The Samborides () or House of Sobiesław () were a ruling dynasty in the historic region of

Pomerelia Pomerelia,, la, Pomerellia, Pomerania, pl, Pomerelia (rarely used) also known as Eastern Pomerania,, csb, Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô Vistula Pomerania, prior to World War II also known as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pome ...

. They were first documented about 1155 as governors (''princeps'') in the Eastern

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

n lands serving the royal Piast dynasty of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

, and from 1227 ruled as autonomous princes until 1294, at which time the dynasty died out. The subsequent war for succession between the Polish Piast dynasty, the Imperial

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg (german: link=no, Markgrafschaft Brandenburg) was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe. Brandenburg developed out ...

and the

State of the Teutonic Order The State of the Teutonic Order (german: Staat des Deutschen Ordens, ; la, Civitas Ordinis Theutonici; lt, Vokiečių ordino valstybė; pl, Państwo zakonu krzyżackiego), also called () or (), was a medieval Crusader state, located in Cent ...

resulted in the

Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk (Danzig) Teutonic or Teuton(s) may refer to: Peoples and cultures * Teutons, a Germanic tribe or Celtic tribe mentioned by Greek and Roman authors ** ''Furor Teutonicus'', a Latin phrase referring to the proverbial ferocity of the Teutons * Having qualit ...

in 1308.

Geography

The dynasty's dominion, Pomerelia, roughly corresponded with the area of today's Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern

. The Samborides from 1227 used the

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...

title ''dux Pomeraniae''; their

Duchy of Pomerelia The Duchy of Pomerelia, also known as the Duchy of Eastern Pomerania, and Gdańsk Pomerania was a duchy centred on Pomerelia, with Gdańsk as its capital. The duchy was formed after gaining independence from the Kingdom of Poland in the 11th ce ...

was therefore referred to as "Duchy of Pomerania", even though there was another

Duchy of Pomerania The Duchy of Pomerania (german: Herzogtum Pommern; pl, Księstwo Pomorskie; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country ha ...

to the west, ruled by the

House of Griffins The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty (german: Greifen; pl, Gryfici, da, Grif) was a dynasty ruling the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637. The name "Griffins" was used by the dynasty after the 15th century and had been take ...

, who likewise bore the title "Dukes of Pomerania". In Polish usage, the term ''Pomorze'' (

) tends to be associated with the entire strip of land on the

Baltic coast The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 10 ...

between the

Vistula The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...

river in the east and the Raksa (Recknitz) river in the west. Until the Germanic invasions, the term was used as far west as the

Morini The Morini (Gaulish: "sea folk, sailors") were a Belgic coastal tribe dwelling in the modern Pas de Calais region, around present-day Boulogne-sur-Mer, during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Morini'' by Caesar ( ...

). The distinction is achieved by the use of ''Pomorze Gdańskie'' (i.e., Pomerania- Danzig) for Pomerelia, and ''Pomorze Szczecińskie'' (i.e., Pomerania- Stettin) for the former Griffin duchy, to whom the title "Duke of Pomerania" and the term "Duchy of Pomerania" would be used exclusively after the Samborides' extinction. During the rule of Duke Swiętopełk II, Samboride holdings spread from

Słupsk Słupsk (; , ; formerly german: Stolp, ; also known by several alternative names) is a city with powiat rights located on the Słupia River in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland, in the historical region of Pomerania or more specific ...

in the west going east across the Vistula River including Żuławy Gdańskie, and in the south bordered the Polish dukedoms of Greater Poland and

Kuyavia Kuyavia ( pl, Kujawy; german: Kujawien; la, Cuiavia), also referred to as Cuyavia, is a historical region in north-central Poland, situated on the left bank of Vistula, as well as east from Noteć River and Lake Gopło. It is divided into three ...

, the

Noteć Noteć (; , ) is a river in central Poland with a length of (7th longest) and a basin area of .Sobiesław I, steward for the Piast dukes of Greater Poland in Pomerelia, while "Samborides" as used in English and German derives from his probable son and successor, Duke Sambor I. According to German historiography the first certain ''princeps'' of Pomerelia was Sambor, as the records concerning Sobiesław I stems from the 15th century

Oliwa Oliwa ( la, Oliva; csb, Òlëwa; german: Oliva) is a northern district of the city of Gdańsk, Poland. From east it borders Przymorze and Żabianka, from the north Sopot and from the south with the districts of Strzyża, VII Dwór and Brętow ...

chronicle of the 15th century seemed not reliable. Polish historians however do not share this reservation and have been using his father as the name for the dynasty. During the conquest of the Pomeranian lands between 1113 and 1121, the Polish duke

Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth ( pl, Bolesław III Krzywousty; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between ...

about 1116 had installed governors ruling in the Pomerelian lands, probably the ancestors of Sobiesław I. An affiliation with the Pomeranian dukes Siemosił and Świętobor or a relation with the Polish Piast dynasty has never been conclusively established. The most important duke was Swiętopełk II who in Kashubian traditional history carries the nickname "the Great". Swiętopełk received Pomerelia as vassaldom from his suzerain, the Polish High Duke

Leszek I the White Leszek the White ( pl, Leszek Biały; c. 1184/85 – 24 November 1227) was Prince of Sandomierz and High Duke of Poland in the years 1194–1198, 1199, 1206–1210, and 1211–1227. During the early stages of his reign, his uncle Duke Mieszko I ...

of the Piast dynasty in 1216 or 1217. Perhaps acting in concert with the Piast prince

Władysław Odonic Władysław Odonic, nicknamed Plwacz or the Spitter, ( – 5 June 1239) was a duke of Kalisz 1207–1217, duke of Poznań 1216–1217, ruler of Ujście in 1223, ruler of Nakło from 1225, and duke of all Greater Poland 1229–1234; from 1234 un ...

of Greater Poland he benefited from his ally action when they had High Duke Leszek I and Duke

Henry I the Bearded Henry the Bearded ( pl, Henryk (Jędrzych) Brodaty, german: Heinrich der Bärtige; c. 1165/70 – 19 March 1238) was a Polish duke from the Piast dynasty. He was Duke of Silesia at Wrocław from 1201, Duke of Kraków and High Duke of all Pol ...

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

kidnapped and then Leszek murdered during the

Gąsawa Gąsawa (german: Gonsawa, 1939–1945 ) is a village in Żnin County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Gąsawa. It lies approximately south of Żnin an ...

Piast assembly in 1227. As a result, Swiętopełk declared himself an independent ruler and ''dux'' of Pomerania. Swiętopełk II was the greatest military commander of the dynasty, having defeated various armies of Piast, Prussian, Danish, German and Griffite invaders during his long reign. He was the first Polish (Slavic) ruler who actively was challenged and fought military campaigns against the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

and many times aided the pagan Prussians against the Order and Piast princes carrying crusading campaigns against them. His brothers Sambor II and Ratibor ceded some of their holdings to the Teutonic Knights allowing the Order State to get a first important foothold on the right bank of the Vistula River. Swiętopełk's son and last Samboride ruler Méstwin II fought various traditional enemies, including the Teutonic Order. As a matter of necessity when fighting for his throne, he pledged feudal homage from a couple of towns to the

Ascanian The House of Ascania (german: Askanier) was a dynasty of German rulers. It is also known as the House of Anhalt, which refers to its longest-held possession, Anhalt. The Ascanians are named after Ascania (or Ascaria) Castle, known as ''Schloss ...

margraves of Brandenburg by signing the Treaty of Choszczno in 1269. In 1282 he concluded an inheritance agreement at

Kępno Kępno (german: Kempen in Posen) is a town in south-central Poland. It lies on the outskirts of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, bordering the historical region of Silesia and the Łódź Voivodeship. As of December 31, 2009 Kępno had a populati ...

with Duke

Przemysł II Przemysł II ( also given in English and Latin language, Latin as ''Premyslas'' or ''Premislaus'' or in Polish as '; 14 October 1257 – 8 February 1296) was the Duke of Poznań from 1257–1279, of Greater Poland from 1279 to 1296, of Kraków f ...

of Greater Poland, King of Poland from 1295, who upon his death incorporated Pomerelia into the Lands of the

Polish Crown The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Korona Królestwa Polskiego; Latin: ''Corona Regni Poloniae''), known also as the Polish Crown, is the common name for the historic Late Middle Ages territorial possessions of the King of Poland, incl ...

Samborides ancestry

# Sobiesław I (Subislaw I), ''princeps'' of

about 1155–1177/79 ## Sambor I, ''princeps'' of Pomerelia 1177/79–1205 ###Sobiesław II (Subislaw II), died about 1217/23, under tutelage ###unidentified son, died young ## Méstwin I ''the Peaceful'', ''princeps'' of Pomerelia 1205–1220 ###Mirosława, ∞

Bogislaw II, Duke of Pomerania Bogislaw II ( – 23 January 1220) was Duke of Pomerania-Stettin from 1187 until his death. Life Bogislaw II was a son of Bogislaw I and his second wife, Anatasia, the daughter of Mieszko III of Poland. He was still a minor when his fathe ...

### Swiętopełk II ''the Great'', ''princeps of Pomerelia'' from 1220, Duke of Pomerelia at Gdańsk 1227-1266 ####Euphemia, ∞ Jaromar II, Prince of Rugia #### Méstwin II, Duke of Pomerelia at Świecie from 1255, last Duke of Pomerelia 1270–1294, ∞ Jutta, daughter of Count Dietrich I of Brehna and Wettin #####Katharina, ∞ Duke Pribislaw II of

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label= Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schweri ...

Parchim Parchim (; Mecklenburgisch: ''Parchen'') is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the capital of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. It was the birthplace of Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, to whom a monument was erected in 1876. Foun ...

, Lord of

Białogard Białogard (pronounced , german: Belgard, ; Pomeranian: ''Biôłogard'') is a historic town in Middle Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with 23,614 inhabitants as of December 2021. The capital of Białogard County in the West Pomeranian Voivode ...

#####Euphemia, ∞ Count Adolph V of

Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...

Segeberg Segeberg (; frr, Segebärj) is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is bounded by (from the southwest and clockwise) the districts of Pinneberg, Steinburg and Rendsburg-Eckernförde, the city of Neumünster, the districts of Plön, Ost ...

####John, died 1248 ####unidentified daughter, ∞ unidentified Count of Kevenberg ####Wratisław II, Duke of Pomerelia at Gdańsk 1266-1270 ### Jadwiga (Hedwig), ∞ Duke

of Greater Poland ### Witosława, prioress of

Żukowo Żukowo ( csb, Żukòwò, german: Zuckau, la, Sucovia) is a town in the Kartuzy County, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship of northern Poland, in the geographical region of Kashubia, with 6,236 inhabitants (2005). It is located along the Radunia ri ...

Abbey ###Wratisław I, Duke of Pomerelia at

Świecie Świecie (; german: Schwetz) is a town in northern Poland with 25,968 inhabitants (2006), situated in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship (since 1999); it was in Bydgoszcz Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998. It is the capital of Świecie County. Locati ...

1227-1233 ### Sambor II, Duke of Pomerelia at Lubiszewo (''Liebschau'') 1233–1269, ∞ Mechthild, daughter of Prince Henry Borwin II of

####Sobiesław III (Subislaw III), died 1254 ####

Margaret Sambiria Margaret Sambiria (in Danish: ''Margrethe Sambiria'', ''Sambirsdatter'' or ''Margrethe Sprænghest''; c. 1230 – December 1282) was Queen of Denmark by marriage to King Christopher I, and regent during the minority of her son, King Eric V fro ...

, ∞ King Christopher I of Denmark ####Gertrude, unmarried ####Euphemia ∞ Duke

Bolesław II the Bald Boleslav or Bolesław may refer to: In people: * Boleslaw (given name) In geography: * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Silesian Voivodeship, ...

####Salome ∞ Prince

Ziemomysł of Kuyavia Ziemomysł of Inowrocław ( pl, Ziemomysł inowrocławski; c. 1245 – October/24 December 1287), was a Polish prince, member of the House of Piast, duke of Inowrocław during 1267-1271 and 1278–1287, and ruler over Bydgoszcz during 1267-1269 ...

####Jolanta (Jolanthe) ###Ratibor, Duke of Pomerelia at

Białogarda Białogarda (; csb, Biôłogarda, german: Belgard an der Leba) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wicko, within Lębork County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is situated east of the Łeba river in the histor ...

1233-1262

Bibliography

* Rymar E., Rodowód książąt pomorskich, t. 1, Szczecin 1995; Supplement, Gdańsk 2003; Śliwiński B., Poczet książąt gdańskich, Gdańsk 1997 {{DEFAULTSORT:Samborides Polish royal houses Dukes of Pomerania *

Geography

Samborides ancestry

See also

Bibliography