governorson behalf of the Piast dynasty. This situation was changed by Swietopelk II – the Duke ofGdansk, who in 1227 secured the region’s independence from Poland. Initially, the dukeand the rulers of West Pomerania had good relations. Mutual good will was guaranteedby the marriage of Swietopelk’s sister Miroslawa and Prince Bogislaw II of West Pomerania.Out of this matrimony, Barnim I was born, who in the described period, together with hiscousin Wartislaw III, shaped the policy of the West Pomeranian principalities. Both Griffinshad to hold ground against Swietopelk’s aggressive eastbound expansion and respond to hisoccupation of the Land of Słupsk (taken from the Danes between 1225 and 1227), and thento the occupation of the Land of Sławno (before 1240). The House of Griffin was supportedby the bishops of Kamień, of whom Herman von Gleichen was the most prominent. However,after many lost battles against Swietopelk, in the sixties of the 13th century, the Bishop ofKamień had to reach an agreement with the Gdańsk ruler. Little is known whether he madepeace with Barnim I (ruling all Western Pomerania after the death of Wartislaw III) whileSwietopelk was still alive. It is significant in this regard that Barnim I held talks with Swietopelk’sson Mestwin II in 1264, during the rebellion of the eldest sons of the Gdańsk ruler.

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