Pomerelia

[[File:K0nigl+BherzoglPreussen en.png|thumb|300px|right|Pomerelia while part of [[Royal Prussia]], a province of [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]].]] '''Pomerelia''' ({{lang-de|Pommerellen}}) is a [[Historical regions of Central Europe|historical region]] in northern Poland. Pomerelia lay in eastern [[Pomerania]]: on the southern shore of the [[Baltic Sea]] and west of the Vistula and its delta. The area centered on the city of [[Gdańsk]] (Danzig) at the mouth of the [[Vistula]]. {{As of | 2010}} the region - sometimes referred to as "[[Gdańsk Pomerania]]" - forms part of the Polish [[Pomeranian Voivodeship]]. == Early history == {{main|Early history of Pomerania}} [[Image:Pommerellen Slavische Völker bis 1125.jpg|thumb|Pomerelia with [[Kashubia]] - Caszubia: Slavic people until 1125]] In its early history, the territory of later Pomerelia was the site of the [[Pomeranian Culture]] (also Pomerelian face urn culture, 650 BC -150 BC), the [[Oxhöft culture|Oxhöft (Oksywie) culture]] (150 BC–1 AD, associated with parts of the [[Rugii]] and [[Lemovii]]), and the [[Willenberg Culture|Willenberg (Wielbark) Culture]] (1 AD–450 AD, associated with [[Vistula Veneti|Veneti]], [[Goths]], [[Rugii]], [[Gepids]]). In the mid-6th century, the [[Vistula]] estuary is mentioned by [[Jordanes]], describing it as the home of the [[Vidivarii]]. Pomerelia was settled by [[West Slavs|West Slavic]] tribes in the 7th and 8th century. == Duchy of Pomerelia == {{For|a list of dukes|Pomeranian duchies and dukes}} In the tenth century, Pomerelia was settled by [[Pomeranians (Slavic tribe)|Slavic Pomeranians]], which were subdued by [[Bolesław I Chrobry|Bolesław I of Poland]]. In the eleventh century, they created an independent duchy. In 1116/1121, [[Pomerania]] was again 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 Wrymouth|Bolesław III]], Poland was fragmented into several semi-independent principalities. The ''principes'' in Pomerelia gradually gained more power, evolving into semi-independent dukes, in contrast with other Polish territories that were governed by [[Piast dynasty|Piast]] descendants of Bolesław III. The [[Samborides]] ruling Pomerelia gradually evolved into independent dukes, who ruled the duchy until 1294. Before Pomerelia regained independence in 1227, their dukes were vassals of Poland and Denmark. In 1210, king [[Valdemar II of Denmark]] intervened in a pagan reaction that occurred in Pomerania and [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]]. 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, Duke of Pomerania|Mestwin I]] (1207–1220), [[Swantopolk II, Duke of Pomerania|Swantopolk II]] (1215–1266), and [[Mestwin II, Duke of Pomerania|Mestwin II]] (1271–1294). The Pomerelian duchies were initially referred to as "Pomerania", not to be confused with the [[Duchy of Pomerania]]. The Pomerelian dukes therefore were styled [[Dukes of Pomerania]]. [[Christianity]] was introduced when the area was under Polish rule. While the bulk of Pomerania was within the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Cammin]], Pomerelia was made part of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Kuyavia]]. The Christian centre was [[Oliva Abbey]]. == Pomerelia as a part of the Teutonic Order state and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth== {{main|Teutonic takeover of Danzig|Teutonic Order state}} [[Image:Pommerellen 1125 - 1386.jpg|thumb|Pomerelia as a part of the Teutonic Knights' state]] After the death of [[Mestwin II of Pomerania]] in 1294, his co-ruler [[Przemysł II of Poland]] claimed Pomerelia basing it on the treaty made at ''Langenfort '', later Kempen ([[Treaty of Kępno]]) from 1282, in which Mestwin declared Przemysł II his sole successor. Yet, the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg margraves]] also held claims based on the [[Treaty of Arnswalde]] of 1269. Przemysł was soon succeeded by King [[Wenceslaus II of Bohemia]]. That agreement was made between [[Albert I of Germany|Albert I, King of the Romans]], and Wenceslaus, who received the territories of [[Greater Poland]] and Pomerelia into his possession and accepted sovereignty over it by King Albert I. In 1300 at [[Mainz]] Wenceslaus received the Polish crown from Albert. Upon the deaths of Wenceslaus and his successor [[Wenceslaus III of Bohemia|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 the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] staked its claim on the territory in 1308, leading [[Władysław I the Elbow-high]] to request assistance from the [[Teutonic Knights]], who evicted the Brandenburgers. After Władysław refused to pay the substantial fee to the Teutonic Knights, the province was annexed and incorporated into the [[Teutonic Order state]] in 1309 ([[Teutonic takeover of Danzig]] and [[Treaty of Soldin (1309)|Treaty of Soldin]]). After the [[Second Peace of Thorn (1466)]], Pomerelia, as part of [[Prussia (region)|western Prussia]], became part of the Polish province of [[Royal Prussia]] until 1772, with a degree of autonomy until 1569. == Pomerelia as the western part of Prussia == {{main|Royal Prussia|West Prussia|Polish Corridor}} 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 Republic|Weimar Germany]] to the new [[Second Polish Republic]], forming the so-called [[Polish Corridor]]. == Population == Starting in the [[High Middle Ages]], Pomerelia was settled with Germans during the [[Ostsiedlung]]. [[German Pomeranians]] dominated in the towns, while in many rural areas the descendants of the [[Kashubians]] and [[Slavic Pomeranians]] dominated (i.e. [[Kociewiacy]], and [[Borowiacy]]). The [[Vistula]] delta was in the Middle Ages settled by the [[Vistula Germans]]. In modern times, there was also a Polish immigration, and the rural Slavs were at times considered to be Poles, too. Following [[Nazi Germany]]'s defeat in World War II, the [[Flight and expulsion of Germans from Poland after World War II|German population fled or was forcibly expelled]]. ==External links== *[http://www.library.ucla.edu/yrl/reference/maps/blaeu/germania.jpg Map of Pomerelia included in Prussia, ca. 1600] *[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/roman_empire_1138_1254.jpg Map of Pomerelia] (within a map of the Holy Roman Empire, 1138–1254) {{Pomeranian history}} {{coord missing|Poland}}