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92-687: It lies north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the Oder river. About 80% of the island belongs to the German district of Vorpommern-Greifswald in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern . The eastern part and the largest city on the island, Świnoujście , are part of the Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship . The island's total area is 445 square kilometres (172 square miles) – 373 square kilometres (144 square miles) in

184-635: A Danish vassal. In 1177, the Danes again raided the Oder Lagoon area, also the burgh of Wolgast in 1178. In 1184 and 1185, three campaigns of the Danes resulted in making Bogislaw I, Duke of Pomerania a Danish vassal. These campaigns were mounted by Valdemar's son and successor for the Danish throne, Canute VI of Denmark . In the Duchy of Pomerania the Danish period lasted until Valdemar II of Denmark lost

276-459: A burgh in close proximity had the duke level this burgh when they grew in power. Stettin, where the burgh was inside the town, had the duke level his burgh already in 1249, other towns were to follow. The fortified new towns had succeeded the burghs as strongholds for the country's defense. In many cases, the former burgh settlement would become a Slavic suburb of the German town ("Wiek", "Wieck"). In Stettin, two "Wiek" suburbs were set up anew outside

368-595: A combined annual 1 km . Since no reliable data for an inflow from the Baltic Sea exist, the combined inflow is an estimated 18 km from a catchment area of 129,000 km , residing in the lagoon for an average 55 days before being discharged into the Pomeranian Bay . The nutrients thereby transported into the lagoon have made it hyper(eu)trophic to eutrophic . The straits Peenestrom , Świna and Dziwna are responsible for 17%, 69%, and 14% of

460-765: A congress in Usedom , where they accepted Christianity on 10 June 1128. Otto then was titled apostolus gentis Pomeranorum , made a saint by pope Clement III in 1189, and was worshipped in Pomerania even after the Protestant Reformation . In 1140, one year after Otto of Bamberg's death, a Pomeranian diocese was founded and placed directly under the Holy See . Adalbert of Pomerania , who had participated in Otto's mission as an interpreter and assistant,

552-568: A different law than Slavs. While those were unfree (except for the nobles), did not own the soil they cultivated, and were to serve the nobility, the opposite was true for the Germans. About 1240, the areas of Stavenhagen and Pyritz were subject to German settlement. About 1250, massive settlement took place also in Central Western Pomerania ( County of Gützkow , lands of Meseritz , Ploth , Ziethen and Groswin ), and

644-601: A fief from the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I (Barbarossa) in 1181, and from the Danish king Canute VI in 1185. When he died in 1187, his two sons Casimir II and Bogislaw II were still minors, and Stettin castellan Wartislaw (II) ruled in their place. Danish pressure resulted in Wartislaw's replacement by Rugian prince Jaromar I , a Danish vassal, in 1189. The Principality of Rügen

736-509: A local level since the 16th century imposed discriminatory regulations, such as bans on buying goods from Slavs/Poles or prohibiting them from becoming members of craft guilds. The towns of Pomerania that had joined the Hanseatic League acted independently from the duchy, and sometimes opposed the dukes' interest. The most powerful towns were Stralsund , Greifswald , and Stettin , but also Demmin , Anklam and Kolberg . Before

828-658: A newly formed vassal state of Poland, the Duchy of Pomerania . The Polish ruler initiated Christianization , entrusting this task to Otto of Bamberg , and in 1128 the Slavic Pomeranian Duke Wartislaw I was converted to Christianity through the efforts of Otto. In 1155 the Premonstratensians established a monastery in Grobe, generally known as Usedom Abbey , which in 1309 was moved to

920-683: A tourist destination since the Gründerzeit in the 19th century, and features resort architecture . Seaside resorts include Zinnowitz and the Amber Spas in the west, the Kaiserbad and Świnoujście in the east. The island is separated from the neighbouring island of Wolin to the east by the Strait of Świna , which is the main route connecting Szczecin Bay with the Pomeranian Bay , a part of

1012-563: A town, as well as neighbouring Świnoujście in the east of Usedom. The hinterland is called Achterland , referring to the Achterwasser lagoon ( Rear Waters ). It is characterized by unspoilt forests, lagoon landscapes, and hills, as well as calm villages such as Loddin and Balmer See with its golf course . Main economic activities include tourism , health and life sciences , retail , agriculture , fishing, animal husbandry, food processing, and timber production. Settled since

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1104-575: A water route with a depth of 10 metres connecting the lagoon with the Baltic Sea by bypassing the eastern part of the Swine, allowing large ships to enter the lagoon and the seaport of Stettin quicker and safer. The canal, approximately 12 km long and 10 metres deep, was dug by the German Empire between 1874 and 1880, during the reign of the first Kaiser Wilhelm (1797–1888) after whom it

1196-671: Is a lagoon in the Oder estuary, shared by Germany and Poland . It is separated from the Pomeranian Bay of the Baltic Sea by the islands of Usedom and Wolin . The lagoon is subdivided into the Kleines Haff ( Polish : Mały Zalew , "small lagoon") in the West and the Wielki Zalew ( German : Großes Haff , "great lagoon") in the East. An ambiguous historical German name was Frisches Haff , which later exclusively referred to

1288-422: Is an average 3.8 metres, and 8.5 metres at maximum. The depth of shipping channels however can exceed 10.5 metres. Thus, the lagoon holds about 2.58 km of water. The annual average water temperature is 11 °C. 94% of the water loads discharged into the lagoon are from the Oder river and its confluences, amounting to an average annual 17 km or 540 m per second. All other confluences contribute

1380-661: The Angerdorf type, where a main street fork encloses a large meadow ("Anger") in the village's center where the life stock was kept at night, sometimes the church or other buildings not used for living were built on the Anger also. This type is the most prominent type in the Peene , lower Oder , Pyritz , Lake Madü and Rega areas, many villages of this type are also found in the Kolberg and Schlawe area. In addition to these types,

1472-641: The Battle of Bornhöved on 22 July 1227. Danish supremacy prevailed until 1325 in the Rugian principality. At that time, the duchy was also referred to as Slavinia ( German : Slawien ), a term also applied to several Wendish areas such as Mecklenburg and the Principality of Rügen. Starting in the 12th century, Pomerania was settled with Germans in a process termed Ostsiedlung , that affected all medieval East Central and Eastern Europe . Except for

1564-540: The Duchy of Saxony from 1164 to 1181, of the Holy Roman Empire from 1181 to 1185, of Denmark from 1185 to 1227 and finally, from 1227 on, staying with the Holy Roman Empire (including periods of vassalage to the Margraves of Brandenburg ). Most of the time, the duchy was ruled by several Griffin dukes in common, resulting in various internal partitions . After the last Griffin duke had died during

1656-609: The German-Polish border . Many of them are decorated in nautical themes, and seafood is a major drawcard. St. Peter's Church in Benz is featured in the works of several artists, including the German-American painter Lyonel Feininger who spent summer vacations on the island from 1909 to 1918. In addition to the coastline, the hinterland features nature reserves, castles, lakes and historic villages. Points of interest in

1748-441: The Gründerzeit in the 19th century, have been frequented by the German and international nobility as well as the general public. According to The Guardian , the island, as of 2022, "... is known by some as the 'bathtub of Berlin' and by others, slightly more poetically, as 'sun island'," but "... remains largely undiscovered by international visitors." Hotels and bed and breakfast establishments are available on both sides of

1840-530: The Hagenhufendorf type, houses were built on both sides of a main road, each within their own hide ( German : Hagen ). Those villages were usually set up after the clearance of woodlands, most of them were given German names in absence of any Slavic site names. This type of village can be found all along the coast, most of them in the areas between Barth and Wolgast , Kolberg and Köslin , and north and west of Schlawe . Other villages were built in

1932-734: The Haufendorf type used in Slavic times and its Sackdorf variant can still be found in between, predominantly on the islands. The villages' area was divided in hides . The size of a hide differed between the village types: A Hagenhufe , used in the Hagenhufendorf villages, comprised 60 Morgen ( Latin : iugera ), about 40 hectares . A Landhufe , used in the Angerdorf villages, comprised 30 Morgen. One farm would usually have an area of one Hagenhufe or two Landhufen. Slavic farmland

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2024-516: The Kolberg (now Kołobrzeg), Köslin (also Cöslin, now Koszalin) and Bublitz (now Bobolice) areas. When in 1276 they became the sovereign of the town of Kolberg also, they moved their residence there, while the administration of the diocese was done from nearby Köslin. The bishops at multiple occasions tried to exclude their secular reign from ducal overlordship by applying for Imperial immediacy ( Reichsunmittelbarkeit ). The Pomeranian dukes successfully forestalled these ambitions, and immediacy

2116-639: The Lauenburg and Bütow Land in 1455. During the High Middle Ages , it also comprised the northern Neumark and Uckermark areas as well as Circipania and Mecklenburg-Strelitz . The Duchy of Pomerania was established as a vassal state of Poland in 1121, which it remained until the fragmentation of Poland after the death of Polish ruler Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1138. Afterwards the Dukes of Pomerania were independent, and later were vassals of

2208-462: The Margraviate of Brandenburg and triggered several military conflicts. Between 1185 and 1227, Pomerania along with most of the southern Baltic coast remained under sovereignty of Denmark. However, Brandenburg again tried to gain sovereignty over Pomerania, and in 1214 for a short time conquered Stettin . After Denmark lost the Battle of Bornhöved in 1227, Denmark lost all her territories on

2300-487: The Peenestrom (the lands of Wusterhusen and Lassan ) local Slavs participated in the German settlement, which started in the 1260s. Settlement of the areas centered on the upper Rega river, previously unsettled, started in the 1250s, and reached a peak in the 1280s. The lower Rega area around Greifenberg and Treptow an der Rega was settled about the same period, but here a native Slavic population participated. In

2392-525: The Persante area, first German settlements occurred about 1260, but a more extensive settlement did not start before 1280. On the islands of Usedom and Wollin , only isolated settlements took place in the 13th century, e.g. in the Garz (Usedom) and Caseburg (Karsibór) area, where Germans settled already in the 1240s, and in proximity of the German town of Wolin . The local Grobe Abbey did, in contrast to

2484-553: The Persante river ( Kolberg area), the lower Peene river, and between Schlawe and the Leba valley. Largely unsettled were the hilly regions and the woods in the South. The 12th century warfare, especially the Danish raids, depopulated many areas of Pomerania and caused severe population drops in others (e.g. Usedom). At the turn to the 13th century, only isolated German settlements existed, e.g. Hohenkrug and other German villages, and

2576-532: The Potsdam Conference , and the surviving German inhabitants of the town were expelled to the west. The territory was repopulated with Poles, most of whom had been expelled by the Soviets from what had been eastern Poland . Usedom is one of Germany's major holiday and recreation areas due to its beaches, its natural environment, and seaside towns such as Ahlbeck, Heringsdorf and Bansin, which, since

2668-632: The Stargard area (where settlement was encouraged already since 1229). In the 1260s, settlement started in the Cammin area, and in the virtually unpopulated lands of Naugard , Massow and Daber . The Ueckermünde and the Oder mouth areas were also settled at about 1260, but the Ueckermünde heath and the woodlands on both sides of the Oder Lagoon remained untouched. In the areas adjacent to

2760-641: The Stone Age , the area was probably inhabited by Germanic Rugians , before the Polabian Slavs moved in during the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries. Around the island, Wendish / Scandinavian trade centres such as Vineta / Jomsborg and Menzlin were established. In the 1110s, the town of Uznam was destroyed by the Danes . In the 1120s, the island along with Western Pomerania came under Polish suzerainty under Bolesław III Wrymouth , and became part of

2852-466: The Straßendorf type, characterized by a single and very long main street, was introduced in a later stage of Ostsiedlung, and therefore is found predominantly in areas that were affected last by the German settlement (easternmost parts, Cammin area). Villages of this type were either new foundations, or extensions of Slavic precursors. In other areas, Hagenhufendorf and Angerdorf types dominate, while

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2944-536: The Swedish Army under King Gustavus Adolphus landed in the village of Peenemünde , located on the Peenestrom strait. In 1637 the last duke of Pomerania Bogislaw XIV died, the House of Griffin became extinct and the duchy ceased to exist. Usedom was annexed by Sweden after the war for almost a century, until in 1720 it was sold for 2 million thalers to Prussian King Frederick William I . In 1740 Frederick

3036-794: The Thirty Years' War in 1637, the duchy was partitioned between Brandenburg-Prussia and Sweden . The Kings of Sweden and the Margraves of Brandenburg, later Kings of Prussia, became members as Dukes of Pomerania in the List of Reichstag participants . In the 12th century, Poland, the Holy Roman Empire's Duchy of Saxony and Denmark variously conquered Pomerania, ending the tribal era . The Stolp ( Słupsk ) and Schlawe ( Sławno ) areas ( lands of (Länder) Schlawe-Stolp ) were ruled by Ratibor I and his descendants ( Ratiboriden branch of

3128-668: The Treaty of Stralsund in 1370, and during the reign of Eric of Pomerania , the Hanseatic towns were in a state of war with Denmark for hegemony in the Baltic Sea. Parts of the Pomeranian nobility were engaged in piracy against Hanseatic vessels. Barnim VI of Pomerania-Wolgast did not only engage in piracy himself, he is also known for providing refuge and hideouts for the Likedeeler pirate organisation. The relation between

3220-550: The Vistula Lagoon . From the South, the lagoon is fed by several arms of the Oder river and smaller rivers like Ziese , Peene , Zarow , Uecker , and Ina . In the North, the lagoon is connected to the Baltic Sea 's Bay of Pomerania with the three straits Peenestrom , Świna and Dziwna , which divide the mainland and the islands of Usedom and Wolin . The lagoon covers an area of 687 km , its natural depth

3312-420: The bishop of Cammin , before 1268). In the 1270s followed Cammin (1274), Massow (by the bishop of Cammin, 1274), Pasewalk (recorded in 1274, founded probably in the 1250s), Plathe (1277), Lassan (between 1264 and 1278), Rügenwalde (by Wizlaw II of Rügen), Regenwalde (1279–80), Labes (about 1280), and Treptow an der Rega (between 1277 and 1281). Neuwarp , Richtenberg , Belgard , and Werben (by

3404-426: The 10th century. The German-Polish border also divides the bight called Neuwarper See near Rieth  [ de ] , Luckow . The lagoon has served as an important fishing grounds for centuries, as a major transportation pathway since the 18th century, and as a tourist destination since the 20th century. Heringsdorf Airport on Usedom island is located on the shores of the lagoon. The southern shore of

3496-546: The 1160s) culminated in the defeat of the Principality of Rugia in 1168. The Rugian princes became vassals of Valdemar I of Denmark . In the fall of 1170, the Danes raided the Oder estuary. In 1171, the Danes raided Circipania and took Cotimar's burgh in Behren-Lübchin . In 1173, the Danes turned to the Oder Lagoon again, taking the burgh of Stettin . Wartislaw II Swantiboriz , castellan of Stettin, became

3588-528: The 1240s were Demmin , Greifswald (by Eldena Abbey ), Altentreptow . In the 1250s followed Anklam , Altdamm , Pyritz , probably already Stargard and Grimmen , Greifenhagen , Barth (Principality of Rügen, before 1255), and Damgarten (Principality of Rügen, 1258). In the 1260s followed Wollin (1260), Ueckermünde , Wolgast , probably already Gützkow , Pölitz (1260), Greifenberg (1262), Gollnow , probably already Usedom , Penkun , Tribsees (Principality of Rügen, before 1267) and Naugard (by

3680-561: The 1250 Treaty of Landin between Pomeranian dukes and margraves of Brandenburg, Barnim I managed to reassert the rule of his Griffin house over Pomerania, but lost the Uckermark to Brandenburg. Brandenburg since 1250 expanded eastward. In 1250–52, the margraves gained half of Lebus Land , including the terra Küstrin between Warthe and Mietzel (Myśla), and the terra Chinz north of the Mietzel river, both previously held by Barnim. In

3772-581: The 1260s, and was promoted by the Belbuck Abbey . A large influx of settlers to the western parts of Schlawe-Stolp took place after 1270, first settlers were called to the Stolp area in the 1280s. Here, local Slavs participated in the Ostsiedlung, and settlement went on throughout the 14th century. Initially, the Germans who settled the northern regions predominantly came from Lower Saxony , while

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3864-704: The 1270s precursor had not done well), Rugendal (Principality of Rügen, before 1313, decayed), Schlawe (by the Swenzones , 1317), Garz (by the princes of Rügen, 1320s), Jacobshagen (by three brothers von Stegelitz , 1336), Freienwalde (by von Wedel , before 1338), Zanow (by the Swenzones, 1343), Lauenburg (by the Teutonic Knights , 1341), Bütow (by the Teutonic Knights, 1346), and Fiddichow (by Barnim III, 1347). Many towns with

3956-510: The Baltic Sea. The strait between the island and the mainland is called the Peenestrom ; it is a downstream extension of the valley of the Peene river, which flows into the westernmost part of the Szczecin Lagoon . The island is mostly flat, and partly covered by marshes. Geographical features include a number of lakes: The largest town on the island is Świnoujście , which has a total population of 41,500. The western part of Świnoujście covers

4048-700: The Bear a dedicated enemy of Slavs, by Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor . Thus, the western territories contributed to making Wartislaw significantly independent from the Polish dukes. Wartislaw was not the only one campaigning in these areas. The Polish Duke Boleslaw III, during his Pomeranian campaign launched an expedition into the Müritz area in 1120–21, before he turned back to subdue Wartislaw. The later Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III (then Saxon duke Lothair I of Supplinburg) in 1114 initiated massive campaigns against

4140-429: The German part and 72 square kilometres (28 square miles) in the Polish part. Its population is 76,500 (German part 31,500; Polish part 45,000). With an annual average of 1,906 hours of sunshine, Usedom is the sunniest region of both Germany and Poland, and it is also one of the sunniest islands in the Baltic Sea, hence its nickname "Sun Island" ( German : Sonneninsel , Polish : Wyspa Słońca ). The island has been

4232-543: The German part of the island include: In the Polish part of the island, points of interest include: The Polish Naval Base Świnoujście is located on the island. [REDACTED] Usedom travel guide from Wikivoyage 53°56′N 14°05′E  /  53.933°N 14.083°E  / 53.933; 14.083 Szczecin Lagoon Szczecin Lagoon ( Polish : Zalew Szczeciński , German : Stettiner Haff ), also known as Oder Lagoon ( German : Oderhaff ), and Pomeranian Lagoon ( German : Pommersches Haff ),

4324-415: The Germans who settled the southern areas ( mittelpommerscher Keil ) predominantly came from Altmark and Westphalia . This caused the emergence of East Pomeranian , Central Pomeranian and Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialects. German settlers also came from areas earlier affected from Ostsiedlung, such as Mecklenburg , Brandenburg , and later also German settled regions of Pomerania herself. Though

4416-414: The Great of Prussia developed a seaport in Świnoujście (then Swinemünde ). With the Kingdom of Prussia the island became part of the German Empire in 1871. The small village of Peenemünde came to prominence again during World War II . The Luftwaffe tested missiles and rockets , including the V-1 and V-2 nearby. Germany used thousands of slave laborers on Usedom during World War II. During

4508-527: The Griffin House of Pomerania ) until the Danish occupation and extinction of the Ratiboride branch in 1227. The areas stretching from Kolberg ( Kołobrzeg ) to Stettin (Szczecin) were ruled by Ratibor's brother Wartislaw I and his descendants ( House of Pomerania , also called Griffins, of which he was the first ascertained ancestor) until the 1630s. The terms of surrender after the Polish conquest were that Wartislaw had to accept Polish sovereignty, convert his people to Christianity, and pay an annual tribute to

4600-428: The Polish duke. In several expeditions mounted between 1102 and 1121, most of Pomerania had been conquered by the Polish duke Bolesław III Wrymouth . From 1102 to 1109, Boleslaw campaigned in the Noteć and Parsęta area. The Pomeranian residence in Białogard was taken already in 1102. From 1112 to 1116, Boleslaw subdued all of Pomerelia . From 1119 to 1122, the area towards the Oder were subdued. Szczecin

4692-403: The Pomeranian duchy, and to strengthen the Christian faith of the inhabitants of Stettin and Wollin, who fell back into heathen practices and idolatry . Otto this time visited primarily Western Pomeranian burghs, had the temples of Gützkow and Wolgast torn down and on their sites erected the predecessors of today's St Nikolai and St Petri churches, respectively. The nobility assembled to

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4784-822: The Pomeranian dukes or ecclesial bodies like monasteries and orders. Most prominent on this issue was Barnim I of Pomerania-Stettin , who since was entitled "the towns' founder". The towns build on his behalf were granted Magdeburg Law and settled predominantly by people from the western Margraviate of Brandenburg , while the towns founded in the North (most on behalf of the Rugian princes and Wartislaw III of Pomerania-Demmin were granted Lübeck Law and were settled predominantly by people from Lower Saxony . The first towns were Stralsund (Principality of Rügen, 1234), Prenzlau ( Uckermark , then Pomerania-Stettin, 1234), Bahn ( Knights Templar , about 1234), and Stettin (1237–43), Gartz (Oder) (Pomerania-Stettin, 1240), and Loitz (by Detlev of Gadebusch , 1242). Other towns built in

4876-406: The Pomeranian dukes thereafter. In 1181 the dukes took their duchy as a fief from the Holy Roman Emperor Barbarossa . Bogislaw I, Duke of Pomerania had travelled to Barbarossa's camp in Lübeck , where he received the Imperial flag and the title "Duke of Slavinia". From the North, Denmark attacked Pomerania. Several campaigns throughout the 12th century (in 1136, 1150, 1159 and throughout

4968-411: The Pomeranians were assured that Otto's aim was not the gain of wealth at the expense of the Pomeranian people, as he was wealthy already, but only to convert them to Christianity, which would protect the Pomeranians from further punishment by God, as which the devastating Polish conquest was depicted. This approach turned out to be successful, and was backed by parts of the Pomeranian nobility that in part

5060-400: The Pomerelian Kashubians and the Slovincians , the Wends were assimilated. Most towns and villages date back to this period. Before the Ostsiedlung, Pomerania was rather sparsely settled. Around 1200, a relatively dense population could be found on the islands of Rügen , Usedom and Wollin , around the burghs of Stettin , Köslin , Pyritz ( Pyritzer Weizacker ) and Stargard , around

5152-400: The area, but likely did not succeed with establishing control. Following Poland's fragmentation, it formed part of the Duchy of Pomerania . In the 17th century, it passed to Sweden . Later on, it gradually passed to the Kingdom of Prussia in the 18th and 19th century, and from 1871 was part of unified Germany . In 1880, the Kaiserfahrt ("Emperor's passage") channel on Usedom was opened,

5244-403: The areas near the Oder Lagoon and Peene river. Most notably Demmin , the Principality of Gützkow and Wolgast were conquered in the following years. The major stage of the westward expansion into Lutici territory occurred between Otto of Bamberg's two missions, 1124 and 1128. In 1128, Demmin, the County of Gützkow and Wolgast were already incorporated into Wartislaw I's realm, yet warfare

5336-457: The bishop of Cammin) are first recorded in 1295, 1297, 1299, and 1300, respectively, all were most certainly founded earlier. In the area directly administered by the bishops of Cammin, the towns of Kolberg (1255), Köslin (1266), Körlin (early 14th century), and Bublitz (1340) were set up. The early 14th century saw the foundation of Stolp (by Waldemar of Brandenburg , 1310), Neustettin (by Wartislaw IV, 1310), Rügenwalde (again 1312,

5428-408: The case of Kolberg . Exceptions are Wollin and probably Cammin , which were built on the spot of former, yet decayed settlements, and Stettin , where two German settlements were set up close to the Slavic burgh and settlement, all of which were included in the later town. In many cases, the name of the neighboring Slavic settlement would be used for the new town. The towns were built on behalf of

5520-451: The coastal settlements declined during the 12th century warfare. Yet these settlements were not continued by the German towns, which were founded on previously unsettled soil. Although some towns had a Slavic settlement, sometimes attached to a burgh , as precursor, the name of which would be adopted for the German town, the new town was usually founded on empty space in the settlements neighborhood. The distance could be some kilometers as in

5612-431: The conversion of the non-nobles to Christianity. In addition, the Danes withdrew from most of Pomerania in 1227, leaving the duchy vulnerable to their expansive neighbors, especially Mecklenburg , Brandenburg , and Henry I of Silesia . Germans, at this early stage (before 1240), were often settled in frontier regions, such as the mainland part of the Principality of Rugia (after prince Jaromar I granted Eldena Abbey

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5704-399: The discharge, respectively. The average salinity is between 0.5 and 2 grams of salt per kilogram of water (approximately equivalent to 0.5 and 2 parts per thousand [ppt]). Occasionally northerly winds reverse the direction of the Świna, admitting sea water from the Baltic Sea into the lagoon, raising the local salinity to 6 ppt. In the 10th century, the emerging Polish state strove for

5796-431: The duchy from their residences Demmin (Casimir) and Stettin (Bogislaw). Except for the terra Kolberg , which was ruled as a co-dominion, they partitioned the duchy with Pomerania-Demmin comprising the upper Peene , Tollense , Dievenow and Rega areas, and Pomerania-Stettin comprising the Oder , Ihna and lower Peene areas. When Casimir I died in 1180, Bogislaw became the sole duke. Bogislaw I took his duchy as

5888-450: The entire Polish part of the island. Another town, Usedom , gives its name to the island. The largest municipalities in the German part are Heringsdorf (from 2005 to 2006 called Dreikaiserbäder , literally "The Three Imperial Spas") and Zinnowitz . There are many seaside resorts on the Baltic Sea coast, including Zinnowitz and Koserow in the west – and the three Imperial Spas Ahlbeck , Heringsdorf , and Bansin forming

5980-402: The exact proportion of German versus Slavic populations cannot be determined, it is undisputed that the Germans significantly outnumbered the Slavs. Before the end of the 13th century, the Western Pomeranian mainland and most of Farther Pomerania west of the Gollenberg had turned almost completely German, mentions of Slavs in documents became exceptional. The Slavic dialects disappeared, with

6072-530: The exception that fishermen from the isles and the Oder lagoon area continued to use Wendish for a relatively long period. Villages before the Ostsiedlung were of the Haufendorf type, the houses were built in close proximity to each other without a special ruling. A variant of this type also found in Pomerania is the Sackgassendorf (or Sackdorf ) type, where a dead end road leads to those houses. This type evolved as an extension of Haufendorf type villages. German settlement introduced new types of villages: In

6164-500: The farmers ( German : Vollbauern ). These people were termed "gardeners" ( German : Gärtner ) or Kossäten (literally "who sits in a hut"), and could either be local Slavs or the younger sons of German farmers who did not inherit their father's soil. Nearly all towns in modern Pomerania date back to the Ostsiedlung. In Slavic times, there have been town-like settlements already in Demmin , Wolgast , Usedom , Wollin , Stettin , Kolberg , Pyritz and Stargard , although many of

6256-586: The lagoon belongs to the Am Stettiner Haff Nature Park , its northern shore and the island of Usedom to the Usedom Island Nature Park . To the west is the Anklamer Stadtbruch Nature Reserve and, within it, the Anklamer Torfmoor , a protected wetland which is renaturalising after being used for peat extraction. 53°48′16″N 14°08′25″E  /  53.80444°N 14.14028°E  / 53.80444; 14.14028 Duchy of Pomerania The Duchy of Pomerania ( German : Herzogtum Pommern ; Polish : Księstwo pomorskie ; Latin : Ducatus Pomeraniae )

6348-418: The local Lutici tribes resulting in their final defeat in 1228. Also, the territories were invaded by Danish forces multiple times, who, coming from the Baltic Sea , used the rivers Peene and Uecker to advance to a line Demmin – Pasewalk . At different times, Pomeranians, Saxons and Danes were either allies or opponents. The Pomeranian dukes consolidated their power in the course of the 12th century, yet

6440-402: The merchant's settlement near the Stettin burgh. In contrast, the monasteries were almost exclusively run by Germans and Danes. Massive German settlement started in the first half of the 13th century. Ostsiedlung was a common process at this time in all Central Europe and was largely run by the nobles and monasteries to increase their income. Also, the settlers were expected to finish and secure

6532-460: The other Pomeranian monasteries, not enhance German settlement. Therefore, Slavic culture on the isles persisted and vanished only in the late 14th century. The island of Rügen , in contrast to the meanwhile German mainland parts of the principality, also remained a Slavic character throughout the 13th century – German settlement would only start in the 14th century, with strong participation of local Slavs. In Schlawe-Stolp, German settlement started in

6624-511: The pope accepted the move of the see, the bishopric was referred to as Roman Catholic Diocese of Kammin , while before it was addressed as Pomeranian diocese. In 1248, the Kammin bishops and the Pomeranian dukes had interchanged the terrae Stargard and Kolberg, leaving the bishops in charge of the latter. In the following, the bishops extended their secular reign, which soon comprised

6716-503: The preceding warfare had left these territories completely devastated. A first attempt to convert the Pomeranians was made following the subjugation of Pomerania by Boleslaw III of Poland . In 1122, Spanish monk Bernard (also Bernhard) travelled to Jumne ( Wolin ), accompanied only by his chaplain and an interpreter. The Pomeranians however were not impressed by his missionary efforts and finally threw him out of town. Bernard

6808-463: The remainder came under Barnim's rule after Wartislaw died in 1264. During the reign of Otto I, Margrave of Brandenburg and son of Albert I of Brandenburg (1100–1170), Brandenburg claimed sovereignty over Pomerania. Yet, in 1181, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I invested Duke Bogislaw I of the Griffin House of Pomerania with the Duchy of Slavia (Pomerania). This was not accepted by

6900-561: The right to call in settlers in 1209), Circipania , the lands of Loitz (administered semi-independently by Detlev of Gadebush), the Uckermark , the lands of Kolbatz Abbey and Bahn (which later was granted to the Knights Templar), and the area north of the Warthe and along the lower Oder river. However, in many of these frontiers, German settlement did not hinder the advance of Pomerania's neighbors. Germans were placed under

6992-558: The southern Baltic shore, including Pomerania. At this time, the Duchy of Pomerania was co-ruled by duke Wartislaw III of Demmin and duke Barnim I of Stettin. After the Danes retreated, Brandenburg took her chance and invaded Pomerania-Demmin. In 1231, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II gave the duchy, which then was again a part of the empire, as a fief to the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg. Denmark also attempted to restore her rule and took Wolgast and Demmin in 1235, but

7084-595: The still undefeated Principality of Rügen as a fief. Wartislaw I also accepted the Emperor as his overlord. With Bolesław's death in 1138 and the fragmentation of Poland, Polish overlordship ended, triggering competition of the Holy Roman Empire and Denmark for the area. In the meantime, Wartislaw managed to conquer vast territories west of the Oder river, an area inhabited by Lutici tribes weakened by past warfare, and included these territories into his Duchy of Pomerania . Already in 1120, he had expanded west into

7176-780: The towns and the nobility throughout the Middle Ages ranged from alliances and support ( German : Landfrieden ) to cabalism, banditry and outright warfare. In 1155, the duchy was partitioned in Pomerania-Demmin and Pomerania-Stettin. With short interruptions, this division lasted until 1264. Wartislaw I was murdered between 1134 and 1148 in Stolpe . His brother, Ratibor I of Schlawe-Stolp , founded Stolpe Abbey near this site and ruled Wartislaw's realm in place of his minor nephews, Bogislaw I and Casimir I . Ratibor died in 1155, and Wartislaw's sons agreed to co-rule

7268-587: The village of Pudagla . In the meantime, a Cistercian nunnery was founded in Krummin and soon almost the whole island was in the possession of one or the other of the ecclesiastical orders. In the 1170s, the island was ravaged by King Valdemar I of Denmark . During the Reformation , ownership passed to the Slavic dukes of Pomerania , who took over the island. During the Thirty Years' War , on June 26, 1630,

7360-404: The walls, to which most Slavs from within the walls were resettled. Such Wiek settlements did initially not belong to the town, but to the duke, although they were likely to come into possession of the town in the course of the 14th century. Also in the 14th century, Slavic Wiek suburbs lost their Slavic character. Indigenous Slavs and Poles faced discrimination from the arriving Germans, who on

7452-574: The war, a subcamp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was located in the town of Usedom. In the final stages of the war, in 1945, German-perpetrated death marches of Allied prisoners-of-war from the Stalag XX-B and Stalag Luft IV POW camps passed through the island. In 1945 the eastern part of the island, together with the city and port of Swinemünde (now Świnoujście ), was assigned to Poland under border changes promulgated at

7544-461: Was Christian raised already, like duke Wartislaw I , who encouraged and promoted Otto's mission. Many Pomeranians were baptized already in Pyritz and also in the other burghs visited. Otto of Bamberg returned in 1128, this time invited by duke Wartislaw I himself, aided by the emperor Holy Roman Emperor Lothar II , to convert the ( Lutician ) Slavs of Western Pomerania just incorporated into

7636-521: Was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea , ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ( Griffins ). The country existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–1160, 1264–1295, 1478–1531, and 1625–1637. The duchy originated from the realm of Wartislaw I , a Slavic Pomeranian duke, and was extended by the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp in 1317, the Principality of Rügen in 1325, and

7728-489: Was driven out the same year. Wartislaw had to accept Brandenburg's overlordship in the 1236 Treaty of Kremmen , furthermore he had to hand over most of his duchy to Brandenburg immediately, that was the Burg Stargard Land and adjacent areas (all soon to become a part of Mecklenburg , forming the bulk of the later Mecklenburg-Strelitz area). Circipania was already lost to Mecklenburg in the years before. In

7820-607: Was extended southward on the expense of Pomerania-Demmin. When Casimir II and Bogislaw II died in 1219 and 1220, respectively, their respective sons Wartislaw III (Pomerania-Demmin) and Barnim I (Pomerania-Stettin) were still minors. Wartislaw's mother Ingardis of Denmark thus ruled until Wartislaw was able to rule Pomerania-Demmin on his own in 1225, and Barnim, in theory duke since 1220, practically started his reign in Pomerania-Stettin only in 1233. Pomerania-Demmin lost her southern and western areas to Brandenburg, and

7912-474: Was granted only temporarily in 1345. In the West, bishops and dukes of the Holy Roman Empire mounted expeditions to Pomerania. Most notable for the further fate of Pomerania are the 1147 Wendish Crusade and the 1164 Battle of Verchen , the Pomeranian dukes became vassals of Henry the Lion , of Saxony . Despite this vassalage, Henry again sieged Demmin in 1177 when he allied with the Danes, but reconciled with

8004-666: Was later made the first bishop of Lubusz in Poland. After Bernard's misfortune, Boleslaw III asked Otto of Bamberg to convert Pomerania to Christianity , which he accomplished in his first visit in 1124–25. Otto's strategy severely differed from the one Bernard used: While Bernard travelled alone and as a poor and unknown priest, Otto, a wealthy and famous man, was accompanied by 20 clergy of his own diocese, numerous servants, 60 warriors supplied to him by Boleslaw, and carried with him numerous supplies and gifts. After arriving in Pyritz ,

8096-450: Was made the first bishop. The direct subordination under the pope thwarted the claims of the archbishops of Magdeburg and Gniezno , who both had asserted pressure on Otto of Bamberg to incorporate the new diocese into their realms. The initial see of the Pomeranian diocese was Wollin , and was moved to Grobe Abbey on the island of Usedom and to Kammin (Cammin, now Kamien Pomorski) after 1150 and 1175, respectively. Since 1188, when

8188-555: Was measured in Haken ( Latin : uncus ), with one Haken equals 15 Morgen (half a Landhufe). Haken were used only in villages remaining under old Slavic law (predominantly on the islands), whereas Hufen were used for new villages placed under German law (in Pomerania sometimes referred to as Schwerin Law ). Not all families of German villages owned a Hufe. Those dwelling on considerably smaller property ("gardens") were usually hired as workers by

8280-527: Was named. Also, the work resulted in a new island named Kaseburg ( Karsibór ) being cut off from Usedom. After the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II in 1945, the eastern part of the lagoon became part of Poland, while the western part became part of East Germany . The Kaiserfahrt was renamed Piast Canal , after the Polish Piast dynasty , which first included the region to Poland in

8372-611: Was still going on. Captured Lutici and other war loot, including livestock, money, and clothes were apportioned among the victorious. After Wartislaw's Lutician conquests, his duchy lay between the Bay of Greifswald to the north, Circipania , including Güstrow (Ostrów), to the west, Kolobrzeg in the east, and possibly as far as the Havel and Spree rivers in the south. These gains were not subject to Polish over lordship, but were placed under over lordship of Nordmark margrave Albrecht

8464-404: Was taken in the winter of 1121–1122. The conquest resulted in a high death toll and devastation of vast areas of Pomerania, and the Pomeranian dukes were forced to become vassals of Boleslaw III, King of Poland. Poland's influence vanished in the next decade. In 1135, Bolesław had accepted overlordship of Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III and in turn received his Pomeranian gains as well as

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