Pomerania (Polish: Pomorze, German: Pommern and Pommerellen, Pomeranian (Kashubian): Pòmòrze and Pòmòrskô, Latin: Pomerania, Pomorania) is a geographical and historical region in northern Poland and Germany on the south coasts of the Baltic Sea between and on both sides of the Vistula and Oder (Odra) rivers, reaching the Reknitz river in the west.

Polish Pomerania is currently divided into 3 voivodships: the West Pomeranian Voivodship (Zachodniopomorskie, ZP), Pomeranian Voivodship (Pomorskie, PM) and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship (Kujawsko-Pomorskie, KP). German Pomerania (Vorpommern) is part of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania).

The history of the region is rich and varied, perhaps due to it having been under the rule of many different powers through the centuries. It was ruled by the Dukes of Pomerania and later it belonged to Poland, Denmark, Saxony, Brandenburg, Prussia, Sweden and Germany. History of Pomerania is very often written from a Polish or German point of view and very rarely from a Pomeranian point of view.

Origin and meaning of the name

The name comes from Polish or other Slavic language and means 'country by/next to/along the sea'

The name of Pomerania was probably first mentioned as Latin words 'longum mare' (=along the sea) in the Dagome Iudex document (ca. 992), issued by the Polish duke Mieszko I, describing the boundaries of his Gniezno state. Next in 1046 there is a mention of Zemuzil dux Bomeranorum (Siemomysl, Duke of Pomeranians). Pomerania is mentioned many times in the chronicles by Adam of Bremem (ca. 1070) and Gallus Anonymous (ca. 1113).

Demographics

The biggest cities are (with population figures for 1999):

• in Polish Pomerania

• Tricity metropolitan area (population(2001): 1035,000 area 1,332,51 km² ) including

• Gdansk (458,988) (1905 - 159,685)
• Gdynia (253,521)
• Sopot (46.000)

• Szczecin (416,988) (1905 - 224,078)
• Bydgoszcz (386,855)
• Torun (206,158)
• Wloclawek (123,373)
• Koszalin (112,375)
• Slupsk (102,370)
• and Kolobrzeg, Szczecinek, Swinoujscie, Stargard Szczecinski

• in German Pomerania

• Greifswald (52.984)
• Stralsund (63.000)
• Wolgast
• Barth

Geography

Initially Pomerania was the area between the Vistula, Notec, Warta and Odra rivers. The area has access to the Baltic sea and four bays: Bay of Pomerania, Szczecin Bay, Bay of Gdansk Bay with Bay of Puck and Vistula Bay, and contained Uznam, Wolin and Rugen islands. Peninsulas: Hel peninsula, Vistula peninsula. Some bays became closed and now form lakes Lebsko lake, Jamno lake, Gardno lake.

Prehistoric times

The original Pomeranians arrived in the late period of Old Stone Age or Paleolith some 10.000 years BC, when the Scandinavian glacier receded to the north. Later various archeological cultures developed here in the Mesolith, Neolith, Bronze Age and Iron Age.

History of Pomerania

Modern divisions of Pomerania

The eastern part of Pomerania, Pomorze, is a geographical and historical region in Poland that encompasses three Polish voivodships: the West Pomeranian Voivodship (Zachodniopomorskie), Pomeranian Voivodship (Pomorskie) and the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodship (Kujawsko-Pomorskie). The most western part of Pomerania (Vorpommern, in Polish Zapomorze) is part of the German state (Bundesland) of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern).

See also

• Kashubian-Pomeranian_Association

Further reading

Publications in Polish

• Gerard Labuda (ed.), Historia Pomorza, vol. I (to 1466), parts 1-2, Poznań 1969
• Gerard Labuda (ed.), Historia Pomorza, vol. II (1466–1815), parts 1-2, Poznań 1976
• Gerard Labuda (ed.), Historia Pomorza, vol. III (1815–1850), parts 1-3, Poznań
• Gerard Labuda (ed.), Historia Pomorza, vol. IV (1850–1918), part 1, Toruń 2003
• Marian Biskup (ed.), Śląsk i Pomorze w historii stosunków polsko-niemieckich w średniowieczu. XII Konferencja Wspólnej Komisji Podręcznikowej PRL-RFN Historyków 5–10 VI 1979 Olsztyn, Instytut Zachdni, Poznań 1987
• Antoni Czubiński, Zbigniew Kulak (ed.), Śląsk i Pomorze w stosunkach polsko-niemieckich od XVI do XVII w. XIV Konferencja Wspólnej Komisji Podręcznikowej PRL-RFN Historyków, 9–14 VI 1981 r. Zamość, Instytut Zachodni, Poznań 1987
• Szkice do dziejów Pomorza, vol. 1-3, Warszawa 1958-61
• B. Wachowiak, Rozwój gospodarczo-społeczny Pomorza Zachodniego od połowy XV do początku XVII wieku, Studia i Materiały do dziejów Wielkopolski i Pomorza, 1958, z. 1
• J. Wiśniewski, Początki układu kapitalistycznego na Pomorzu Zachodnim w XVIII wieku, Studia i Materiały do dziejów Wielkopolski i Pomorza, 1958, z. 1
• A. Wielopolski, Gospodarka Pomorza Zachodniego w latach 1800–1918, Szczecin 1959
• W. Odyniec, Dzieje Prus Królewskich (1454–1772). Zarys monograficzny, Warszawa 1972
• Dzieje Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego od VII wieku do 1945 roku, Gdańsk 1978
• Zygmunt Boras, "Książęta Pomorza Zachodniego", Poznań 1969, 1978, 1996
• Zygmunt Boras, "Stosunki polsko-pomorskie w XVI w", Poznań 1965
• Zygmunt Boras, "Związki Śląska i Pomorza Zachdoniego z Polską w XVI wieku", Poznań 1981
• Kazimierz Kozłowski, Jerzy Podralski, "Poczet Książąt Pomorza Zachodniego", KAW, Szczecin 1985
• Lech Bądkowski, W. Samp. "Poczet książąt Pomorza Gdańskiego", Gdańsk 1974
• B. Śliwiński, "Poczet książąt gdańskich", Gdańsk 1997
• Wojciech Myślenicki, "Pomorscy sprzymierzenscy Jagiellończyków", Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1979
• Józef Spors, "Podziały administracyjne Pomorza Gdańskiego i Sławieńsko-Słupskiego od XII do początków XIV w", Słupsk 1983
• Kazimierz Ślaski, "Podziały terytorialne Pomorza w XII-XII w.", Poznań 1960
• Benon Miśkiewicz, "Z dziejów wojennych Pomorza Zachodniego. Cedynia 972-Siekierki 1945", Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1972

Publications in German

• M. Wehrmann, Geschichte von Pommern, vol. 1-2, Gotha 1919-21
• M. Spahn, Verfassungs- und Wirtshaftsgeschichte des Herzogtums Pommern von 1476 bis 1625, Leipzig 1896
• B. Schumacher, Geschichte Ost- und Westpreussens, Wurzburg 1959

External links

Internet directories

• Open Directory Project - Western Pomerania - internet directory (http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Poland/Voivodships/Western_Pomerania/)
• Open Directory Project - Kashubian Pomerania - internet directory (http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Poland/Voivodships/Pomerania-Kashubia/)
• Open Directory Project - Kuyavia and Pomerania - internet directory (http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Poland/Voivodships/Kuyavia_and_Pomerania/)
• Open Directory Project - Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - internet directory (http://dmoz.org/Regional/Europe/Germany/States/Mecklenburg-Western_Pomerania/)

Culture and history

• Pomeranian Dukes Castle in Szczecin (Polish, German, English) (http://www.zamek.szczecin.pl/)

Maps of Pomerania

• Woiewództwa Pomorskie i Małborskie oraz Pomerania Elektorska, G.B.A.Rizzi-Zannoni 1772 (http://www.frombork.art.pl/Frombork-foto/Sd687_i.jpg)