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130-610: Cedynia lies in an area that formed part of historic regions of Pomerania and Greater Poland , before later being part of Neumark . It is situated close to the Oder river, which forms the Germany–Poland border ; it thereby is the westernmost town in Poland (neighbouring Osinów Dolny lies 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) even further to the west, right on the German border, but is classified as

260-698: A euroregion since 1995. The Pomerania euroregion comprises Hither Pomerania and Uckermark in Germany, West Pomerania in Poland, and Scania in Sweden. In Lechitic languages the prefix "po-" means along ; unlike the word "po", which means after . Pomorze , therefore, means Along the Sea . This construction is similar to toponyms Pogórze ( Along the Mountains ), Polesie ( Along the Forest ), Porzecze ( Along

390-465: A village ). A road border crossing leads to the German town of Bad Freienwalde in the southwest. The town gives its name to an extended protected area known as Cedynia Landscape Park . Largely depopulated during the Migration Period , the first Slavic settlement came into existence in the 8th century, when a gród fortification was erected in the area. Around 967, it became part of

520-698: A betrayal of the Protestant cause. However, Spanish chief minister Olivares correctly interpreted them as an invitation to open negotiations, and in return for an Anglo-Spanish alliance offered to restore Frederick to his Rhineland possessions. Since Frederick's demand for full restitution of his lands and titles was incompatible with the Treaty of Munich, hopes of a negotiated peace quickly evaporated. Despite defeat in Bohemia, Frederick's allies included Georg Friedrich of Baden and Christian of Brunswick , while

650-613: A chain of moraine-dammed lakes constitutes the Pomeranian Lake District . The soil is generally rather poor, sometimes sandy or marshy. The western coastline is jagged, with many peninsulas (such as Darß – Zingst ) and islands (including Rügen , Usedom , and Wolin ) enclosing numerous bays ( Bodden ) and lagoons (the biggest being the Lagoon of Szczecin ). The eastern coastline is smooth. Łebsko and several other lakes were formerly bays, but have been cut off from

780-611: A consequence, the term "West Pomerania" is ambiguous, since it may refer to either Hither Pomerania (in German usage and historical usage based on German terminology ), or to combined Hither and Farther Pomerania (in Polish usage and historical usage based on German terminology). In parallel, the term "East Pomerania" may similarly carry different meanings, referring either to Farther Pomerania (in German usage and historical usage based on German terminology ), or to Pomerelia (in Polish usage and historical usage based on German terminology). As

910-594: A forum for discussion, rather than legislation. Although, in theory, emperors were elected, the position had been held by the House of Habsburg since 1440. The largest single landowner within the Holy Roman Empire, they controlled lands containing over eight million subjects, including Austria , Bohemia and Hungary . The Habsburgs also ruled the Spanish Empire until 1556, when Charles V divided

1040-417: A further complication, the borders of the eponymous administrative units have been drawn disregarding mostly the historical ones. The Polish unit called województwo zachodniopomorskie ( West Pomeranian Voivodeship ) includes the whole Polish part of Hither Pomerania, but only the western two-thirds of Farther Pomerania, with the remaining easternmost one-third ( Słupsk , Ustka , and Miastko ) has been part of

1170-450: A further regional unit, in this case bearing a name accurately reflecting historical heterogeneity of its territory. Similarity but to lesser extent, borders of the combined German districts Vorpommern-Rügen and Vorpommern-Greifswald deviate significantly in numerous locations from the historical ones with Mecklenburg and Brandenburg . As a consequence, the common understanding of the terms has started to be used more and more frequently in

1300-717: A legally elected ruler, regardless of religion. Although Frederick accepted the crown and entered Prague in October 1619, his support eroded over the next few months. In July 1620, the Protestant Union proclaimed its neutrality, while John George of Saxony backed Ferdinand in return for the cession of Lusatia , and a guarantee of Lutheran rights in Bohemia. Maximilian of Bavaria funded a combined Imperial-Catholic League army led by Count Tilly and Charles of Bucquoy , which pacified Upper and Lower Austria and occupied western Bohemia before marching on Prague. Defeated by Tilly at

1430-776: A mercenary army under Ernst von Mansfeld was sent to support the Bohemian rebels. Attempts by Maximilian and John George of Saxony to broker a negotiated solution ended when Matthias died in March 1619, since many believed the loss of his authority and influence had fatally damaged the Habsburgs. By mid-June 1619, the Bohemian army under Thurn was outside Vienna and although Mansfeld's defeat by Imperial forces at Sablat forced him to return to Prague, Ferdinand's position continued to worsen. Gabriel Bethlen , Calvinist Prince of Transylvania , invaded Hungary with Ottoman support, although

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1560-696: A nunnery there, which was secularised in 1555 and finally dissolved in 1611, after the Reformation . In 1373 the town became part of the Lands of the Bohemian (Czech) Crown , ruled by the Luxembourg dynasty . In 1402, the Luxembourgs reached an agreement with Poland , upon which Poland was to buy and re-incorporate the region, but eventually the Luxembourgs sold it to the Teutonic Order . In 1454

1690-618: A result of the Teutonic rule, in German terminology the name of Prussia was also extended to conquered Polish lands like Gdańsk Pomerania , although it was not inhabited by Baltic Prussians but Lechitic Poles. Meanwhile, the Ostsiedlung started to turn Slavic narrow Pomerania into an increasingly German-settled area; the remaining Wends and Polish people, often known as Kashubians , continued to settle within Pomerelia. In 1325

1820-526: A return to the position prevailing pre-1627, while Protestants wanted that of 1618. Made overconfident by success, in March 1629 Ferdinand passed an Edict of Restitution , which required all lands taken from the Catholic church after 1555 to be returned. While technically legal, politically it was extremely unwise, since doing so would alter nearly every single state boundary in North and Central Germany, deny

1950-442: A small part of Pomerelia ( Biały Bór ); in turn the other one comprises only approximately northern two-thirds of Pomerelia but also parts of historical Malbork Land and Upper Prussia known under the ethnographic designation of Powiśle and constituting the westernmost strip of historical Prussia ; and finally, the remaining one third of Pomerelia forms part of województwo kujawsko-pomorskie ( Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship ),

2080-522: Is Czcibor Cedynia. It competes in the lower leagues. Pomerania Pomerania ( Polish : Pomorze [pɔˈmɔʐɛ] ; German : Pommern [ˈpɔmɐn] ; Pòmòrskô ; Swedish : Pommern ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe , split between Poland and Germany . The central and eastern part belongs to

2210-532: Is bounded by the Vistula River in the east. The easternmost part of Pomerania is alternatively known as Pomerelia , consisting of four sub-regions: Kashubia inhabited by ethnic Kashubians , Kociewie , Tuchola Forest and Chełmno Land . Pomerania has a relatively low population density , with its largest cities being Gdańsk and Szczecin . Outside its urban areas, it is characterized by farmland, dotted with numerous lakes, forests, and small towns. In

2340-462: The Lebensraum policy. The Stutthof concentration camp with numerous subcamps was located in the region. There were also numerous Nazi prisons, forced labour camps, and multiple prisoner-of-war camps , including the large Stalag II-B and Stalag II-D , for Polish, French , Belgian, Dutch, Serbian, Italian , American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealander and other Allied POWs. Połczyn-Zdrój

2470-579: The Battle of White Mountain in November 1620, the Bohemian army disintegrated, and Frederick was forced to flee the country. By abandoning Frederick, the German princes hoped to restrict the dispute to Bohemia, but Maximilian's dynastic ambitions made this impossible. In the October 1619 Treaty of Munich , Ferdinand transferred the Palatinate's electoral vote to Bavaria, and allowed Maximilian to annex

2600-591: The Bohemian Revolt in May 1618. Ferdinand once claimed he would rather see his lands destroyed than tolerate heresy within them. Less than 18 months after taking control of Styria in 1595, he had eliminated Protestantism in what had been a stronghold of the Reformation . Absorbed by their war in the Netherlands, his Spanish relatives preferred to avoid antagonising Protestants elsewhere. They recognised

2730-506: The Catholic Church since Passau. These agreements were undermined by the post-1555 expansion of Protestantism into areas previously designated as Catholic. Another factor was the growth of Protestant faiths not recognised by Augsburg, especially Calvinism , which was viewed with hostility by both Lutherans and Catholics. The Peace of Augsburg also gave individual rulers within the empire greater political autonomy and control over

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2860-456: The Communist regimes implemented during the post-war era; since then, Pomerania is democratically governed . Pomeranian dialect and traditions still live in the country of Brazil in a colony where the language is still spoken. The arrival of Pomerania immigrants with Germans and Italians helped form the state of Espírito Santo since the early 1930s. Their importance and respect are one of

2990-693: The Dutch-Portuguese War , and the Portuguese Restoration War . The war can be seen as a continuation of the religious conflict initiated by the 16th-century Reformation within the Holy Roman Empire . The 1555 Peace of Augsburg attempted to resolve this by dividing the Empire into Catholic and Lutheran states, but over the next 50 years the expansion of Protestantism beyond these boundaries destabilised

3120-572: The Elbe and Weser rivers. Ferdinand had paid Albrecht von Wallenstein for his support against Frederick with estates confiscated from the Bohemian rebels, and now contracted with him to conquer the north on a similar basis. In May 1625, the Lower Saxony kreis elected Christian their military commander, although not without resistance; Saxony and Brandenburg viewed Denmark and Sweden as competitors, and wanted to avoid either becoming involved in

3250-675: The Gestapo carried out arrests of Polish leaders, activists, entrepreneurs, and even some staff of the Consulate of Poland in Szczecin. In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland starting World War II . The first battle of the war, at Westerplatte , was fought in the region. Afterwards the Polish part of Pomerania was annexed by Germany, and made part of the Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia . The Nazis deported

3380-836: The Heilbronn League in April 1633. In July, their combined forces defeated an Imperial army under Bronckhorst-Gronsfeld at Oldendorf . Critics claimed this defeat was caused by Wallenstein's failure to support the Bavarians, while rumours spread that he was preparing to switch sides. As a result, Emperor Ferdinand ordered his arrest in February 1634, and on 25th, he was assassinated by his own officers in Cheb. The loss of Wallenstein and his organisation left Emperor Ferdinand reliant on Spain for military support. Since their main concern

3510-646: The Kashubians in Pomerelia . In the German part of Pomerania, Standard German dominates. The historical German dialects of Pomerania are, however, Low German . The Pomeranian dialects were all part of the East Low German subgroup: Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch in the west, Central Pomeranian (Mittelpommersch) in Central Pomerania around Szczecin (then Stettin), and East Pomeranian in

3640-560: The Little Kashubian Tricity with a population of 120,158 people (2012), formed by the City of Wejherowo (population 50,310 in 2012) and the towns (urban gminas) of Rumia (population 49,230 in 2020) and Reda (population 26,011 in 2019). The area also includes two smaller towns of Żukowo and Pruszcz Gdański belonging to the eponymous urban-rural gminas, and a number of rural gminas. Altogether, there are 16 cities in

3770-682: The Low Countries , Northern Italy , and present-day France. These ranged in size and importance from the seven prince-electors who voted for the Holy Roman Emperor , down to prince-bishoprics and Imperial cities like Hamburg . Each also belonged to a regional grouping or " Imperial circle ", which primarily focused on defence and operated as autonomous bodies. Above all of these was the Imperial Diet , which only assembled on an irregular basis, and then largely served as

3900-1035: The National Museum in Szczecin , the Museum of the Puck Region , and the Museum of Maritime Fisheries in Świnoujście. Other notable museums include the Museum of the National Anthem ( Muzeum Hymnu Narodowego ) in Będomin at the birthplace of Józef Wybicki , author of the lyrics of the national anthem of Poland , and the Copernicus House in Toruń , birthplace of famed astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus . The Diocesan Museum in Pelplin contains one of

4030-523: The North , South , and along the Pyrenees . Since many foreign rulers were also Imperial princes, divisions within the empire drew in external powers like Christian IV of Denmark , who joined the war in 1625 as Duke of Holstein-Gottorp . Disputes occasionally resulted in full-scale conflict like the 1583 to 1588 Cologne War , caused when its ruler converted to Calvinism. More common were events such as

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4160-711: The Philippines , and much of the Americas . In contrast, Austria was a land-based power, focused on ensuring their pre-eminence within Germany and securing their eastern border against the Ottoman Empire . Before Augsburg, unity of religion compensated for lack of strong central authority; once removed, it presented opportunities for those who sought to further weaken it. These included ambitious Imperial states like Lutheran Saxony and Catholic Bavaria , as well as France, confronted by Habsburg lands on its borders to

4290-582: The Province of West Prussia . With Prussia, both provinces joined the newly constituted German Empire in 1871. Under German rule, the Polish minority suffered discrimination and oppressive measures aimed at eradicating its culture. Following the German Empire's defeat in World War I, however, eastern Pomerania/ Pomerelia was returned to the rebuilt Polish state, while German-majority Gdańsk/Danzig

4420-654: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Halberstadt in early 1625. As Duke of Holstein, Christian IV was also a member of the Lower Saxon circle, while the Danish economy relied on the Baltic trade and tolls from traffic through the Øresund . In 1621, Hamburg accepted Danish "supervision", while his son Frederick became joint-administrator of Lübeck , Bremen , and Verden ; possession ensured Danish control of

4550-882: The Sack of Magdeburg in May 1631 provided a powerful warning of the consequences of Imperial victory. Once again, Richelieu used French financial power to bridge differences between the Swedes and the German princes; the 1631 Treaty of Bärwalde provided funds for the Swedes and their Protestant allies, including Saxony and Brandenburg. These amounted to 400,000 Reichstaler per year, or one million livres , plus an additional 120,000 for 1630. While less than 2% of total French income, these payments boosted that of Sweden by more than 25%, and allowed Gustavus to maintain 36,000 troops. Gustavus used this army to win victories at Breitenfeld in September 1631, then Rain in April 1632, where Tilly

4680-637: The Schmalkaldic War , a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics within the Holy Roman Empire . The 1555 Peace of Augsburg tried to prevent their recurrence by fixing boundaries between the two faiths, using the principle of cuius regio, eius religio . This designated individual states as either Lutheran , then the most usual form of Protestantism, or Catholic, based on the religion of their ruler. Other provisions protected substantial religious minorities in cities like Donauwörth , and confirmed Lutheran ownership of property taken from

4810-957: The University of Szczecin , the University of Gdańsk and the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , the oldest of which, the University of Greifswald , was founded when Greifswald belonged to Duchy of Pomerania , thus being one of the oldest universities in the world . The technical universities are the Gdańsk University of Technology , West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, and Koszalin University of Technology . The Stralsund University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Stralsund) in Stralsund has around 2,400 students. Agriculture primarily consists of raising livestock, forestry, fishery, and

4940-414: The Upper Palatinate . Many Protestant rulers had supported Ferdinand against Frederick because they objected to deposing the legally elected king of Bohemia. On the same grounds, they viewed Frederick's removal as an infringement of "German liberties", while for Catholics, it presented an opportunity to regain lands and properties lost since 1555. The combination destabilised large parts of the Empire. At

5070-425: The Upper Saxon Circle and Brandenburg the Lower , both kreise had remained neutral during the campaigns in Bohemia and the Palatinate. However, Frederick's deposition in 1623 meant John George of Saxony and the Calvinist George William, Elector of Brandenburg became concerned Ferdinand intended to reclaim formerly Catholic bishoprics currently held by Protestants. These fears seemed confirmed when Tilly restored

5200-563: The Valtellina , cutting the link between Spanish controlled Milan and the Empire. In May, their main army of 35,000 invaded the Spanish Netherlands, but withdrew in July after suffering 17,000 casualties. In March 1636 , France joined the Thirty Years War as an ally of Sweden, whose loss of most of the territories gained by Gustavus and their taxes made it increasingly reliant on French financing. The Spanish then invaded Northern France, causing panic in Paris before lack of supplies forced them to retreat. A Swedish army under Johan Banér defeated

5330-406: The Vistula-Oder offensive . After the war, the town was handed over to the Republic of Poland according to the 1945 Potsdam Agreement and the remaining German population was expelled , also in accordance with the Potsdam Agreement. The town was repopulated by Poles , often displaced from former eastern Poland annexed by the Soviet Union . A monument to the 972 Battle of Cedynia was erected in

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5460-422: The West Pomeranian , Pomeranian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeships of Poland, while the western part belongs to the German states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg . Pomerania's historical border in the west is the Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian border Urstromtal , which now constitutes the border between the Mecklenburgian and Pomeranian part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while it

5590-506: The former eastern territories of Germany and Poles of German ethnicity from Pomerelia were expelled . Between 1945 and 1948, millions of ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) and German citizens (Reichsdeutsche), were removed from former German territory now governed by Poland and other Eastern European countries. Many German civilians were sent to internment and labor camps where they were used as forced labor as part of German reparations to countries in Eastern Europe. The death toll attributable to

5720-483: The województwo pomorskie ([East-] Pomeranian Voivodeship ). The former regional unit stretches however far more south than the historical region, to include the northern part of the historical Neumark ( Dębno , Chojna , Trzcińsko-Zdrój , Myślibórz , Nowogródek Pomorski , Lipiany , Barlinek , Pełczyce , Suchań , Choszczno , Recz , and Drawno ), as well as a strip the historical Greater Poland ( Tuczno , Człopa , Mirosławiec , Wałcz , and Czaplinek ), or even

5850-403: The 10th century, early Polish rulers subdued the region, successfully integrating the eastern part with Poland, while the western part fell under the suzerainty of Denmark and the Holy Roman Empire in the late 12th century. Gdańsk , established during the reign of Mieszko I of Poland has since become Poland's main port (apart from periods of Poland losing control over the region). In

5980-449: The 12th century, the Duchy of Pomerania (western part), as a vassal state of Poland, became Christian under saint Otto of Bamberg ( the Apostle of the Pomeranians ); at the same time Pomerelia (eastern part) became a part of diocese of Włocławek within Poland. Since the late 12th-early 13th century, the Griffin Duchy of Pomerania stayed with the Holy Roman Empire and the Principality of Rugia with Denmark, while Pomerelia, under

6110-458: The 1606 "Battle of the Flags" in Donauwörth, when riots broke out after the Lutheran majority blocked a Catholic religious procession. Emperor Rudolf approved intervention by the Catholic Maximilian of Bavaria . In return, he was allowed to annex the town, and as agreed at Augsburg, the official religion changed from Lutheran to Catholic. When the Imperial Diet opened in February 1608, both Lutherans and Calvinists sought formal re-confirmation of

6240-428: The Amber Museums in Gdańsk and Jarosławiec , and the Museum of Gingerbread in Toruń. There are around 40 museums in the district of Vorpommern-Rügen , the most notable of which are: In the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald are located around 30 museums, among which: There are four traditional (non-profiled and multi-faculty, public research ) universities in the region, namely the University of Greifswald ,

6370-503: The Augsburg settlement. In return, the Habsburg heir Archduke Ferdinand required the immediate restoration of all property taken from the Catholic Church since 1555, rather than the previous practice whereby the court ruled case by case. This demand threatened all Protestants, paralysed the diet, and removed the perception of Imperial neutrality. Loss of faith in central authority meant towns and rulers began strengthening their fortifications and armies; outside travellers often commented on

6500-428: The Baltic. He was supported by Spain, for whom it provided an opportunity to open another front against the Dutch. On 13 May 1628, his deputy von Arnim besieged Stralsund , the only port with facilities large enough to build this fleet. However, this threat led Gustavus Adolphus to send several thousand Scots and Swedish troops to Stralsund, commanded by Alexander Leslie who was also appointed governor. Von Arnim

6630-532: The Bohemian Crown. Most of Frederick's advisors urged him to reject it, as did the Duke of Savoy, and his father-in-law James I. The exceptions included Christian of Anhalt and Maurice of Orange , for whom conflict in Germany was a means to divert Spanish resources from the Netherlands. The Dutch offered subsidies to Frederick and the Protestant Union, helped raise loans for Bohemia, and provided weapons and munitions. However, wider European support failed to materialise, largely due to lack of enthusiasm for removing

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6760-474: The Catholic Church. In May 1618, Protestant nobles led by Count Thurn met in Prague Castle with Ferdinand's two Catholic representatives, Vilem Slavata and Jaroslav Borzita . In what became known as the Third Defenestration of Prague , both men were thrown out of the castle windows along with their secretary Filip Fabricius , although all three survived. Thurn established a Protestant-dominated government in Bohemia, while unrest expanded into Silesia and

6890-565: The Catholic League, despite strong opposition from Protestant members, as well as the Spanish. The Palatinate was clearly lost; in March, James instructed Vere to surrender Frankenthal, while Tilly's victory over Christian of Brunswick at Stadtlohn in August completed military operations. However, Spanish and Dutch involvement in the campaign was a significant step in internationalising the war, while Frederick's removal meant other Protestant princes began discussing armed resistance to preserve their own rights and territories. With Saxony dominating

7020-439: The Dutch provided him with military support after the Eighty Years' War restarted in April 1621 and his father-in-law James funded an army of mercenaries under Mansfeld. However, their failure to co-ordinate effectively led to a series of defeats by Spanish and Catholic League forces, including Wimpfen in May 1622 and Höchst in June. By November 1622, the Imperials controlled most of the Palatinate, apart from Frankenthal , which

7150-450: The Dutch. Doing so required his election as emperor, which was not guaranteed; Maximilian of Bavaria, who opposed the increase of Spanish influence in an area he considered his own, tried to create a coalition with Saxony and the Palatinate to support his candidacy. Another option was Frederick V, Elector Palatine , a Calvinist who succeeded his father in 1610, and in 1613 married Elizabeth Stuart , daughter of James I of England . Four of

7280-408: The Emperor, Gustavus became an obvious ally for Richelieu. In September 1629, the latter helped negotiate the Truce of Altmark between Sweden and Poland, freeing Gustavus to enter the war. Partly a genuine desire to support his Protestant co-religionists, like Christian he also wanted to maximise his share of the Baltic trade that provided much of Sweden's income. Following failed negotiations with

7410-508: The Emperor, Gustavus landed in Pomerania in June 1630 with nearly 18,000 Swedish troops. Using Stralsund as a bridgehead, he marched south along the Oder towards Stettin and coerced Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania , into agreeing an alliance which secured his interests in Pomerania against his rival Sigismund. As a result, the Poles turned their attention to Russia, initiating the 1632 to 1634 Smolensk War . However, Swedish expectations of widespread German support proved unrealistic. By

7540-500: The Empire. Hoping to create a wider coalition against Ferdinand, the Dutch invited France, Sweden, Savoy, and the Republic of Venice to join, but it was overtaken by events. In early 1626, Cardinal Richelieu , main architect of the alliance, faced a new Huguenot rebellion at home and in the March Treaty of Monzón , France withdrew from Northern Italy, re-opening the Spanish Road. Dutch and English subsidies enabled Christian to devise an ambitious three part campaign plan; while he led

7670-421: The German states and Ferdinand agreed to the Peace of Prague ; in return for withdrawing the Edict of Restitution, the Heilbronn and Catholic Leagues were dissolved and replaced by a single Imperial army, although Saxony and Bavaria retained control of their own forces. This is generally seen as the point when the war ceased to be a primarily inter-German religious conflict. In March 1635, French soldiers entered

7800-424: The Guardhouse no. 1 at Westerplatte (a branch of the Museum of Gdańsk), the Museum of Coastal Defence in Hel , the Stutthof Museum in Sztutowo with the branch Piaśnica Museum in Wejherowo , the Museum of the Pomeranian Wall and World War II in Szczecinek , and the Armory Museum in Kłanino . There are also aquaria: the Gdynia Aquarium and the Seal Sanctuary in Hel . Perhaps more unusual museums include

7930-468: The Habsburg heartlands of Lower and Upper Austria , where much of the nobility was also Protestant. Losing control of these threatened the entire Habsburg state, while Bohemia was one of the most prosperous areas of the Empire and its electoral vote crucial to ensuring Ferdinand succeeded Matthias as Emperor. The combination meant their recapture was vital for the Austrian Habsburgs but chronic financial weakness left them dependent on Maximilian and Spain for

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8060-419: The Habsburgs persuaded them to avoid direct involvement; this was helped when the Ottomans became involved in the 1620 Polish war , followed by the 1623 to 1639 conflict with Persia . On 19 August, the Bohemian Estates rescinded Ferdinand's 1617 election as king; on the 26th, they formally offered the crown to Frederick. Two days later, Ferdinand was elected emperor, making war inevitable if Frederick accepted

8190-529: The Imperials at Wittstock on 4 October, and re-established their predominance in North-East Germany, despite the defection of most of their German allies. Ferdinand II died in February 1637, and was succeeded by his son Ferdinand III , who faced a deteriorating military position. Although Matthias Gallas and the main Imperial army had forced Banér back to the Baltic, in March 1638, Bernard destroyed an Imperial army at Rheinfelden . His capture of Breisach in December secured French control of Alsace and severed

8320-528: The June 1629 Treaty of Lübeck . Christian retained his German possessions of Schleswig and Holstein, in return for relinquishing Bremen and Verden, and abandoning support for the German Protestants. While Denmark kept Schleswig and Holstein until 1864, this effectively ended its reign as the predominant Nordic state. Once again, the methods used to obtain victory explain why the war failed to end. Ferdinand paid Wallenstein by letting him confiscate estates, extort ransoms from towns, and allowing his men to plunder

8450-426: The Museum of Sopot, the Emigration Museum in Gdynia, the Museum of Polish Navy in Gdynia, the Museum of Kociewie in Starogard Gdański, the Museum of Kashubian and Pomeranian Literature and Music in Wejherowo, the Kashubian Museum in Kartuzy, the Central Pomerania Museum in Słupsk , the Darłowo Museum, the Koszalin Museum, the Museum of Polish Arms in Kołobrzeg, the Museum of Archeology and History in Stargard,

8580-413: The Netherlands, while the loss of 's-Hertogenbosch to the Dutch Army under Frederick Henry in 1629 caused dismay in Madrid. From 1626 to 1629, Gustavus was engaged in a war with Poland–Lithuania , ruled by his Catholic cousin Sigismund , who also claimed the Swedish throne and had Imperial support. Once this conflict ended, and with only a few minor states like Hesse-Kassel still openly opposing

8710-434: The Polish (along with Kashubian ) population remained with the Roman Catholic Church . The Thirty Years' War severely ravaged and depopulated narrow Pomerania; few years later this same happened to Pomerelia ( the Deluge ). With the extinction of the Griffin house during the same period, the Duchy of Pomerania was divided between the Swedish Empire and Brandenburg-Prussia in 1648 , while Pomerelia remained in with

8840-411: The Polish Crown. Prussia gained the southern parts of Swedish Pomerania in 1720, invaded and annexed Pomerelia from Poland in 1772 and 1793, and gained the remainder of Swedish Pomerania in 1815 , after the Napoleonic Wars . The former Brandenburg-Prussian Pomerania and the former Swedish parts were reorganized into the Prussian Province of Pomerania , while Pomerelia was made part of

8970-523: The Pomeranian Jews to a reservation near Lublin . The Polish population suffered heavily during the Nazi oppression ; more than 40,000 died in executions, death camps, prisons and forced labour , primarily those who were teachers, businessmen, priests, politicians, former army officers, and civil servants. Thousands of Poles and Kashubians suffered expulsion , their homes taken over by the German military and civil servants, as well as some Baltic Germans resettled there between 1940 and 1943 in accordance with

9100-503: The Pomeranian universities. Since the late 19th century, tourism has been an important sector of the economy, primarily in the numerous seaside resorts along the coast. The Polish Świnoujście LNG terminal is located in Pomerania. Sports enjoying either great popularity or success in Pomerania are football , basketball , speedway , handball , volleyball and rugby union . Most popular and accomplished football teams are Arka Gdynia , Lechia Gdańsk and Pogoń Szczecin , based in

9230-517: The Protestant Frederick V of the Palatinate . Although Imperial forces quickly suppressed the Bohemian Revolt , Frederick's participation expanded the fighting into the Palatinate , whose strategic importance drew in the Dutch Republic and Spain, then engaged in the Eighty Years' War. In addition, the acquisition of territories within the empire by rulers like Christian IV of Denmark and Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden gave them and other foreign powers an ongoing motive to intervene. Combined with fears

9360-408: The Protestant religion in general was threatened, what started as an internal dynastic dispute became a European conflict. The period from 1618 to 1635 was primarily a civil war within the Holy Roman Empire, with support from external powers. After 1635 , the empire became one theatre in a wider struggle between France , chiefly supported by Sweden, and Emperor Ferdinand III , whose principal ally

9490-708: The River ), etc. Pomerania was first mentioned in an imperial document of 1046, referring to a Zemuzil dux Bomeranorum ( Zemuzil , Duke of the Pomeranians). Pomerania is mentioned repeatedly in the chronicles of Adam of Bremen (c. 1070) and Gallus Anonymous (ca. 1113). The territorial designation "Pomerania" lacks a universally accepted definition, since it may refer either to combined Hither and Farther Pomerania only (in German contemporary and historical usage ) or to Hither and Farther Pomerania combined with Pomerelia (in Polish contemporary and historical usage). As

9620-1033: The Spanish Netherlands, needed to secure the Spanish Road , an overland route connecting Habsburg possessions in Italy to Flanders . This allowed him to move troops and supplies by road, rather than sea where the Dutch navy was dominant; by 1618, the only part not controlled by Spain ran through the Electoral Palatinate . Since Emperor Matthias had no surviving children, in July 1617 Philip III of Spain agreed to support Ferdinand's election as king of Bohemia and Hungary. In return, Ferdinand made concessions to Spain in Northern Italy and Alsace, and agreed to support their offensive against

9750-659: The Spanish Road, forcing Gallas to divert resources there. Although von Hatzfeldt defeated a combined Swedish-German force at Vlotho in October, lack of supplies forced Gallas to withdraw from the Baltic. In April 1639, Banér defeated the Saxons at Chemnitz , then entered Bohemia in May. To retrieve the situation, Ferdinand diverted Piccolomini 's army from Thionville , ending direct military cooperation between Austria and Spain. Pressure grew on Olivares to make peace, especially after French and Swedish gains in Germany cut

9880-532: The Swedes and Imperials met at Lützen , where both sides suffered heavy casualties; Gustavus himself was killed, while some Swedish units incurred losses of over 60%. Fighting continued until dusk when Wallenstein retreated, abandoning his artillery and wounded. Despite their losses, this allowed the Swedes to claim victory, although the result continues to be disputed. After his death, Gustavus' policies were continued by his Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna , and with French backing, Sweden and their German allies formed

10010-652: The Teutonic Knights sold the town to the Margraviate of Brandenburg in order to raise funds for war with Poland . During the Thirty Years' War the town was destroyed by Swedes, whose King Gustavus Adolphus took quarter in the former nunnery. Town and nunnery were badly destroyed in subsequent battles. In 1641 the Hohenzollern elector Frederick William of Brandenburg had the western wing of

10140-432: The broad-sense Pomerania, understood as comprising also Pomerelia . Their list is presented below and includes the 14 municipalities in Poland electing a city mayor ( Polish : prezydent miasta ) instead of a town mayor ( Polish : burmistrz ), with 9 of them holding the status of a city with powiat rights ( Polish : miasto na prawach powiatu , an independent city ), as well as the 2 municipalities in Germany holding

10270-613: The cultivation of cereals , sugar beets , and potatoes. Industrial food processing is increasingly relevant in the region. Key producing industries are shipyards , mechanical engineering facilities (i.e. renewable energy components), and sugar refineries , along with paper and wood fabricators. Service industries today are an important economical factor in Pomerania, most notably with logistics, information technology, life science , biotechnology , health care, and other high-tech branches often clustering around research facilities of

10400-431: The cultural signatures of the area. The Brazilian city of Pomerode (in the state of Santa Catarina ) was founded by Pomeranian Germans in 1861 and is considered the most typically German of all the German towns of southern Brazil. The German part of Western Pomerania is inhabited by German Pomeranians . In other parts, Poles are the dominant ethnic group since the territorial changes of Poland after World War II , and

10530-476: The dangers associated with Ferdinand's fervent Catholicism, but supported his claim due to the lack of alternatives. On being elected king of Bohemia in May 1617, Ferdinand reconfirmed Protestant religious freedoms , but his record in Styria led to the suspicion he was only awaiting a chance to overturn them. These concerns were heightened after a series of legal disputes over property were all decided in favour of

10660-562: The defection of their German allies, who now sought to make peace with the Emperor. Swedish defeat at Nördlingen triggered direct French intervention and thus expanded the conflict rather than ending it. Richelieu provided the Swedes with new subsidies , hired mercenaries led by Bernard of Saxe-Weimar for an offensive in the Rhineland, and in May 1635 declared war on Spain, starting the 1635 to 1659 Franco-Spanish War . A few days later,

10790-794: The descendants of émigrées, most notably in the Americas (e.g. Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Canada). Slovincian was spoken at the Farther Pomeranian –Pomerelian frontier, but is now extinct. At least 50 museums in Poland cover the history of Pomerania, the most important of them being the District Museum in Toruń , the Museum in Grudziądz, the National Museum in Gdańsk , the National Maritime Museum, Gdańsk ,

10920-531: The east. The regions east of the Piaśnica river are not considered Pomeranian according to German terminology, but either West Prussian or Pomerelian. Danzig German was hence classified as Low Prussian , like the dialects of East Prussia ( Königsberg ). Those parts of Pomerania that remained German after 1945 are almost entirely located in the Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch area. Only

11050-439: The electors were Catholic, and three were Protestant; if this balance changed, it would potentially result in the election of a Protestant emperor. When Ferdinand became king of Bohemia in 1617, he also gained control of its electoral vote; however, his conservative Catholicism made him unpopular with the predominantly Protestant nobility, who were also concerned about the erosion of their rights. These factors combined to bring about

11180-586: The emerging Polish state . According to the Cedynia website, the "Name of city appears in documents under oldest written records already in the year 972 as Cidini , in 1187 as Zedin and Cedene , in 1240 as Ceden . " On 24 June 972, the first historically recorded battle of the Polan dukes, the Battle of Cedynia , took place at this location: the Piast duke Mieszko I of Poland and his brother Czcibor defeated

11310-588: The empire. Attempts to negotiate a peaceful solution failed as the conflict in Germany became part of the wider struggle between France and their Habsburg rivals in Spain and Austria. In the June 1624 Treaty of Compiègne , France had agreed to subsidise the Dutch war against Spain for a minimum of three years, while in the December 1625 Treaty of The Hague , the Dutch and English agreed to finance Danish intervention in

11440-557: The end of 1630, their only new ally was the Administrator of Magdeburg, Christian William whose capital was under siege by Tilly. Despite the devastation inflicted by Imperial soldiers, Saxony and Brandenburg had their own ambitions in Pomerania, which clashed with those of Gustavus; previous experience also showed inviting external powers into the Empire was easier than getting them to leave. Gustavus put pressure on Brandenburg by sacking Küstrin and Frankfurt an der Oder , while

11570-408: The existence of Calvinism and restore Catholicism in areas where it had not been a significant presence for nearly a century. Well aware none of the princes involved would agree, Ferdinand used the device of an Imperial edict , once again asserting his right to alter laws without consultation. This new assault on "German liberties" ensured continuing opposition and undermined his previous success. At

11700-549: The expelled Pomeranians found refuge there, later many moved on to other German regions and abroad. Today German Hither Pomerania forms the eastern part of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , while the Polish part is divided mainly between the West Pomeranian , Pomeranian voivodeships, with their capitals in Szczecin and Gdańsk . During the 1980s, the Solidarity and Die Wende ("the change") movements overthrew

11830-883: The finest collections of medieval art in Poland, and the country's sole copy of the Gutenberg Bible . Medieval open-air museums are the Grodzisko in Sopot and Skansen in Wolin . There are also the Dar Pomorza , ORP Błyskawica and SS Sołdek museum ships . Several museums devoted to World War II history are located in Polish Pomerania, including the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk,

11960-461: The flight and expulsions is disputed, with low-range estimates in the hundreds of thousands (see: Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950) ). The area was resettled primarily with Poles of Polish ethnicity, (some themselves expellees from former eastern Poland ) and some Poles of Ukrainian ethnicity (resettled under Operation Vistula ) and few Polish Jews . Most of Hither or Western Pomerania ( Vorpommern ) remained in Germany, and most of

12090-576: The former Province of Posen–West Prussia (part of historic Greater Poland ). Under the Nazi government , the persecution of Poles in the German-controlled part of Pomerania intensified. In January 1939, Germany resumed expulsions of Poles and many were also forced to flee. The Sturmabteilung , Schutzstaffel , Hitler Youth and Bund Deutscher Osten launched attacks on Polish institutions, schools and activists. From May to August 1939,

12220-672: The growing militarisation of Germany in this period. In 1608, Frederick IV, Elector Palatine formed the Protestant Union , and Maximilian responded by setting up the Catholic League in July 1609. Both were created to support the dynastic ambitions of their leaders, but combined with the 1609 to 1614 War of the Jülich Succession , the result was to increase tensions throughout the empire. Some historians who see

12350-554: The historical region of Hither Pomerania today, while the Szczecin metropolitan area reaches even further. Pomerelia is dominated by the Tricity metropolitan area (Pomeranian Voivodeship) with its population in 2012 estimated at least at 1,035,000 and the area at 1,332,51 km , encompassing the Tricity itself with a population of 748,986 combining the eponymous three cities of Gdańsk (population 460,427), Gdynia (population 248,726) and Sopot (population 38,217), as well as

12480-665: The historically Brandenburgian headwaters of the Uecker river ( Prenzlau ). In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , however, the dominating Low German standard version is the Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, and Central Pomeranian texts are often rewritten. East Pomeranian, Low Prussian , and Standard German were dominating east of the Oder-Neisse line before most of its speakers were expelled after World War II . Kashubian and East Low German are also spoken by

12610-647: The invading forces of the Saxon count Odo I , who then ruled as a margrave in the Saxon Eastern March ( Lusatia ). Information about this battle is found both in the chronicles by Thietmar of Merseburg and in the Gesta principum Polonorum by Gallus Anonymus . After Emperor Otto II intervened, a peace was reached at the Imperial Diet in Quedlinburg the next year. Under Mieszko's son Bolesław

12740-479: The lands they passed through, regardless of whether they belonged to allies or opponents. In early 1628, Ferdinand deposed the hereditary Duke of Mecklenburg , and appointed Wallenstein in his place, an act which united all German princes in opposition, regardless of religion. This unity was undermined by Maximilian of Bavaria's desire to retain the Palatinate; as a result, the Catholic League argued only for

12870-789: The line of the princes of Rügen died out, and the principality was inherited by the Griffins . In 1466, with the Teutonic Order 's defeat in the Thirteen Years' War , Pomerelia became again part of the Polish Crown and formed the Pomeranian Voivodeship within the provinces of Royal Prussia and Greater Poland . While the German population in the Duchy of Pomerania adopted the Protestant reformation in 1534,

13000-814: The main force down the Weser, Mansfeld would attack Wallenstein in Magdeburg , supported by forces led by Christian of Brunswick and Maurice of Hesse-Kassel . The advance quickly fell apart; Mansfeld was defeated at Dessau Bridge in April, and when Maurice refused to support him, Christian of Brunswick fell back on Wolfenbüttel , where he died of disease shortly after. The Danes were comprehensively beaten at Lutter in August, and Mansfeld's army dissolved following his death in November. Many of Christian's German allies, such as Hesse-Kassel and Saxony, had little interest in replacing Imperial domination with Danish, while few of

13130-542: The name Poland was used for the first time. The Battle of Cedynia was the first of Mieszko and Bolesław's numerous battles that they took up in their conquest attempts in the Polabian border territories soon after they received positions as dukes, mainly in the German–Polish War that lasted from 1002 until the 1018 Peace of Bautzen . Following the death of Bolesław III Wrymouth and the fragmentation of Poland, Cedynia

13260-558: The northwest of Pomeranian Voivodeship. Farther Pomerania in turn comprises several other historical subregions, most notably the former Principality of Cammin , the Nowogard County, and the Słupsk and Sławno Land . The Lębork and Bytów Land is considered a part of Pomerelia ( Kashubia ) by the Polish historiography, and of Farther Pomerania by the German historiography. Parts of Pomerania and surrounding regions have constituted

13390-705: The nunnery's ruin rebuilt as a Baroque hunting lodge. In 1701 the town, with all of Brandenburg, became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia . In 1815 Zehden became part of the Königsberg district within the Brandenburgian Frankfurt Region . In 1871, with all of Prussia, the town became part of the German Empire . In the last weeks of World War II , in March 1945, the town was conquered by joint Soviet and Polish forces during

13520-706: The regions between the Zarow river in the west and the Oder river in the east are historically part of the Central Pomeranian dialect region: the southern shores of the Szczecin Lagoon ( Ueckermünde ), the towns along the Uecker and Randow rivers, and those parts of Pomerania that are now in Brandenburg ( Gartz and the northern districts of Schwedt/Oder ). Central Pomeranian is also spoken along

13650-511: The religion practised in their domains, while weakening central authority. Conflict over economic and political objectives frequently superseded religion, with Lutheran Saxony , Denmark–Norway and Sweden competing with each other and Calvinist Brandenburg over the Baltic trade . Managing these issues was hampered by the fragmented nature of the empire. Its representative institutions included 300 Imperial Estates distributed across Germany,

13780-498: The resources needed to achieve this. Spanish involvement inevitably drew in the Dutch, and potentially France , although the strongly Catholic Louis XIII of France faced his own Protestant rebels at home and refused to support them elsewhere. The revolt also provided opportunities for external opponents of the Habsburgs, including the Ottoman Empire and Savoy . Funded by Frederick and Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy ,

13910-559: The resulting Polonization . Kashubians , descendants of the medieval West Slavic Pomeranians , are numerous in rural Pomerelia . German Hither Pomerania had a population of about 470,000 in 2012 (districts of Vorpommern-Rügen and Vorpommern-Greifswald combined) – while the Polish districts of Hither Pomerania had a population of about 580,000 in 2012 ( Szczecin and Świnoujście cities with powiat rights , Police County , as well as Goleniów Wolin and Międzyzdroje gminas combined). So overall, about 1.15 million people live in

14040-465: The ruling of Samborides , was a part of Poland. Pomerania, during its alliance in the Holy Roman Empire , shared borders with West Slavic state Oldenburg, as well as Poland and the expanding Margraviate of Brandenburg . In the early 14th century the Teutonic Knights invaded and annexed Pomerelia from Poland into their monastic state , which already included historical Prussia . As

14170-706: The same time, his Spanish allies were reluctant to antagonise German Protestants as their war in the Spanish Netherlands had now shifted in favour of the Dutch Republic. The financial predicament of the Spanish Crown steadily deteriorated in the 1620s, particularly after the Dutch West India Company captured their treasure fleet at Matanzas in 1628. The War of the Mantuan Succession further diverted Spanish resources from

14300-840: The same time, the strategic importance of the Spanish Road to their war in the Netherlands, and its proximity to the Palatinate, drew in the Spanish. When an army led by Córdoba occupied the Lower Palatinate in October 1619, James I responded to this attack on his son-in-law. English naval forces were sent to threaten Spanish possessions in the Americas and the Mediterranean , while James announced he would declare war if Spanish troops were not withdrawn by spring 1621. These actions were primarily designed to placate his opponents in Parliament , who considered his pro-Spanish policy

14430-623: The sea. The easternmost coastline along the Gdańsk Bay (with the Bay of Puck ) and Vistula Lagoon , has the Hel Peninsula and the Vistula peninsula jutting out into the Baltic. The Pomeranian region has the following administrative divisions: The bulk of Farther Pomerania is included within the modern West Pomeranian Voivodeship, but its easternmost parts (the Słupsk area) now constitute

14560-669: The sense of the current administrative units. Settlement in the area called Pomerania for the last 1,000 years started by the end of the Vistula Glacial Stage , some 13,000 years ago. Archeological traces have been found of various cultures during the Stone and Bronze Age , Baltic peoples , Germanic peoples and Veneti during the Iron Age and, in the Dark Ages , West Slavic tribes and Vikings . Starting in

14690-444: The settlement. However, while differences over religion and Imperial authority were important factors in causing the war, some contemporary commentators suggest its scope and extent were driven by the contest for European dominance between Habsburg -ruled Spain and Austria , and the French House of Bourbon . Its outbreak is generally traced to 1618 , when Emperor Ferdinand II was deposed as king of Bohemia and replaced by

14820-440: The status of a district-belonging city (German: Große kreisangehörige Stadt ), as no city of the German part of Pomerania holds currently any higher status, such as a partially of fully independent city (German: Große selbständige Stadt , Kreisfreie Stadt , or Stadtkreis ), or a city-state (German: Stadtstaat ). Polish is the dominating language in the Polish part of Pomerania. Kashubian dialects are also spoken by

14950-428: The subsidies agreed to by the Treaty of The Hague were ever paid. Charles I of England allowed Christian to recruit up to 9,000 Scottish mercenaries, but they took time to arrive, and while able to slow Wallenstein's advance were insufficient to stop him. By the end of 1627, Wallenstein occupied Mecklenburg , Pomerania , and Jutland , and began making plans to construct a fleet capable of challenging Danish control of

15080-464: The three largest cities. Among the most successful Polish basketball teams are the Arka Gdynia men's and women's teams. Other popular men's clubs are Czarni Słupsk , Spójnia Stargard , Trefl Sopot , Wilki Morskie Szczecin , Polpharma Starogard Gdański . The most successful speedway club is KS Toruń , while other popular teams are Wybrzeże Gdańsk and GKM Grudziądz . Thirty Years%27 War The Thirty Years' War , from 1618 to 1648,

15210-485: The town on the occasion of the millennial anniversary in 1972. A local museum ( Muzeum Regionalne w Cedyni ) is located in central Cedynia. The officially protected traditional foods and beverages of Cedynia and its surroundings are the Cedynia acacia honey ( akacjowy miód cedyński ), and two types of local Polish mead : trójniak cedyński and trójniak Czcibor (as designated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland ). The local football team

15340-425: The two empires between different branches of the family. This bond was reinforced by frequent inter-marriage, while Spain retained Imperial territories such as the Spanish Netherlands , Milan and Franche-Comté . Although these links meant the Austrian and Spanish Habsburgs often worked together, their objectives did not always align. Spain was a global maritime superpower, whose possessions stretched from Europe to

15470-455: The war as primarily a European conflict argue Jülich marks its beginning, with Spain and Austria backing the Catholic candidate, France and the Dutch Republic the Protestant. External powers became involved in what was an internal German dispute due to the imminent expiry of the 1609 Twelve Years' Truce , which suspended the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic. Before restarting hostilities, Ambrosio Spinola , commander in

15600-401: The west and Vistula in the east. It formerly reached perhaps as far south as the Noteć river, but since the 13th century its southern boundary has been placed further north. Most of the region is coastal lowland, being part of the Central European Plain . Its southern, hilly parts belong to the Baltic Ridge, a belt of terminal moraines formed during the Pleistocene . Within this ridge,

15730-422: The west of Pomerania lie several islands, the largest of which are Rügen , the largest island in Germany; Usedom /Uznam, and Wolin , the largest island in Poland. The region has a rich and complicated political and demographic history at the intersection of several cultures. Pomerania is the area along the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea between the rivers Recknitz , Trebel , Tollense and Augraben in

15860-427: Was Spain. Fighting ended with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia , the terms of which included greater autonomy within the empire for states like Bavaria and Saxony , as well as acceptance of Dutch independence by Spain. The conflict shifted the balance of power in favour of France, and set the stage for the expansionist wars of Louis XIV which dominated Europe for the next sixty years. The 1552 Peace of Passau ended

15990-439: Was forced to lift the siege on 4 August, but three weeks later, Christian suffered another defeat at Wolgast . He began negotiations with Wallenstein, who despite his recent victories was concerned by the prospect of Swedish intervention, and thus anxious to make peace. With Austrian resources stretched by the outbreak of the War of the Mantuan Succession , Wallenstein persuaded Ferdinand to agree with relatively lenient terms in

16120-415: Was held by a small English garrison under Sir Horace Vere . The remnants of Mansfeld's army took refuge in the Dutch Republic, as did Frederick, who spent most of his time in The Hague until his death in November 1632. At a meeting of the Imperial Diet in February 1623, Ferdinand forced through provisions transferring Frederick's titles, lands, and electoral vote to Maximilian. He did so with support from

16250-449: Was killed. Ferdinand turned once again to Wallenstein, who realised Gustavus was overextended and established himself at Fürth , from where he could threaten his supply lines. This led to the Battle of the Alte Veste in late August, one of the largest battles of the war. An assault on the Imperial camp outside the town was bloodily repulsed, arguably the greatest blunder committed by Gustavus during his German campaign. Two months later,

16380-412: Was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history . Fought primarily in Central Europe , an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from the effects of battle, famine, or disease, while parts of Germany reported population declines of over 50%. Related conflicts include the Eighty Years' War , the War of the Mantuan Succession , the Franco-Spanish War , the Torstenson War ,

16510-436: Was part of the Duchy of Greater Poland . Together with Santok and Drezdenko , it remained the seat of a (Greater) Polish castellany on the Pomeranian border in the 12th and 13th centuries. With adjacent Lubusz Land in the south, the town became a part of the Neumark acquisitions of the Ascanian margraves John I and of Otto III of Brandenburg in 1248/52. In 1278 the Cistercians from nearby Chorin Abbey erected

16640-401: Was the location of a Germanisation camp for kidnapped Polish children . The Polish resistance movement was active both in the pre-war Polish part and the pre-war German part of Pomerania. After Nazi Germany 's defeat in World War II, the German–Polish border was shifted west to the Oder–Neisse line , and all of Pomerania was in the Soviet Occupation Zone . The German inhabitants of

16770-467: Was to re-open the Spanish Road for their campaign against the Dutch, the focus of the war now shifted from the north to the Rhineland and Bavaria. Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria , new Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, raised an army of 18,000 in Italy, which met up with an Imperial force of 15,000 at Donauwörth on 2 September 1634. Four days later, they won a decisive victory at Nördlingen which destroyed Swedish power in Southern Germany and led to

16900-406: Was transformed into the independent Free City of Danzig . In the interbellum, the border with Poland and the creation of what German propaganda called the " Polish Corridor " were often contested in Germany. Irredentist claims towards Poland were one of the factors contributing to the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany. In 1938 Germany's Province of Pomerania was expanded to include northern parts of

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