Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the

Baltic Sea 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 ...

in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to the German states of

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

and

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 squ ...

, while the eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian, Pomeranian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeships of Poland. Its historical border in the west is the Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian border ''

Urstromtal An ''urstromtal'' (plural: ''Urstromtäler'') is a type of broad glacial valley, for example, in northern Central Europe, that appeared during the ice ages, or individual glacial periods of an ice age, at the edge of the Scandinavian ice sheet and ...

'' which now constitutes the border between the

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 ...

ian and Pomeranian part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, while it is bounded by 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. The easternmost part of Pomerania is alternatively known as Pomerelia, consisting of four sub-regions:

Kashubia pl, Kaszuby , native_name_lang = csb, de, csb , settlement_type = Historical region , anthem = Zemia Rodnô , image_map = Kashubians in Poland.png , image_flag ...

inhabited by ethnic

Kashubians The Kashubians ( csb, Kaszëbi; pl, Kaszubi; german: Kaschuben), also known as Cassubians or Kashubs, are a Lechitic ( West Slavic) ethnic group native to the historical region of Pomerania, including its eastern part called Pomerelia, in nor ...

Kociewie Kociewie is an ethnocultural region in the eastern part of Tuchola Forest, in northern Poland, Pomerania, south of Gdańsk. Its cultural capital is Starogard Gdański, the biggest town is Tczew, while other major towns include Świecie, Pelpl ...

Tuchola Forest The Tuchola Forest, also known as Tuchola Pinewoods or Tuchola Conifer Woods, (the latter a literal translation of pl, Bory Tucholskie; csb, Tëchòlsczé Bòrë; german: Tuchler or Tucheler Heide) is a large forest complex near the town of Tuch ...

and

Chełmno Land Chełmno land ( pl, ziemia chełmińska, or Kulmerland, Old Prussian: ''Kulma'', lt, Kulmo žemė) is a part of the historical region of Pomerelia, located in central-northern Poland. Chełmno land is named after the city of Chełmno (hist ...

. Pomerania has a relatively low population density, with its largest cities being

Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...

and

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...

. Outside its urban areas, it is characterized by farmland, dotted with numerous lakes, forests, and small towns. In the west of Pomerania lie several islands, the largest of which are

Rügen Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...

, the largest island in Germany,

Usedom Usedom (german: Usedom , pl, Uznam ) is a Baltic Sea island in Pomerania, divided between Germany and Poland. It is the second largest Pomeranian island after Rügen, and the most populous island in the Baltic Sea. It is north of the Szczeci ...

/Uznam, and

Wolin Wolin (; formerly german: Wollin ) is the name both of a Polish island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. Administratively, the island belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Wolin is separated from th ...

, the largest island in Poland. The region has a rich and complicated political and demographic history at the intersection of several cultures.

Geography

Borders

Pomerania is the area along the Bay of Pomerania of the

between the rivers Recknitz,

Trebel Trebel is a municipality in the district Lüchow-Dannenberg, in Lower Saxony, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russ ...

Tollense The Tollense (, from Slavic ''dolenica'' "lowland, (flat) valley") is a river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northeastern Germany, right tributary of the Peene. It has a total length of 95.8 km. The upper course begins near a small lake ...

and Augraben in the west and

in the east.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000, Pomerani

/ref> It formerly reached perhaps as far south as the

Noteć Noteć (; , ) is a river in central Poland with a length of (7th longest) and a basin area of .Central European Plain, but its southern, hilly parts belong to the Baltic Ridge, a belt of terminal

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris ( regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sh ...

s formed during the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

. Within this ridge, a chain of moraine-dammed lakes constitutes the

Pomeranian Lake District The Pomeranian Lakeland or Pomeranian Lake District ( pl, Pojezierze Pomorskie) is a lakeland in Farther Pomerania. It lies today in the east of the Polish Voivodeship of West Pomerania in northwest Poland. The lakeland is located in the extrem ...

. The soil is generally rather poor, sometimes sandy or marshy. The western coastline is jagged, with many peninsulas (such as

Darß The Darß or Darss is the middle part of the peninsula of Fischland-Darß-Zingst on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The peninsula's name is of Slavic origin. There is a large forest in the ...

– Zingst) and islands (including

, and

) 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 the sea. The easternmost coastline along the

Gdańsk Bay Gdańsk Bay or the Gulf of Gdańsk ( pl, Zatoka Gdańska; csb, Gduńskô Hôwinga; russian: Гданьская бухта, Gdan'skaja bukhta, and german: Danziger Bucht) is a southeastern bay of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the adjacent por ...

(with the

Bay of Puck The Bay of Puck or Puck Bay (; ; german: Putziger Wiek), is a shallow western branch of the Bay of Gdańsk in the southern Baltic Sea, off the shores of Gdańsk Pomerania, Poland. It is separated from the open sea by the Hel Peninsula. The bay ha ...

) and

Vistula Lagoon The Vistula Lagoon ( pl, Zalew Wiślany; russian: Калининградский залив, transliterated: ''Kaliningradskiy Zaliv''; german: Frisches Haff; lt, Aistmarės) is a brackish water lagoon on the Baltic Sea roughly 56 miles (90 ...

, has the

Hel Peninsula Hel Peninsula (; pl, Mierzeja Helska, Półwysep Helski; csb, Hélskô Sztremlëzna; german: Halbinsel Hela or ''Putziger Nehrung'') is a sand bar peninsula in northern Poland separating the Bay of Puck from the open Baltic Sea. It is l ...

and the Vistula peninsula jutting out into the Baltic.

Subregions

The Pomeranian region has the following administrative divisions: *

Western Pomerania Historical Western Pomerania, also called Cispomerania, Fore Pomerania, Front Pomerania or Hither Pomerania (german: Vorpommern), is the western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania forming the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, West ...

(''Vorpommern'') in northeastern Germany, stretching from the Recknitz river to the

Oder–Neisse line The Oder–Neisse line (german: Oder-Neiße-Grenze, pl, granica na Odrze i Nysie Łużyckiej) is the basis of most of the international border between Germany and Poland from 1990. It runs mainly along the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers a ...

. This region is part of the

federal state A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

. The southernmost part of historical Western Pomerania (the

Gartz Gartz is a town in the Uckermark district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the West bank of the Oder River, on the border with Poland, about 20 km south of Szczecin, Poland. It is located within the historic region of Western Pom ...

area) is now in

, while its historical eastern parts (the

Oder The Oder ( , ; Czech, Lower Sorbian and ; ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river in total length and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows ...

estuary) are now in Poland. Western Pomerania comprises the historical regions inhabited by Western Slavic tribes Rugians and Volinians, otherwise the

Principality of Rügen The Principality of Rügen; da, Fyrstendømmet Rygien; pl, Księstwo rugijskie; la, Rugia was a Danish principality, formerly a duchy, consisting of the island of Rügen and the adjacent mainland from 1168 until 1325. It was governed by a loc ...

and the County of Gützkow. * The

West Pomeranian Voivodeship The West Pomeranian Voivodeship, also known as the West Pomerania Province, is a voivodeship (province) in northwestern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Szczecin. Its area equals 22 892.48 km² (8,838.84 sq mi), and in 2021, it was ...

(''Zachodniopomorskie'') in Poland, stretching from the Oder–Neisse line to the Wieprza river, encompassing most of historical Pomerania in the narrow sense (as well as small parts of historic

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed by Kalisz, the oldest cit ...

and

Lubusz Land Lubusz Land ( pl, Ziemia lubuska; german: Land Lebus) is a historical region and cultural landscape in Poland and Germany on both sides of the Oder river. Originally the settlement area of the Lechites, the swampy area was located east of Branden ...

). * The

Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship, Pomorskie Region, or Pomerania Province ( Polish: ''Województwo pomorskie'' ; ( Kashubian: ''Pòmòrsczé wòjewództwò'' ), is a voivodeship, or province, in northwestern Poland. The provincial capital is Gdańsk. Th ...

, with similar borders to Pomerelia, stretching from the Wieprza river to the

delta in the vicinity of

. * The northern half of the

Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, also known as Cuiavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship or simply Kujawsko-Pomorskie, or Kujawy-Pomerania Province ( pl, województwo kujawsko-pomorskie ) is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divide ...

, comprising most of

and

. The bulk of Farther Pomerania is included within the modern West Pomeranian Voivodeship, but its easternmost parts (the

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 ...

area) now constitute the northwest of Pomeranian Voivodeship. Farther Pomerania in turn comprises several other historical subregions, most notably the

Principality of Cammin The Bishopric of Cammin (also Kammin, Kamień Pomorski) was both a former Roman Catholic diocese in the Duchy of Pomerania from 1140 to 1544, and a secular territory of the Holy Roman Empire ( Prince-Bishopric) in the Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) area f ...

, the County of Naugard, and the

Lands of Schlawe and Stolp The Schlawe and Stolp Land, also known as Słupsk and Sławno Land, is a historical region in Pomerania, centered on the towns of Sławno (''Schlawe'') and Słupsk (''Stolp'') in Farther Pomerania, in present-day Poland. The area is of some hi ...

, The

Lauenburg and Bütow Land Lauenburg and Bütow Land (german: Länder or , csb, Lãbòrskò-bëtowskô Zemia, pl, Ziemia lęborsko-bytowska) formed a historical region in the western part of Pomerelia (Polish and papal historiography) or in the eastern part of Farther ...

is considered a part of Pomerelia (

Kashubia pl, Kaszuby , native_name_lang = csb, de, csb , settlement_type = Historical region , anthem = Zemia Rodnô , image_map = Kashubians in Poland.png , image_flag ...

) by the Polish historiography, and of Farther Pomerania by the German historiography. Parts of Pomerania and surrounding regions have constituted a

euroregion In European politics, the term Euroregion usually refers to a transnational co-operation structure between two (or more) contiguous territories located in different European countries. Euroregions represent a specific type of cross-border region. ...

since 1995. The Pomerania euroregion comprises Hither Pomerania and

Uckermark The Uckermark () is a historical region in northeastern Germany, straddles the Uckermark District of Brandenburg and the Vorpommern-Greifswald District of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Its traditional capital is Prenzlau. Geography The region is nam ...

in Germany, West Pomerania in Poland, and

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skån ...

in Sweden. File:Niechorze Widok z latarni 3 (Piotr Kuczynski).jpg, Typical Pomeranian beach (

) File:Małe regaty na jeziorze Wdzydze.jpg,

Wdzydze Lake Wdzydze ( Kashubian ''Jezoro Wdzydzczé''), also known as the ''Kashubian Sea'', ''Big Water'' and ''Szerzawa'', is a lake in the Tuchola Forest in the Kościerzyna County (Pomeranian Voivodeship), in the region of South Kashubia. The lake is ...

(

) File:Poland Turkusowe Lake.jpg,

Wolin National Park Wolin National Park ( pl, Woliński Park Narodowy) is one of 23 national parks in Poland, situated on the island of Wolin in the far north-west of the country, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It was established on 3 March 1960 and covers an area ...

(

) File:2 SPN 01.jpg,

Słowiński National Park Słowiński National Park ( pl, Słowiński Park Narodowy) is a national park in Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. It is situated on the Baltic coast, between Łeba and Rowy. The northern boundary of the park consists of of coastline. ...

(

) File:Usedomer Strand.jpg,

/Uznam (

) File:Kap Arkona2.jpg, Cape Arkona (

)

Etymology

Lechitic languages The Lechitic (or Lekhitic) languages are a language subgroup consisting of Polish and several other languages and dialects that were once spoken in the area that is now Poland and eastern Germany. It is one of the branches of the larger West Sl ...

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 Polesia, Polesie, or Polesye, uk, Полісся (Polissia), pl, Polesie, russian: Полесье (Polesye) is a natural and historical region that starts from the farthest edge of Central Europe and encompasses Eastern Europe, including East ...

(''Along the Forest''), Porzecze (''Along the River''), etc. Pomerania was first mentioned in an

imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

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 Adam of Bremen ( la, Adamus Bremensis; german: Adam von Bremen) (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. Adam is most famous for his chronicle ''Gest ...

(c. 1070) and Gallus Anonymous (ca. 1113).

Terminology

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 or the West Pomeranian Voivodeship (in Polish usage). The term "East Pomerania" may similarly carry different meanings, referring either to Farther Pomerania (in German usage and historical usage based on German terminologye.g.

here Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to: Software * Here Technologies, a mapping company * Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Television * Here TV (formerly "here!"), a ...

(Sheperd Atlas), or i
old Enc Britannica
/ref>), or to Pomerelia or the Pomeranian Voivodeship (in Polish usage). }
pl, Ziemia lęborsko-bytowska) ,

Człuchów Człuchów (, ''Człochòwo'', or ''Człëchòwò''; formerly ) is a town in the region of Gdańsk Pomerania, northwestern Poland, with 13,350 inhabitants as of December 2021. Człuchów has been the capital of Człuchów County in the Pomerani ...

,
Chojnice,
Kościerzyna,
Kartuzy,

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 r ...

,
Puck,

Władysławowo Władysławowo ( Kashubian/ Pomeranian: ''Wiôlgô Wies'', german: Großendorf) is a city on the south coast of the Baltic Sea in Kashubia in the Pomerelia region, northern Poland, with 15,015 (2009) inhabitants. History In 1634 engineer Fr ...

Jastarnia Jastarnia ( csb, Jastarniô, german: Heisternest) is a resort town in Puck County, Pomeranian Voivodship, northern Poland. It is located on the Hel Peninsula on the Baltic Sea. It is a popular Polish seaside resort and small fishing port. The ...

,
Hel ,

Wejherowo Wejherowo ( csb, Wejrowò; german: Neustadt in Westpreußen, formerly Weyhersfrey) is a city in Gdańsk Pomerania, northern Poland, with 48,735 inhabitants (2021). It has been the capital of Wejherowo County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 19 ...

,
Reda,
Rumia,
(so-called

Little Kashubian Tricity Little Kashubian Tricity ( pl, Małe Trójmiasto Kaszubskie, csb, Môłi Kaszëbsczi Trójgard) is a name used for an urban area in northern Poland comprising the three towns of Rumia, Reda and Wejherowo, located in Wejherowo County, Pomeranian ...

)

Gdynia Gdynia ( ; ; german: Gdingen (currently), (1939–1945); csb, Gdiniô, , , ) is a city in northern Poland and a seaport on the Baltic Sea coast. With a population of 243,918, it is the 12th-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in th ...

Sopot Sopot is a seaside resort city in Pomerelia on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland, with a population of approximately 40,000. It is located in Pomeranian Voivodeship, and has the status of the county, being the smallest ci ...

( Tricity)

Pruszcz Gdański Pruszcz Gdański (; former pl, Pruszcz; german: Praust) is a town in Pomerania, northern Poland with 26,834 inhabitants (2010). Pruszcz Gdański is an industrial town neighbouring Gdańsk, part of the Tricity agglomeration. The Tricity Bypass ...

,
Nowy Staw ,

Starogard Gdański Starogard Gdański (; until 1950: ''Starogard''; csb, Starogarda; formerly german: Preußisch Stargard) is a city in Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland with 48,328 inhabitants (2004). Starogard is the capital of Starogard County. It is ...

Skarszewy Skarszewy ( csb, Skarszewò, german: Schöneck in Westpreußen) is a small town south of Gdańsk in Starogard Gdański County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. It is located between Kościerzyna and Tczew. Population: 6 809 (30 June 2 ...

,
Pelplin,

Tczew Tczew (, csb, Dërszewò; formerly ) is a city on the Vistula River in Eastern Pomerania, Kociewie, northern Poland with 59,111 inhabitants (December 2021). The city is known for its Old Town and the Vistula Bridge, or Bridge of Tczew, which pl ...

Gniew Gniew (pronounced ; csb, Gméw, or ''Gniéw''; formerly german: Mewe) is a historic town situated on the left bank of the Vistula River, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It has 6,870 inhabitants (2016). It is one of the ol ...

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 ...

Nowe Nowe (german: Neuenburg in Westpreußen, 1942-1945: ''Neuenburg (Weichsel)'') is a town in Świecie County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 6,270 inhabitants (2004). Geographical location Nowe is located approximately 75 kilom ...

Tuchola Tuchola (german: Tuchel; csb, Tëchòlô) is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship in northern Poland. The Pomeranian town, which is the seat of Tuchola County, had a population of 13,418 . Geographical location Tuchola lies about ...

,
Pruszcz ,

Toruń )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...

,
Grudziądz,

Chełmno Chełmno (; older en, Culm; formerly ) is a town in northern Poland near the Vistula river with 18,915 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is the seat of the Chełmno County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. Due to its regional impor ...

Chełmża Chełmża (german: Kulmsee, earlier ''Culmsee''), is a town in north-central Poland, in the Toruń County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is located at around . It is one of the historic centers of Chełmno Land. Geography The town Cheł ...

Wąbrzeźno Wąbrzeźno (german: Briesen) is a town in Poland, in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, about northeast of Toruń. It is the capital of the Wąbrzeźno County. The population is 13,971 inhabitants (2004). History Along with Chełmno Land ...

Kowalewo Pomorskie Kowalewo Pomorskie (german: Schönsee) is a town in north-central Poland, in Golub-Dobrzyń County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of the Gmina Kowalewo Pomorskie. According to data from December 31, 2004, Kowalewo Pomors ...

Jabłonowo Pomorskie Jabłonowo Pomorskie (Polish pronunciation: ; german: Jablonowo, 1903-1945: ''Goßlershausen'') is a town in the Brodnica powiat of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. As of 2018, the town had a population of 3,783. It is located in the C ...

Radzyń Chełmiński Radzyń Chełmiński (; german: Rehden) is a town in Grudziądz County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 1,946 inhabitants (2004). History Radzyń is located within the historic Chełmno Land, which became part of the emerging Polish ...

,
Łasin,

Brodnica Brodnica (german: Strasburg in Westpreußen or Strasburg an der Drewenz) is a town in northern Poland with 28,574 inhabitants . It is the seat of Brodnica County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. The nearby Brodnica Landscape Park, a pro ...

(part north of Drwęca with historic center),
Golub , - style="text-align:center;" , style="background:#c2e6ff; text-align:left;", Current countries , colspan="6", Germany , colspan="12", Poland , - style="text-align:center;" , rowspan="2" style="background:#c2e6ff; text-align:left;", Current administrative regions , colspan="5" rowspan="1", Land

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

(State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) , colspan="1" rowspan="1", Land

(State of Brandenburg) , colspan="4" rowspan="2", województwo zachodniopomorskie
(

) , colspan="5" rowspan="2", województwo pomorskie
(

) , colspan="3" rowspan="2", województwo kujawsko-pomorskie
(

) , - style="text-align:center;" , colspan="1" rowspan="1",

Vorpommern-Rügen Vorpommern-Rügen is a district in the north of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the Baltic Sea and the districts Vorpommern-Greifswald, Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Rostock. The district seat is ...

District , colspan="1" rowspan="1",

Vorpommern-Greifswald Vorpommern-Greifswald is a district in the east of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Rügen, the Baltic Sea, Poland ( West Pomeranian Voivo ...

District , colspan="1" rowspan="1", Mecklenburgische Seenplatte District , colspan="2" rowspan="1",

District , colspan="1" rowspan="1",

District , - style="text-align:center;" , rowspan="5" style="background:#c2e6ff; text-align:left;", German terminology
(corresponding English term) , colspan="12", PommernThe Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2001–07

(Pomerania) , colspan="6", Pomerellen, Pommerellen
( Pomerelia)
After

Partitions of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place toward the end of the 18th century and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland and Lithuania for 12 ...

, part of the wider Westpreussen
(

West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a Provinces of Prussia, province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kin ...

)
before

, part of the wider Königlich-Preußen or Preußen Königlichen Anteils
(

Royal Prussia Royal Prussia ( pl, Prusy Królewskie; german: Königlich-Preußen or , csb, Królewsczé Prësë) or Polish PrussiaAnton Friedrich Büsching, Patrick Murdoch. ''A New System of Geography'', London 1762p. 588/ref> (Polish: ; German: ) was a ...

) , - style="text-align:center;" , colspan="7", Vorpommern
in modern usage the part located in Germany only
(Hither Pomerania, Fore Pomerania)
, colspan="5" rowspan="2", Hinterpommern
(Farther/Further Pomerania, Rear Pomerania) , colspan="2" rowspan="4", Kaschubei
(

Kashubia pl, Kaszuby , native_name_lang = csb, de, csb , settlement_type = Historical region , anthem = Zemia Rodnô , image_map = Kashubians in Poland.png , image_flag ...

)
areas south-east of Könitz ( Schwarzwasser, Czersk): Tucheler Heide
(

),
Koschneiderei , colspan="2" rowspan="4", Kociewie , rowspan="4", Tucheler Heide
(

),
Koschneiderei , rowspan="4", Kulmerland
(

) , - style="text-align:center;" , colspan="2", Neuvorpommern
(New Hither Pomerania) , colspan="5", Altvorpommern
(Old Hither Pomerania) , - style="text-align:center;" , colspan="3" rowspan="2", Westpommern
(Western Pomerania) , style='border-style: solid solid none solid;' colspan="6", Mittelpommern
(Middle Pomerania) , colspan="3" rowspan="2", Ostpommern
(Eastern Pomerania) , - style="text-align:center;" , style='border-style: none dotted solid solid;' colspan="1", , style='border-style: dotted dotted solid dotted;' colspan="4", Mittelpommerscher Keil
(Middle Pomeranian Wedge)
excluding

Świnoujście Świnoujście (; german: Swinemünde ; nds, Swienemünn; all three meaning "Świna ivermouth"; csb, Swina) is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. Situated mainly on the islands ...

Międzyzdroje Międzyzdroje (;), known as Misdroy in English, is a city and a seaside resort in northwestern Poland on the island of Wolin on the Baltic coast. The city is located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, and is a seat of the Kamień County and th ...

and Dziwnów , style='border-style: none solid solid dotted;' colspan="1", , - style="text-align:center;" , rowspan="3" style="background:#c2e6ff; text-align:left;", Polish terminology
(corresponding English term) , colspan="11", Pomorze Zachodnie
(Western Pomerania)
Pomorze Nadodrzańskie
(

Pomerania)
, colspan="7", Pomorze Wschodnie
(Eastern Pomerania)
Pomorze Nadwiślańskie
(

Pomerania)
before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

simply Pomorze
(Pomerelia, literally Pomerania)
before

, part of the wider Prusy Królewskie
(Royal Prussia) , - style="text-align:center;" , colspan="6", Pomorze Zaodrzańskie
(Trans-Oder Pomerania)
Pomorze Wołogoskie
(Wołogoszcz or german: Wolgast Pomerania) , colspan="3", Pomorze Szczecińskie
(Szczecin Pomerania)
Pomorze Zachodnie w węższym znaczeniu
(Western Pomerania in narrower sense)
, colspan="2", Pomorze Środkowe
(Middle Pomerania)
Pomorze Koszalińsko-Słupskie
(Koszalin and Słupsk Pomerania) , colspan="6", Pomorze Gdańskie
(Gdańsk Pomerania)
, rowspan="2", Ziemia chełmińska
(

)
ethnocultural region
, - style="text-align:center;" , colspan="7", Pomorze Przednie
(Hither Pomerania, Fore Pomerania) in modern usage the part located in Germany only , colspan="4", Pomorze Tylne
(Farther/Further Pomerania, Rear Pomerania) usage limited mainly to translations of German texts , colspan="3", Kaszuby
(Kashubia)
ethnocultural region
areas south-east of Chojnice (

Czarna Woda Czarna Woda (; formerly german: Schwarzwasser) is a town in Starogard County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 2,735 inhabitants as of December 2021. The town's name translates to "Black Water". Gallery File:Most kolejowy Chojnice - Tcz ...

, Czersk): Bory Tucholskie
(

)
ethnocultural region,
Kosznajderia
former ethnocultural region , colspan="2",

ethnocultural region , Bory Tucholskie
(

)
ethnocultural region,
Kosznajderia
former ethnocultural region , - style="text-align:center;" , rowspan="2" style="background:#c2e6ff; text-align:left;", Kashubian terminology
(corresponding English term) , colspan="11" rowspan="2", Zôpadnô Pòmòrskô
(Western Pomerania) , colspan="1" rowspan="1", Lãbòrskò-bëtowskô Zemia
(

)
, colspan="6" rowspan="1", Pòrénkòwô Pòmòrskô
(Eastern Pomerania) , - style="text-align:center;" , colspan="3" rowspan="1" , Kaszëbë
(Kashubia
ethnocultural region) , colspan="2" rowspan="1", Kòcéwskô (

)
ethnocultural region , colspan="1" rowspan="1", Tëchòlsczé Bòrë (

)
ethnocultural region,
Kòsznajderiô (Kosznajderia)
former ethnocultural region , colspan="1" rowspan="1", Chełmińskô Zemia (

)
ethnocultural region

History

Prehistory to the Middle Ages (circa 400 A.D. – 1400 A.D.)

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 In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

and

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

Baltic peoples The Balts or Baltic peoples ( lt, baltai, lv, balti) are an ethno-linguistic group of peoples who speak the Baltic languages of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. One of the features of Baltic languages is the number ...

Germanic peoples The Germanic peoples were historical groups of people that once occupied Central Europe and Scandinavia during antiquity and into the early Middle Ages. Since the 19th century, they have traditionally been defined by the use of ancient and ear ...

and Veneti during the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

and, in the Dark Ages, West Slavic tribes and

Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

.Jan M Piskorski, ''Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten'', 1999, pp.18ff, Horst Wernicke, ''Greifswald, Geschichte der Stadt'', Helms, 2000, pp.16ff, Johannes Hoops, Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde, Walter de Gruyter, p.422, Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, pp.22,23, Joachim Herrmann, ''Die Slawen in Deutschland'', Akademie-Verlag Berlin, 1985, pp.pp.237ff,244ff Starting in 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 The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

in the late 12th century.Joachim Herrmann, ''Die Slawen in Deutschland'', Akademie-Verlag Berlin, 1985, pp.261,345ffNora Berend, ''Christianization and the Rise of Christian Monarchy: Scandinavia, Central Europe and Rus' C. 900–1200'', Cambridge University Press, 2007, p.293, , David Warner, ''Ottonian Germany: The Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg'', Manchester University Press, 2001, p.358, , Michael Borgolte, Benjamin Scheller, ''Polen und Deutschland vor 1000 Jahren: Die Berliner Tagung über den "Akt von Gnesen"'', Akademie Verlag, 2002, p.282, ,

, 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 the 12th century, the

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 ...

(western part), as a vassal state of Poland, became Christian under saint

Otto of Bamberg Otto of Bamberg (1060 or 1061 – 30 June 1139) was a German missionary and papal legate who converted much of medieval Pomerania to Christianity. He was the bishop of Bamberg from 1102 until his death. He was canonized in 1189. Early life T ...

(''the Apostle of the Pomeranians''); at the same time Pomerelia (eastern part) became a part of

diocese of Włocławek In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

within Poland. Since the late 12th-early 13th century, the

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon ( Ancient Greek: , ''gryps''; Classical Latin: ''grȳps'' or ''grȳpus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and ...

stayed with the Holy Roman Empire and the

Principality of Rugia A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

with Denmark, while Pomerelia, under the ruling of

Samborides The Samborides () or House of Sobiesław () were a ruling dynasty in the historic region of Pomerelia. They were first documented about 1155 as governors (''princeps'') in the Eastern Pomeranian lands serving the royal Piast dynasty of Poland ...

, was a part of Poland.Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, 1999, pp.35ff, Gerhard Krause, Horst Robert Balz, Gerhard Müller, ''Theologische Realenzyklopädie'', Walter de Gruyter, 1997, pp.40ff, Jan M. Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, 1999, p.43, Pomerania, during its alliance in the

, shared borders with West Slavic state Oldenburg, as well as Poland and the expanding

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 ...

. In the early 14th century the

Teutonic Knights 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 o ...

invaded and annexed Pomerelia from Poland into their monastic state, which already included historical

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

. As a result of the Teutonic rule, in German terminology the name of Prussia was also extended to conquered Polish lands like

Gdańsk Pomerania Gdańsk Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze Gdańskie), csb, Gduńsczim Pòmòrzã, german: Danziger Pommern) is a geographical region within Pomerelia in northern and northwestern Poland, covering the bulk of Pomeranian Voivodeship. It forms a part and ...

, although it was not inhabited by

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages *Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originatin ...

Prussians but Lechitic Poles. Meanwhile, the

Ostsiedlung (, literally "East-settling") is the term for the Early Medieval and High Medieval migration-period when ethnic Germans moved into the territories in the eastern part of Francia, East Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire (that Germans had a ...

started to turn Slavic narrow Pomerania into an increasingly German-settled area; the remaining

Wends Wends ( ang, Winedas ; non, Vindar; german: Wenden , ; da, vendere; sv, vender; pl, Wendowie, cz, Wendové) is a historical name for Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It refers not to a homogeneous people, but to various people ...

and Polish people, often known as

, continued to settle within Pomerelia.Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, 1999, pp.77ff, In 1325 the line of the princes of Rügen died out, and the principality was inherited by the Griffins.

Renaissance (circa 1400–1700) to Early Modern Age

In 1466, with 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 ...

's defeat in the Thirteen Years' War, Pomerelia became again subject to 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 ...

and formed the

within the province of

. While the German population in the Duchy of Pomerania adopted the

Protestant reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and i ...

in 1534,Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, pp.205–212, Gerhard Krause, Horst Robert Balz, Gerhard Müller, ''Theologische Realenzyklopädie'', Walter de Gruyter, 1997, pp.43ff, the Polish (along with Kashubian) population remained with the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of batt ...

severely ravaged and depopulated narrow Pomerania; few years later this same happened to Pomerelia (''the

Deluge A deluge is a large downpour of rain, often a flood. The Deluge refers to the flood narrative in the Biblical book of Genesis. Deluge may also refer to: History *Deluge (history), the Swedish and Russian invasion of the Polish-Lithuanian Com ...

''). With the extinction of the

Griffin house Griffin House may refer to: People *Griffin House (musician), American musician Places ;in Canada * Griffin House (Ancaster), a 19th-century house and museum, site along the Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clan ...

during the same period, the Duchy of Pomerania was divided between the

Swedish Empire The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries ( sv, Stormaktstiden, "the Era of Great Power"). The beginning of the empire is usually ta ...

and

Brandenburg-Prussia Brandenburg-Prussia (german: Brandenburg-Preußen; ) is the historiographic denomination for the early modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohe ...

in 1648, while Pomerelia remained in with the Polish Crown.

Modern Age

German Empire - Prussia - Pomerania (1871)

gained the southern parts of

Swedish Pomerania Swedish Pomerania ( sv, Svenska Pommern; german: Schwedisch-Pommern) was a dominion under the Swedish Crown from 1630 to 1815 on what is now the Baltic coast of Germany and Poland. Following the Polish War and the Thirty Years' War, Sweden held ...

in 1720,Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, invaded and annexed Pomerelia from Poland in 1772 and 1793, and gained the remainder of Swedish Pomerania in 1815, after the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...

. The former Brandenburg-Prussian Pomerania and the former Swedish parts were reorganized into the Prussian Province of Pomerania, while Pomerelia was made part of the Province of West Prussia. With Prussia, both provinces joined the newly constituted

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

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, Pomorze Gdańskie/ Pomerelia was returned to the rebuilt Polish state as part of the so-called Polish Corridor), while German-majority Gdansk/Danzig was transformed into the independent

Free City of Danzig The Free City of Danzig (german: Freie Stadt Danzig; pl, Wolne Miasto Gdańsk; csb, Wòlny Gard Gduńsk) was a city-state under the protection of the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig (now Gda ...

. In 1938 Germany's Province of Pomerania was expanded to include northern parts of the former Province of Posen–West Prussia, and in late 1939 the annexed Pomorze Gdańskie/Polish Corridor became part of the wartime

Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia (german: Reichsgau Danzig-Westpreußen) was an administrative division of Nazi Germany created on 8 October 1939 from annexed territory of the Free City of Danzig, the Greater Pomeranian Voivodship ( Polish Corridor ...

. The

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

deported the Pomeranian Jews to a reservation near Lublin in Pomerelia. 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 deportation, their homes taken over by the German military and civil servants, as well as some Baltic Germans resettled there between 1940 and 1943. After

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

's defeat in World War II, the German–Polish border was shifted west to the

, and all of Pomerania was in the

Soviet Occupation Zone The Soviet Occupation Zone ( or german: Ostzone, label=none, "East Zone"; , ''Sovetskaya okkupatsionnaya zona Germanii'', "Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany") was an area of Germany in Central Europe that was occupied by the Soviet Union as a ...

.Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, The German inhabitants of the

former eastern territories of Germany The former eastern territories of Germany (german: Ehemalige deutsche Ostgebiete) refer in present-day Germany to those territories east of the current eastern border of Germany i.e. Oder–Neisse line which historically had been considered Ger ...

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 the flight and expulsions is disputed, with low-range estimates in the hundreds of thousands (see:

Flight and Expulsion of Germans 1944-1950 Flight or flying is the process by which an object (physics), object motion (physics), moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space ...

). 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 Operation Vistula ( pl, Akcja Wisła; uk, Опера́ція «Ві́сла») was a codename for the 1947 forced resettlement of 150,000 Ukrainians (Boykos and Lemkos) from the south-eastern provinces of post-war Poland, to the Recovered Te ...

) and few

Polish Jews The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the l ...

. Most of Hither or

(''Vorpommern'') remained in Germany, and most of 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

, while the Polish part is divided mainly between the West Pomeranian, Pomeranian voivodeships, with their capitals in Szczecin and

. During the 1980s, the

Solidarity ''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dicti ...

and ''

Die Wende The Peaceful Revolution (german: Friedliche Revolution), as a part of the Revolutions of 1989, was the process of sociopolitical change that led to the opening of East Germany's borders with the West, the end of the ruling of the Socialist Unity ...

'' ("the change") movements overthrew 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 Espírito Santo (, , ; ) is a state in southeastern Brazil. Its capital is Vitória, and its largest city is Serra. With an extensive coastline, the state hosts some of the country's main ports, and its beaches are significant tourist attra ...

since the early 1930s. Their importance and respect are one of the cultural signatures of the area. The Brazilian city of

Pomerode Pomerode () is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Santa Catarina, in Southern Brazil. It is located in the valley of the Itajaí-Açu river, not very far from the city of Blumenau, one of the largest cities in the state. Pomerode is know ...

(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.

Demographics

The German part of

is inhabited by

German Pomeranians The Pomeranians (german: Pommern) are a German people native to the historical region of Pomerania. In modern times, its population inhabits Germany, including the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.Paulus Gijsbertus Johannes Post, P. Post, G. Rouwh ...

. In other parts, Poles are the dominant ethnic group since the

territorial changes of Poland after World War II At the end of World War II, Poland underwent major changes to the location of its international border. In 1945, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, the Oder–Neisse line became its western border, resulting in gaining the Recovered Territories ...

, and the resulting

Polonization Polonization (or Polonisation; pl, polonizacja)In Polish historiography, particularly pre-WWII (e.g., L. Wasilewski. As noted in Смалянчук А. Ф. (Smalyanchuk 2001) Паміж краёвасцю і нацыянальнай ідэя� ...

, descendants of the medieval West Slavic Pomeranians, are numerous in rural Pomerelia. German

Hither Pomerania Historical Western Pomerania, also called Cispomerania, Fore Pomerania, Front Pomerania or Hither Pomerania (german: Vorpommern), is the western extremity of the historic region of Pomerania forming the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, West ...

had a population of about 470,000 in 2012 (districts of

and

combined) – while the Polish districts of Hither Pomerania had a population of about 580,000 in 2012 (

and

cities with powiat rights A city with powiat rights ( pl, miasto na prawach powiatu) is in Poland a designation denoting 66 of the 107 cities (the urban gminas which are governed by a city mayor or ''prezydent miasta'') which exercise also the powers and duties of a Powiat, ...

Police County __NOTOC__ Police County ( pl, powiat policki, ) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-western Poland, on the Polish- German border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a re ...

, as well as Goleniów

and

gminas combined). So overall, about 1.15 million people live in the historical region of Hither Pomerania today, while the Szczecin metropolitan area reaches even further. Pomerelia is dominated by the Tricity

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually ...

(Pomeranian Voivodeship) with its population in 2012 estimated at least at 1,035,000 and the area at 1,332,51 km², encompassing the Tricity itself with a population of 748,986 combining the eponymous three cities of

(population 460,427),

(population 248,726) and

(population 38,217), as well as the

with a population of 120,158 people (2012), formed by the City of

(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

and

belonging to the eponymous urban-rural gminas, and a number of rural gminas.

Cities in Pomerania

Altogether, there are 16 cities in 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 ( pl, prezydent miasta) instead of a town mayor ( pl, burmistrz), with 9 of them holding the status of a

city with powiat rights A city with powiat rights ( pl, miasto na prawach powiatu) is in Poland a designation denoting 66 of the 107 cities (the urban gminas which are governed by a city mayor or ''prezydent miasta'') which exercise also the powers and duties of a county ...

( pl, miasto na prawach powiatu, an

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

), as well as the 2 municipalities in Germany holding the status of a district-belonging city (german: link=no, Große kreisangehörige Stadt), as no city of the German part of Pomerania holds currently any higher status, such as a partially of fully

(german: link=no, Große selbständige Stadt, ''Kreisfreie Stadt'', or ''Stadtkreis''), or a

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

(german: link=no, Stadtstaat).

Cities in the historical region of Hither Pomerania

(

): 408,913; up to 763,321 in the metropolitan area *

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin, N ...

( Vorpommern-Rügen district,

): 59,418 *

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (german: Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rosto ...

(

Low German : : : : : (70,000) (30,000) (8,000) , familycolor = Indo-European , fam2 = Germanic , fam3 = West Germanic , fam4 = North Sea Germanic , ancestor = Old Saxon , ancestor2 = Middle ...

: ''Griepswohld'';

Vorpommern-Greifswald district Vorpommern-Greifswald is a district in the east of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Rügen, the Baltic Sea, Poland (West Pomeranian Voivod ...

): 59,232 *

(

, West Pomeranian Voivodeship); 40,864 * In addition, the Brandenburgian city of

Schwedt Schwedt (or Schwedt/Oder; ) is a town in Brandenburg, in northeastern Germany. With the official status of a ''Große Kreisstadt, Große kreisangehörige Stadt'' (major district town), it is the largest town of the Uckermark (district), Uckermark ...

expanded in the contemporary times, so that its neighbourhoods north of

Welse Welse is a river of Brandenburg, Germany. It flows into the Hohensaaten-Friedrichsthaler Wasserstraße, a shipping canal parallel to the Oder, north of Schwedt. See also *List of rivers of Brandenburg A list of rivers of Brandenburg, Germany ...

are located in historical Hither Pomeraniq File:Szczecin Zamek Ksiazat Pomorskich (od pln-zach).jpg,

File:Stralsund, Blick von der Marienkirche (2013-07-07-), by Klugschnacker in Wikipedia (7).JPG,

Cities in the historical region of Farther Pomerania

Koszalin Koszalin (pronounced ; csb, Kòszalëno; formerly german: Köslin, ) is a city in northwestern Poland, in Western Pomerania. It is located south of the Baltic Sea coast, and intersected by the river Dzierżęcinka. Koszalin is also a county-sta ...

(

, West Pomeranian Voivodeship): 109,343 *

(

): 94,849 *

Stargard Stargard (; 1945: ''Starogród'', 1950–2016: ''Stargard Szczeciński''; formerly German language, German: ''Stargard in Pommern'', or ''Stargard an der Ihna''; csb, Stôrgard) is a city in northwestern Poland, located in the West Pomeranian V ...

( Stargard County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship): 69,724 *

Kołobrzeg Kołobrzeg ( ; csb, Kòlbrzég; german: Kolberg, ), ; csb, Kòlbrzég , is a port city in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in north-western Poland with about 47,000 inhabitants (). Kołobrzeg is located on the Parsęta River on the south coast ...

(

Kołobrzeg County __NOTOC__ Kołobrzeg County ( pl, powiat kołobrzeski) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in West Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-western Poland, on the Baltic coast. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a res ...

, West Pomeranian Voivodeship); 46,259

Cities in the historical region of Pomerelia

* Tricity (Pomeranian Voivodeship): 748,986; the Tricity

(Pomeranian Voivodeship): population in 2012; at least 1,035,000 area 1,332,51 km² **

(

, Pomeranian Voivodeship): 460,427 **

(

, Pomeranian Voivodeship): 248,726 **

(

, Pomeranian Voivodeship): 38,217 *

(

): 205,934 * Grudziądz (

, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship): 96,042 *

( Tczew County, Pomeranian Voivodeship): 60,279 *

( Wejherowo County, Pomeranian Voivodeship): 50,375 *

(

Starogard County __NOTOC__ Starogard County ( pl, powiat starogardzki, csb, Starogarda kréj) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Pomeranian Voivodeship, northern Poland. The name is a combination of two terms: stari which is ...

, Pomeranian Voivodeship): 44,470 File:Długie Pobrzeże in Gdańsk (Motława).jpg,

Culture

Languages and dialects

In the German part of Pomerania,

Standard German Standard High German (SHG), less precisely Standard German or High German (not to be confused with High German dialects, more precisely Upper German dialects) (german: Standardhochdeutsch, , or, in Switzerland, ), is the standardized variety ...

and the East Low German Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch and Central Pomeranian dialects are spoken, though Standard German dominates. Polish is the dominating language in the Polish part; Kashubian dialects are also spoken by the

in Pomerelia. East Pomeranian, the East Low German dialect of Farther Pomerania and western Pomerelia,

Low Prussian Low Prussian (german: Niederpreußisch), sometimes known simply as Prussian (''Preußisch''), is a moribund dialect of East Low German that developed in East Prussia. Low Prussian was spoken in East and West Prussia and Danzig up to 1945. In D ...

, the East Low German dialect of eastern Pomerelia, and

were dominating in Pomerania east of the Oder-Neisse line before most of its speakers were expelled after World War II. Slovincian was spoken at the Farther Pomeranian–Pomerelian frontier, but is now extinct. Kashubian and East Low German are also spoken by the descendants of émigrées, most notably in the Americas (e.g. Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Canada).

Cuisine

: ''For typical food and beverages of the region, see Pomeranian cuisine.''

Museums

Wik 22 Szczecin Pałac Sejmu Stanów Pomorskich

At least 50 museums in Poland cover the history of Pomerania, the most important of them being the

District Museum in Toruń Toruń Regional Museum ( pl, Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu), located in the ''Ratusz'' hall of Toruń, is one of the oldest and largest museums in Poland. It started in 1594 as the mere Cabinet of Curiosities at the library of the academic Gimnazju ...

, the Museum in Grudziądz, the National Museum in

, the

National Maritime Museum, Gdańsk The National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk ( pl, Narodowe Muzeum Morskie) is a maritime museum in Gdańsk, Poland, established on 1 January 1962. It is dedicated to gathering, researching and preserving artifacts and documents concerning ship transpo ...

, the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, 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

, the Darłowo Museum, the

Museum, the

Museum of Polish Arms The Museum of Polish Arms ( pl, Muzeum Oręża Polskiego) is a museum in Kołobrzeg, Poland. Its main feature is a collection of militaria related to the military of Poland from the early Middle Ages to the present. In addition to its military c ...

in Kołobrzeg, the Museum of Archeology and History in Stargard, the

National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...

, and the Museum of Maritime Fisheries in Świnoujście, The

Pomeranian State Museum The Pomeranian State Museum (german: Pommersches Landesmuseum) in Greifswald, Western Pomerania, is a public museum primarily dedicated to Pomeranian history and arts. The largest exhibitions show archeological findings and artefacts from the ...

, as well as the

Stralsund Museum The Stralsund Museum (until 2015: ''Stralsund Museum of Cultural History'', ''Kulturhistorisches Museum'') is museum in the Hanseatic city Stralsund, Germany. It is headquartered in a former convent of the Dominicans, the St. Catherine's Monast ...

, both have a variety of archeological findings and artefacts dedicated to the history of Pomerania from the different periods covered in this article.

Education

Universities

There are four traditional (non-profiled and multi-faculty,

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness ...

) universities in the region, namely the

University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; german: Universität Greifswald), formerly also known as “Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald“, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pom ...

, the

University of Szczecin The University of Szczecin ( pl, Uniwersytet Szczeciński) is a public university in Szczecin, western Poland. It is the biggest university in West Pomerania, with 33,267 students and a staff of nearly 1,200. It consists of 9 faculties: # Facul ...

, the University of Gdańsk and the

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń or NCU ( pl, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika w Toruniu, UMK) is located in Toruń, Poland. It is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, who was born in Toruń in 1473.University of Greifswald The University of Greifswald (; german: Universität Greifswald), formerly also known as “Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald“, is a public research university located in Greifswald, Germany, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pom ...

, was founded when

belonged to

, thus being one of the oldest universities in the world.

Economy

Agriculture primarily consists of raising livestock, forestry, fishery, and the cultivation of

cereals A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food ...

sugar beets Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

, and potatoes. Industrial food processing is increasingly relevant in the region. Key producing industries are

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance ...

s, mechanical engineering facilities (i.a.

renewable energy Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

components), and

sugar refineries A sugar refinery is a refinery which processes raw sugar from cane or beets into white refined sugar. Many cane sugar mills produce raw sugar, which is sugar that still contains molasses, giving it more colour (and impurities) than the white ...

, along with paper and wood fabricators. Service industries today are an important economical factor in Pomerania, most notably with logistics, information technology,

life science Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...

biotechnology Biotechnology is the integration of natural sciences and engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms, cells, parts thereof and molecular analogues for products and services. The term ''biotechnology'' was first used ...

, health care, and other

high-tech High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...

branches often

cluster may refer to: Science and technology Astronomy * Cluster (spacecraft), constellation of four European Space Agency spacecraft * Asteroid cluster, a small asteroid family * Cluster II (spacecraft), a European Space Agency mission to study th ...

ing around research facilities of the Pomeranian universities. Since the late 19th century, tourism has been an important sector of the economy, primarily in the numerous

seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germa ...

s along the coast.

Gallery

File:Stralsunder Rathaus mit Schaufassade, dahinter die Nikolaikirche-2630.jpg,

, one of several

Hanseatic cities The Hanseatic League (; gml, Hanse, , ; german: label= Modern German, Deutsche Hanse) was a medieval commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Central and Northern Europe. Growing from a few North German tow ...

built in typical

Brick Gothic Brick Gothic (german: Backsteingotik, pl, Gotyk ceglany, nl, Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resourc ...

style. File:Wik 21 klasztor Police - Jasienica.jpg, Ruins of

Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–1 ...

' cloister in

Jasienica, Police Jasienica (german: Jasenitz) is a district of Police, Poland, a town in the Pomerania Region. In the High and Late Middle Ages, the village was the site of Jasenitz Abbey, now in ruins. Gunica River and a kayak-way In Jasienica there is a co ...

. File:2010.10.02 PELPLIN (16).jpg, Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Pelplin, one of the largest churches in Poland File:Poland Gniew - castle.jpg,

' castle in

, Pomerelia.

Footnotes

External links

Internet directories

* * * *

Culture and history

Pomeranian dukes castle in Szczecin (Polish, German, English)

*
Collection of historical eBooks about Pomerania (German)
*

Maps of Pomerania

* Map of Pomerania as in 1905, in German Wikipedia
Woiewództwa Pomorskie i Małborskie oraz Pomerania Elektorska, G.B.A.Rizzi-Zannoni 1772

* ttp://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/pomerania.htm Pomerania in 1789 {{Authority control Divided regions Historical regions Historical regions in Germany Historical regions in Poland Holocaust locations in Poland