Casimir II, Duke of Pomerania
Encyclopedia
Casimir II (c. 1180 – 1219) was the duke of Pomerania-Demmin
from 1187 until his death. He was succeeded by Wartislaw III
, Casimir's son with princess Ingardis of Denmark.
Casimir II was the son of Bogislaw I
and Anastasia, a daughter of the Polish
duke Mieszko III. After his father's death in 1187, Casimir received Pomerania-Demmin as his share of the duchy of Pomerania
(Slavia), after his older brother Bogislaw II had received the other part duchy Pomerania-Stettin and his other older brother, Wartislaw II
, who is assumed to have received Pomerania-Demmin from their uncle, Casimir I
in the first place, had died in 1184.
As Casimir still was a minor in 1187, his mother Anastasia was ruling in his place until 1194 as well as, until 1189, the Swantiboride Stettin castellan Wartislaw (Wartislaw Swantiboricz or Swantiboriz) and thereafter the Rugian prince
Jaromar I
. Despite his predecessors having joined the Holy Roman Empire
in 1181, Casimir and Bogislaw II had to yield the pressure put on Pomerania by Denmark
, who already subdued the neighboring Rani princedom of Rügen
, and eventually became vassals to Canute VI of Denmark
.
The Danish influenced Casimir's reign not only by appointing Jaromar, their vassal and ally, to be his legal guardian, but also by determining the northern borders of Pomerania-Demmin that were disputed by Pomerania and Rügen, with Rügen claiming the Peene
river and Pomerania claiming the Ryck
river further north to be the border. The decision of Canut that had to be accepted by Anastasia favoured the Rugian demands, only the trans-Peene terrae Wolgast
, Lassan
and Ziethen
were put under Pomeranian control with the larger part of the disputed area, including the terrae Lositz (Loitz
) and Wostrose (Wusterhusen
), remaining within Rügen.
In 1198 and 1199, margrave Otto II of Brandenburg occupied Pomerania-Demmin in the course of a war between Brandenburg
and Denmark
, shifting Casimir's realm north close to the Ryck river. When Valdemar II of Denmark
regained Pomerania in 1202, Casimir and Bogislaw II had to accept Danish overlordship again and turned to support Denmark in her war with Brandenburg. In 1216, the border between Rügen and Pomerania was settled again, pushing it back almost to where it were before the Brandenburgian occupation. As Rügen had founded the Hilda (now part of Greifswald district Eldena)
abbey in 1199 at the southern bank of the Ryck river and had granted vast areas of the disputed areas to her, Casimir and Bogislaw confirmed these grants in 1218 by pointing out that these lands righteously had been theirs.
With his wife Ingardis von Dänemark († ~ 1236), to whom he was married in 1210, he had a son, Wartislaw III who would succeed him as duke of Pomerania-Demmin, and a daughter, Elisabeth.
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
from 1187 until his death. He was succeeded by Wartislaw III
Wartislaw II, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw II was a duke of Pomerania-Demmin. He either was a son of Bogislaw I and Walburga of Denmark, or Wartislaw of the Swantiboride sideline of the Griffins, castellan of Szczecin....
, Casimir's son with princess Ingardis of Denmark.
Casimir II was the son of Bogislaw I
Bogislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
Bogislaw I of the House of Pomerania was Duke of Pomerania-Stettin from 1156 to 1187. He co-ruled the Duchy of Pomerania with his brother Casimir I of Pomerania-Demmin. His father was Wartislaw I...
and Anastasia, a daughter of the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
duke Mieszko III. After his father's death in 1187, Casimir received Pomerania-Demmin as his share of the duchy of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
(Slavia), after his older brother Bogislaw II had received the other part duchy Pomerania-Stettin and his other older brother, Wartislaw II
Wartislaw II, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw II was a duke of Pomerania-Demmin. He either was a son of Bogislaw I and Walburga of Denmark, or Wartislaw of the Swantiboride sideline of the Griffins, castellan of Szczecin....
, who is assumed to have received Pomerania-Demmin from their uncle, Casimir I
Casimir I, Duke of Pomerania
Casimir I was duke of Pomerania since his uncle Ratibor I's death in 1155/56. A son of Wartislaw I, he co-ruled Pomerania with his older brother Bogislaw I, receiving Pomerania-Demmin as his share just as Bogislaw received Pomerania-Stettin, and ruling the remainder in common.After the lost 1164...
in the first place, had died in 1184.
As Casimir still was a minor in 1187, his mother Anastasia was ruling in his place until 1194 as well as, until 1189, the Swantiboride Stettin castellan Wartislaw (Wartislaw Swantiboricz or Swantiboriz) and thereafter the Rugian prince
Rani (Slavic tribe)
The Rani or Rujani were a West Slavic tribe based on the island of Rugia and the southwestern mainland across the Strelasund in what is today northeastern Germany....
Jaromar I
Jaromar I, Prince of Rügen
-Background:Jaromar was a Ranish nobleman, who was a native of the island of Rügen. Jaromar rose to be ruler of the Principality of Rügen as result of the Danish conquest of Rügen in 1168...
. Despite his predecessors having joined the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
in 1181, Casimir and Bogislaw II had to yield the pressure put on Pomerania by Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, who already subdued the neighboring Rani princedom of Rügen
Rani (Slavic tribe)
The Rani or Rujani were a West Slavic tribe based on the island of Rugia and the southwestern mainland across the Strelasund in what is today northeastern Germany....
, and eventually became vassals to Canute VI of Denmark
Canute VI of Denmark
Canute VI was King of Denmark . Canute VI was the eldest son of King Valdemar I and Sophia of Polotsk.-Life:...
.
The Danish influenced Casimir's reign not only by appointing Jaromar, their vassal and ally, to be his legal guardian, but also by determining the northern borders of Pomerania-Demmin that were disputed by Pomerania and Rügen, with Rügen claiming the Peene
Peene
The Peene is a river in Germany. The Westpeene, Kleine Peene and Ostpeene flow into the Kummerower See, and from there as Peene proper to Anklam and into the Oder Lagoon....
river and Pomerania claiming the Ryck
Ryck
The Ryck is a river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.From its source near Bartmannshagen, part of the Süderholz community northeast of Grimmen, the Ryck flows for about 28 km to the east, reaching Greifswald shortly before its mouth. The larger part of the river outside Greifswald is also...
river further north to be the border. The decision of Canut that had to be accepted by Anastasia favoured the Rugian demands, only the trans-Peene terrae Wolgast
Wolgast
Wolgast is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom that can be accessed by road and railway via a bascule bridge...
, Lassan
Lassan
Lassan is a town in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the Peene river, a branch of the Oder, 15 km northeast of Anklam.-References:...
and Ziethen
Ziethen
Ziethen may refer to:places in Germany:*Ziethen, Brandenburg, in the district of Barnim, Brandenburg*Ziethen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
were put under Pomeranian control with the larger part of the disputed area, including the terrae Lositz (Loitz
Loitz
Loitz is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Peene, 10 km northeast of Demmin, and 22 km southwest of Greifswald.-External links:*...
) and Wostrose (Wusterhusen
Wusterhusen
Wusterhusen is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
), remaining within Rügen.
In 1198 and 1199, margrave Otto II of Brandenburg occupied Pomerania-Demmin in the course of a war between Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, shifting Casimir's realm north close to the Ryck river. When Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar II , called Valdemar the Victorious or Valdemar the Conqueror , was the King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. The nickname Sejr is a later invention and was not used during the King's own lifetime...
regained Pomerania in 1202, Casimir and Bogislaw II had to accept Danish overlordship again and turned to support Denmark in her war with Brandenburg. In 1216, the border between Rügen and Pomerania was settled again, pushing it back almost to where it were before the Brandenburgian occupation. As Rügen had founded the Hilda (now part of Greifswald district Eldena)
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
abbey in 1199 at the southern bank of the Ryck river and had granted vast areas of the disputed areas to her, Casimir and Bogislaw confirmed these grants in 1218 by pointing out that these lands righteously had been theirs.
With his wife Ingardis von Dänemark († ~ 1236), to whom he was married in 1210, he had a son, Wartislaw III who would succeed him as duke of Pomerania-Demmin, and a daughter, Elisabeth.
See also
- List of Pomeranian duchies and dukes
- History of PomeraniaHistory of PomeraniaThe history of Pomerania dates back more than 10,000 years. Settlement in the area started by the end of the Vistula Glacial Stage, about 13,000 years ago. Archeological traces have been found of various cultures during the Stone and Bronze Age, of Veneti and Germanic peoples during the Iron Age...
- Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy of PomeraniaThe Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
- House of PomeraniaHouse of PomeraniaThe House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...
Sources
- Joachim Wächter: Das Fürstentum Rügen - Ein Überblick. In: Beiträge zur Geschichte Vorpommerns: die Demminer Kolloquien 1985–1994. Thomas Helms Verlag, Schwerin 1997, ISBN 3-931185-11-7.
- Martin Wehrmann: Geschichte von Pommern. Band 1, Weltbild Verlag 1992, Reprint der Ausgaben von 1919 und 1921, ISBN 3-89350-112-6, Seite 91–95.