The Bishopric of Cammin (also Kammin, Kamień Pomorski) was both a former Roman Catholic

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, 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 Roman province, prov ...

in the

Duchy of Pomerania The Duchy of Pomerania (; ; 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 existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–11 ...

from 1140 to 1544, and a secular territory of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

(

Prince-Bishopric A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to ''Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the Bi ...

) in the

Kołobrzeg Kołobrzeg (; ; ) is a port and spa 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 of the Baltic Sea (in the middle of the section ...

area from 1248 to 1650. The diocese comprised the areas controlled by the

House of Pomerania The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty, (; , ; Latin: ''Gryphes''), or House of Pomerania (see ), 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 ...

in the 12th century, thus differing from the later territory of the

by the exclusion of the

Principality of Rügen The Principality of Rügen was a Medieval Denmark, Danish principality, formerly a duchy, consisting of the island of Rügen and the adjacent mainland from 1168 until 1325. It was governed by a local dynasty of princes of the ''Wizlawiden'' (''Hou ...

and inclusion of

Circipania Circipania () was a medieval territory in what is now northeastern Germany. The name derives from Latin ''circum'' (around) and ''Pane'' (the Peene River). The region was enclosed roughly by the upper Recknitz, Trebel and Peene rivers, the west ...

Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy in Northern Germany consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district (the former Lordship of Stargard) ...

, and the northern

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

and

New March The Neumark (), also known as the New March () or as East Brandenburg (), was a region of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and its successors located east of the Oder River in territory which became part of Poland in 1945 except some villages of ...

. The diocese was rooted in the

Conversion of Pomerania Medieval Pomerania was converted from Slavic paganism to Christianity under Bolesław III Wrymouth, by bishop Otto of Bamberg in 1124 and 1128 (Duchy of Pomerania), and in 1168 by Absalon (Principality of Rügen). Earlier attempts at Christiani ...

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 Thr ...

in 1124 and 1128 at the behest of Polish ruler

Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth (; 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 1107 and 1138. He was the onl ...

, and was dissolved during the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

, when the Pomeranian nobility adopted

Lutheranism Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

in 1534 and the last pre-reformatory bishop died in 1544. The Catholic diocese was succeeded by the

Pomeranian Evangelical Church The Pomeranian Evangelical Church (; PEK) was a Protestant regional church in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, serving the citizens living in Hither Pomerania. The Pomeranian Evangelical Church was based on the teachings brought forw ...

and suppressed until 1945, when its new incarnation, the Apostolic Administration of Kamień, Lubusz and the Prelature of Piła was re-established, succeeded by the Diocese of Szczecin-Kamień in 1972, elevated to

Archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamień 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 associated ...

in 1992. From west to east, the diocese bordered the dioceses of

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Low German: ''Swerin''; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Zwierzyn''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germ ...

Havelberg Havelberg () is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Havel, and part of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river. The two parts were incorporated as a town in 1875. It has a populati ...

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

Lubusz Lebus () is a historic town in the Märkisch-Oderland District of Brandenburg, Germany. It is the administrative seat of '' Amt'' ("collective municipality") Lebus. The town, located on the west bank of the Oder river at the border with Poland, wa ...

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

Gniezno Gniezno (; ; ) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The city is the administrative seat of Gniezno County (''powiat'') ...

and

Włocławek Włocławek (; or ''Alt Lesle'', Yiddish: וולאָצלאַוועק, romanized: ''Vlatzlavek'') is a city in the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship in central Poland along the Vistula River, bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park ...

. The cathedral complex in Kamień Pomorski is listed as a Historic Monument of Poland.

History

Christianisation

In 1000, the

Diocese of Kołobrzeg 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 associated ...

was founded by Polish monarch

Bolesław I the Brave Bolesław I the Brave (17 June 1025), less often List of people known as the Great, known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025 and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia between 1003 and 1004 as Boles ...

, covering ecclesiastical authority over the region of

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

. Later on, it was suppressed, and the ecclesiastical authority was held by the

Archdiocese of Gniezno The Archdiocese of Gniezno (, ) is the oldest Latin Catholic archdiocese in Poland, located in the city of Gniezno.

. After Duke

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

had conquered Pomerania until 1121/22, Saint

between 1124 and 1128 Christianised the area. Otto's first mission in 1124 followed a failed mission by eremite Bernard in 1122, and was initiated by Bolesław with the approval of both

Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III, sometimes numbered Lothair II and also known as Lothair of Supplinburg ( June 1075 – 4 December 1137), was Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 until his death. He was appointed Duke of Saxony in 1106 and elected King of Germany in 1125 be ...

, and

Pope Callixtus II Pope Callixtus II or Callistus II ( – 13 December 1124), born Guy of Burgundy, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from February 1119 to his death in 1124. His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy ...

. Otto's second mission in 1128 was initiated by Lothair after a pagan reaction.

Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania Wartislaw I (''Warcisław I''; – August 9, 1135) was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin Dynasty. Most of the information about him comes from the writings on the life of Otto of Bamberg. He ...

supported and aided both missions. Between the missions, he had expanded his duchy westward, up to

Güstrow Güstrow (; ) is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in north-eastern Germany. It is capital of the Rostock (district), Rostock district; Rostock itself is a district-free city and regiopolis. It has a population of 28,999 (2020) and is the sevent ...

.Jan M Piskorski, ''Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten'', 1999, p. 41, These former Lutician areas were not subject to Polish overlordship, but claimed by the

.Kyra Inachim, ''Die Geschichte Pommerns'', Rostock: Hinstorff, 2008, p. 17, Norbert Buske, ''Pommern'', Schwerin: Helms, 1997, p. 11, Otto during his lifetime did not succeed in founding a diocese, caused by a conflict of the archbishops of

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

and

about ecclesiastical hegemony in the area.Kyra Inachim, ''Die Geschichte Pommerns'', Rostock: Hinstorff, 2008, p. 15, : "Zunächst waren die kirchlichen Verhältnisse noch ungeordnet, da sowohl Gnesen als auch Magdeburg Ansprüche auf die neue Kirchenprovinz erhoben. Erst nach dem Tod des Pommernapostels Otto von Bamberg (1139) bestätigte Papst Innozenz II. 1140 das pommersche Landesbistum und unterstellte die ''Pomeraniae ecclesia'' dem Schutz des Heiligen Petrus. Es entstand ein unabhängiges pommersches Bistum mit Sitz in Wollin (Jumne)." Otto died in 1139.

Establishment and early history

Pope Innocent II Pope Innocent II (; died 24 September 1143), born Gregorio Papareschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 February 1130 to his death in 1143. His election as Pope was controversial, and the first eight years o ...

founded the diocese by a

papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

of 14 October 1140, and made the church of St. Adalbert at

Wolin Wolin (; ) is a Polish island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast. Administratively, the island belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Wolin is separated from the island of Usedom (Uznam) by the Strait of Świna, and from mainla ...

island the see of the diocese.Norbert Buske, ''Pommern'', Schwerin: Helms, 1997, p. 14, In the bull, the new diocese was placed "under the protection of the see of the Holy Peter", thwarting ambitions of the archbishops of

and

, who both wanted to incorporate the new diocese as

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church, a suffragan bishop leads a diocese within an ecclesiastical province other than the principal diocese, the metropolitan archdiocese; the diocese led ...

into their archdioceses.

Adalbert Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names incl ...

, a former chaplain of Saint Otto who had participated in Otto's mission as an interpreter and assistant, was consecrated bishop at Rome.Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, p. 29, Adalbert and

Ratibor I Ratibor I (''Racibor'') ( 1124 – 1156) of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins'') was Duke of Pomerania. He was married to Pribislawa, and was the ancestor of the ''Ratiborides'' sideline of the Griffins. Initially he might have ruled the Land of ...

founded Stolpe Abbey at the side of Wartislaw I's assassination by a pagan in 1153, the first monastery in Pomerania. The bishops held the title of ''Pomeranorum'' or ''Pomeranorum et Leuticorum episcopus'', referring to the tribal territories of the Pomeranians and

Luticians The Lutici or Liutizi (known by various spelling variants) were a federation of West Slavic Polabian tribes, who between the 10th and 12th centuries lived in what is now northeastern Germany. Four tribes made up the core of the federation: t ...

merged in the

.Wolfgang Wilhelminus et al., ''Pommern: Geschichte, Kultur, Wissenschaft'', University of Greifswald, 1990, p. 57 In the late 12th century the territory of the

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

dukes was raided several times by

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

troops of

Henry the Lion Henry the Lion (; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty. Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of ...

and Danish forces under King

Valdemar I Valdemar I Knudsen (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great (), was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zenith under his s ...

. The initial see of in

was moved to Grobe Abbey on the island of

Usedom Usedom ( , ) 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 lies north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the ...

after 1150.Norbert Buske, ''Pommern'', Schwerin: Helms, 1997, pp. 14–15, At the same time Wolin economically decayed and was devastated by Danish expeditions, which contributed to the move to Grobe.Jan M Piskorski, ''Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten'', 1999, p. 48, The see was again moved to Cammin, now Kamień Pomorski, in 1175,Kyra Inachim, ''Die Geschichte Pommerns'', Rostock: Hinstorff, 2008, p. 16, where a

chapter Chapter or Chapters may refer to: Books * Chapter (books), a main division of a piece of writing or document * Chapter book, a story book intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7–10 * Chapters (bookstore), Canadian big box bookstore ...

was founded for the Cathedral of ''St. John the Baptist''. All this time, the question of subordinance of the Pomeranian diocese as suffragan to an archdiocese remained unsolved. Since 1188, when the pope accepted the move of the see, the bishopric was referred to as "Roman Catholic Diocese of Cammin", while before it was addressed as ''Pomeranensis ecclesia'', Pomeranian diocese.Norbert Buske, ''Pommern'', Schwerin: Helms, 1997, p. 15, The pope furthermore placed the bishopric as an exempt diocese directly under the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

. Since 1208, the bishops held the title ''Caminensis episcopus''. The area of the diocese resembled the area controlled by Wartislaw I and his brother and successor,

. The northern border was defined by the coastline and the border with the

(

Ryck The Ryck is a river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. From its source near Bartmannshagen, part of the Süderholz community northeast of Grimmen, the Ryck flows for about to the east, reaching Greifswald shortly before its mouth. The large ...

river). In the West, the diocese included

up to

. In the Southwest, the border of the diocese ran south to a line Güstrow-

Ivenack Ivenack is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Se ...

Altentreptow Altentreptow () is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Tollense in Western Pomerania, 15 km north of Neubrandenburg. Until 1939 the city's name was ''Tr ...

in a near straight west–east orientation, then took a sharp southward turn west of

Ueckermünde Ueckermünde () is a seaport town in northeast Germany, located in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, Pomerania, Western Pomerania, near Germany's border with Poland's Police County. Ueckermünde has a long and varied history, going back to ...

to include

Prenzlau Prenzlau (; ) is a town in Brandenburg, in north-eastern Germany, the administrative seat of Uckermark District. It is also the centre of the historic Uckermark region. Geography The town is located on the Ucker river, about north of Berlin. ...

. The border then turned east to meet the

Oder The Oder ( ; Czech and ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and its largest tributary the Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows through wes ...

river south of

Gartz Gartz is a border town in the Uckermark district in Brandenburg, in north-eastern Germany. It is located on the West bank of the Oder River, on the border with Poland, about south of Szczecin, Poland. It is located within the historic region of W ...

and followed the Oder to the

Warta The river Warta ( , ; ; ) rises in central Poland and meanders greatly through the Polish Plain in a north-westerly direction to flow into the Oder at Kostrzyn nad Odrą on Poland's border with Germany. About long, it the second-longest riv ...

confluence to include

Cedynia Cedynia (; , ) is a small historic town in Poland, and the administrative seat of Gmina Cedynia in Gryfino County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is situated close to the Oder river and the border with Germany. The town is known for the 972 B ...

. In the South, the diocese border ran immediately north of the Warthe to include Gorzów and

Myślibórz Myślibórz (; ) is a town in northwestern Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of the Myślibórz County, with a population of 11,867. It is home to the first monastery of the Congregation of Sisters of Merciful Jesus and a ...

. The southeastern border left the Warthe area with a sharp turn running straight north to

Drawsko Pomorskie Drawsko Pomorskie (until 1948 ; ) is a town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northwestern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Drawsko County and the urban-rural commune of Gmina Drawsko Pomorskie. As of December 2021, the town has a ...

, then turned eastwards south of the town to include

Czaplinek Czaplinek (; ) is a town in Drawsko County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland, with 7,012 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is situated between Drawsko and Czaplino lakes. The former name of ''Tempelburg'' refers to the Templar Knights, w ...

. Then, after a southeast turn, it turned northeast towards

Bytów Bytów (; ; ) is a town in the Gdańsk Pomerania region of northern Poland with 16,730 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is the capital of Bytów County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. In the early Middle Ages a fortified stronghold stood nea ...

. The eastern border ran east of Bytów and west of

Lębork Lębork (; ; ) is a town on the Łeba River, Łeba and Okalica rivers in the Gdańsk Pomerania region in northern Poland. It is the capital of Lębork County in Pomeranian Voivodeship. Its population is 37,000. History Middle Ages The region fo ...

to meet the seacoast east of .Jan M Piskorski citing Hermann Hoogeweg, ''Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten'', 1999, p. 98, When Emperor

Frederick I Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (; ), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aa ...

deposed Henry the Lion in 1180 he granted Pomerania under Bogislaw I the status of an

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

duchy, but from 1185 it was a Danish fief until the 1227 Battle of Bornhöved. In 1248, the Cammin bishops and the

Pomeranian dukes This is a list of the duchies and dukes of Pomerania. Dukes of the Slavic Pomeranian tribes (All Pomerania) The lands of Pomerania were firstly ruled by local tribes, who settled in Pomerania around the 10th and 11th centuries. Non-dynastic ...

had interchanged the ''terrae''

Stargard Stargard (; 1945: ''Starogród'', 1950–2016: ''Stargard Szczeciński''; or ''Stargard an der Ihna''; ) is a city in northwestern Poland, located in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. In 2021 it was inhabited by 67,293 people. It is situated on ...

and Kolberg, leaving the bishops in charge of the latter. In the following, the bishops extended their secular reign which soon comprised the Kolberg (now Kołobrzeg),

Köslin Koszalin (; ; , ) 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-status city and capital of Koszalin County of West Pomera ...

(also Cöslin, now Koszalin) and Bublitz (now Bobolice) areas.Norbert Buske, ''Pommern'', Schwerin: Helms, 1997, p. 16, When in 1276 they became the sovereign of the town of Kolberg also, they moved their residence there. Bishop Hermann von Gleichen granted town rights to Köslin (Koszalin) in 1266 and Massow (Maszewo) in 1278. The administration of the episcopal secular state was done from Köslin. In the early 13th century, the

Słupsk Słupsk (; ; ) 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 specifically in its part known in contemporary Poland as Central Pomerania ...

and

Sławno Sławno ( Kashubian: ''Słôwno'', ) is a town on the Wieprza river in Middle Pomerania region, north-western Poland, with 12,511 inhabitants (2019). It is the administrative seat of Gmina Sławno, though not part of it. The town is also the ...

lands passed to the Archdiocese of Gniezno, only to return to the Diocese of Kamień in 1317.

Prince-Bishopric

The bishops at multiple occasions tried to exclude their secular reign from ducal overlordship by applying for

Imperial immediacy In the Holy Roman Empire, imperial immediacy ( or ) was the status of an individual or a territory which was defined as 'immediate' () to Emperor and Empire () and not to any other intermediate authorities, while one that did not possess that stat ...

. The

successfully forestalled these ambitions, and immediacy was granted only temporarily in 1345. The addition of secular territory would be the basis for later turning the status of the diocese into a

prince-bishop A prince-bishop is a bishop who is also the civil ruler of some secular principality and sovereignty, as opposed to '' Prince of the Church'' itself, a title associated with cardinals. Since 1951, the sole extant prince-bishop has been the ...

ric. The episcopal territory of secular reign remained a subfief of ducal Pomerania, and did not become an immediately imperial fief. The

reached Pomerania in the early 16th century, mostly starting from the cities, and

was made the

's religion in 1534 by the diet of Treptow upo Rega (Trzebiatów). The Pomeranian reformator

Johannes Bugenhagen Johannes Bugenhagen (24 June 1485 – 20 April 1558), also called ''Doctor Pomeranus'' by Martin Luther, was a German theologian and Lutheran priest who introduced the Protestant Reformation in the Duchy of Pomerania and Denmark in the 16th ...

, appointed bishop of Cammin by 1544, did not assume the office, the cathedral chapter elected instead Bartholomaeus Swawe, the former chancellor of Duke Barnim XI of

Pomerania-Stettin The Duchy of Pomerania-Stettin, also known as the Duchy of Stettin, and the Duchy of Szczecin, was a feudal duchy in Farther Pomerania within the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Stettin (Szczecin). It was ruled by the Griffin dynasty.B. Dopier ...

, who promptly renounced Cammin's

imperial immediacy In the Holy Roman Empire, imperial immediacy ( or ) was the status of an individual or a territory which was defined as 'immediate' () to Emperor and Empire () and not to any other intermediate authorities, while one that did not possess that stat ...

. From 1556 on the Griffin dukes held also the office of a titular bishop ruling in Cammin's secular territory. In 1650 the last bishop

Ernst Bogislaw von Croÿ Ernst Bogislaw von Croÿ (26 August 1620, in Finstingen (Fénétrange) – 7 February 1684, in Königsberg) was a Lutheran Administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Cammin and official in the service of Brandenburg-Prussia. Family Ernst Bogi ...

resigned and the diocese was secularised. With

Farther Pomerania Farther Pomerania, Hinder Pomerania, Rear Pomerania or Eastern Pomerania (; ), is a subregion of the historic region of Pomerania in north-western Poland, mostly within the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, while its easternmost parts are within the Po ...

it fell to Brandenburg-Prussia forming its Province of Pomerania. The secular territory of the former diocese continued to exist as a

ric and

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...

within the

, and was dissolved in 1650 when it fell to Brandenburg-Prussia, becoming part of Brandenburgian Pomerania. The area of the former principality was administered as ''Fürstenthum

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

'' within the Prussian Province of Pomerania until its division in 1872.

Bishops

Early bishops

* 1140–1162: Adalbert of Pomerania * 1163–1186: Conrad I of Salzwedel * 1186–1202: Siegfried I * 1202–1219: Siegwin * 1219–1223: Conrad II von Demmin * 1223–1245: Conrad III von Gützkow

Prince-Bishops

* 1245–1252: Wilhelm * 1252–1288: Hermann von Gleichen * 1288–1298: Jaromar Prince of Rugia (son of Prince Vitslav II) * 1298: Peter * 1299–1317?: Heinrich von Wachholz * 1317?–1324: Conrad IV * 1324–1329: Wilhelm II ** 1324–1326: Otto (anti-bishop) ** 1326–1329: Arnold von

Eltz The House of Eltz is a noted German noble family, belonging to the ''Uradel''. The Rhenish dynasty has had close ties to the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia since 1736. History Though older sources mentioned one Eberhard zu Eltz, a Frankish citize ...

(anti-bishop) * 1329–1343: Friedrich von Eickstedt * 1344–1372: John I of Saxe-Lauenburg, son of

Eric I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg (c.1280–1360) was a member of the House of Ascania who ruled as one of the dukes of Saxony from 1282 until 1338. Early life Eric was a son of John I, Duke of Saxony, and Ingeborg (*ca. 1253–30 June 1302*, Mölln), ...

* 1372–1385: Philipp von Rehberg * 1386–1394: John II Wilken von Kosselyn ** 1386–1392:

Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania Bogisław VIII ( – 11 February 1418),Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.149, a member of the House of Griffin, was Duke of Pomerania ruling in Pomerania-Stolp from 1395 until his death. He also served as administrator of the Prince ...

, diocesan administrator, ruling Pomerania-Stargard 1377–1417 * 1394–1398: Bogislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania, bishop elect, rivalling John III * 1394–1398: John III Kropidło, Duke of

Opole Opole (; ; ; ) is a city located in southern Poland on the Oder River and the historical capital of Upper Silesia. With a population of approximately 127,387 as of the 2021 census, it is the capital of Opole Voivodeship (province) and the seat of ...

-Strzelce, rivalling Bogislaw VIII * 1398–1410: Nikolaus Bock * 1410–1424: Magnus of Saxe-Lauenburg, prince-bishop of Hildesheim, 1424–1452 * 1424–1449: Siegfried II von Bock * 1449–1469: Henning Iwen * 1449–1471:

sede vacante In the Catholic Church, ''sede vacante'' is the state during which a diocese or archdiocese is without a prelate installed in office, with the prelate's office being the cathedral. The term is used frequently in reference to a papal interre ...

* 1471: Henning Kessebogen * 1471–1479: Count Ludwig von Eberstein-Naugard * 1479:

Nicolaus von Tüngen Nicolaus von Tüngen ( Polish ''Mikołaj Tungen''; ; died 14 February 1489 in Heilsberg (Lidzbark Warmiński)) was bishop of Warmia from 1467 until 1489. Life Nicolaus von Tüngen came from a Teutonic Prussian burgher family in Tüngen (Bogaty� ...

, also Prince-Bishop of Warmia 1467–1489 * 1479–1482: Marinus Freganus * 1482–1485: Angelo Geraldini, also

Bishop of Sessa Aurunca The Diocese of Sessa Aurunca () is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in southern Italy. Since 1979 it has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Naples.

1462–1486 * 1486–1498: Benedikt von Waldstein ** 1486–1488: Nikolaus Westphal, diocesan administrator * 1499–1521: Martin Karith * 1521–1544: Erasmus von Manteuffel-Arnhausen, after 1532 he lost influence in the diocesan territory except of the episcopal secular area around Kolberg

Lutheran Bishops and Superintendents

* 1544–1549: Bartholomaeus Suawe, bishop, only for the Lutheran state church in the secular episcopal area * 1549–1556: Martin Weiher von Leba ( de), bishop, only for the Lutheran state church in the secular episcopal area * 1556–1558: vacancy, the succeeding administrators, colloquially called bishops, lacked any theological skills * 1558–1567: Georg Venetus, Stiftssuperintendent (i.e. superintendent of the

Hochstift In the Holy Roman Empire, the German language, German term (plural: ) referred to the territory ruled by a bishop as a prince (i.e. prince-bishop), as opposed to his diocese, generally much larger and over which he exercised only spiritual auth ...

/prince-bishopric) * 1568–1602: Petrus Edeling, superintendent of the prince-bishopric * 1605–1620:

Adam Hamel Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam sin ...

, superintendent of the prince-bishopric * 1622–1645:

Immanuel König Immanuel or Emmanuel (, "God swith us"; Koine Greek: ) is a Hebrew name that appears in the Book of Isaiah (7:14) as a sign that God will protect the House of David. The Gospel of Matthew ( Matthew 1:22 –23) interprets this as a prophecy of ...

, superintendent of the prince-bishopric

Pomeranian Prince-Administrators ("Bishops")

* 1556–1574:

John Frederick, Duke of Pomerania John Frederick (Polish: Jan Fryderyk)(; 27 August 1542 – 9 February 1600) was Duke of Pomerania from 1560 to 1600, and Bishop of Cammin (Kamień) from 1556 to 1574. Elected bishop in 1556 and heir of the duchy in 1560, he remained under the tu ...

, † 1600 * 1574–1602: Casimir IX, Duke of

Pomerania-Wolgast The Duchy of Pomerania-Wolgast, also known as the Duchy of Wolgast, and the Duchy of Wołogoszcz, was a feudal duchy in Western Pomerania within the Holy Roman Empire. Its capital was Wolgast. It was ruled by the Griffin dynasty.Edward Rymar, ''Ro ...

, † 1605 * 1602–1618:

Francis Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...

, Duke of

Pomerania-Barth Duchy of Pomerania-Barth was a Feudalism, feudal duchy of the Holy Roman Empire located in Western Pomerania that existed in the Middle Ages between 1376 and 1478, and between 1569 and 1625. The state consisted of its capital, Barth, Germany, B ...

, † 1620 * 1618–1623:

Ulrich Ulrich () is a Germanic given name derived from Old High German ''Uodalrich'', ''Odalric''. It is composed of the elements ''Othala rune, uodal-'' meaning "heritage" and ''-rih'' meaning "king, ruler". Attested from the 8th century as the name of Al ...

, Duke of Pomerania-Barth * 1623–1637:

Bogislaw XIV, Duke of Pomerania Bogislaw XIV (31 March 1580 – 10 March 1637) was the last Duke of Pomerania. He was also the Lutheran administrator of the Prince-Bishopric of Cammin. Biography Bogislaw was born in Barth as a member of the House of Griffin. He was the third ...

* 1637–1650:

, Prince of Croÿ, † 1684

Notes

External links

Bishop list
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bishopric Of Cammin Cammin prince-bishopric Cammin prince-bishopric Cammin Cammin diocese Cammin diocese Cammin diocese