The House of Griffin or Griffin dynasty, (; , ;

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Gryphes''), or House of Pomerania (see ), was a

dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

ruling 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 the 12th century until 1637. The name "Griffins" was used by the dynasty after the 15th century and had been taken from the ducal

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

. Duke

Wartislaw I 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 w ...

(died 1135) was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin dynasty. The most prominent Griffin was

Eric of Pomerania Erik of Pomerania ( 1381/1382 – 24 September 1459) ruled over the Kalmar Union from 1396 until 1439. He was initially co-ruler with his great-aunt Margaret I of Denmark, Margaret I until her death in 1412. Erik is known as Erik III as King of ...

, who became king of the

Kalmar Union The Kalmar Union was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden as designed by Queen Margaret I of Denmark, Margaret of Denmark. From 1397 to 1523, it joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then in ...

in 1397, thus ruling Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway. The last Griffin duke of Pomerania was Bogislaw XIV, who died during the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

, which led to the division of Pomerania between Brandenburg-Prussia,

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and

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 ...

. Duchess

Anna von Croy Anna of Pomerania (also known as ''Anne de Croy et Aerschot'', ''Anna von Croy und Aerschot, Anna von Pommern'') (3 October 1590, Barth, Germany, Barth - 7 July 1660, Słupsk, Stolp) was Duchess-Consort of Croy and Havré, and allodial heiress of ...

, daughter of Duke Bogislaw XIII and the last member of the House of Griffin, died in 1660.

Name of the Dynasty

The dynasty is known by two names, ''Pomerania'', after their primary fief, and ''Griffin'', after their coat of arms, which had featured a

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 ...

since the late 12th century: the first verifiable use of the griffin as the dynasty's heraldic emblem occurred in a seal of

Casimir II, Duke of Pomerania Casimir II (also spelled Kasimir II) () ( 1180 – 1219) was the duke of Pomerania-Demmin from 1187 until his death. He was succeeded by Wartislaw III, Casimir's son with princess Ingardis of Denmark. Biography Casimir II was the son of Bogisla ...

, which showed the imaginary beast within a shield, and was attached to a document dated 1194. The name ''Pomerania'' comes from

Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...

''po more'', which means "

and And or AND may refer to: Logic, grammar and computing * Conjunction, connecting two words, phrases, or clauses * Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition * Bitwise AND, a Boolean oper ...

along the sea".

Origins and branches

The origins of the Griffins are not clear. Most theories derive them from either local West Slavic nobility or a

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

branch of the Polish house of

Piasts The House of Piast was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. The first documented Polish monarch was Duke Mieszko I (–992). The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of King Casimir III the Great. Branches of ...

. Medieval Polish chronicler

Jan Długosz Jan Długosz (; 1 December 1415 – 19 May 1480), also known in Latin as Johannes Longinus, was a Polish priest, chronicler, diplomat, soldier, and secretary to Bishop Zbigniew Oleśnicki of Kraków. He is considered Poland's first histo ...

connected them with Polish noble family of Świebodzice from the south province of Poland named the

Lesser Poland Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name ''Małopolska'' (; ), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a separate cult ...

, who also used a

as their coat-of-arms and who in turn might also have been a cadet branch of the Piasts. At any rate, chronicler

Gallus Anonymus ''Gallus Anonymus'', also known by his Polonized variant ''Gall '', is the name traditionally given to the anonymous author of (Deeds of the Princes of the Poles), composed in Latin between 1112 and 1118. ''Gallus'' is generally regarded as the ...

in his ''

Gesta principum Polonorum The (; "''Deeds of the Princes of the Poles''") is the oldest known medieval chronicle documenting the history of Poland from the legendary times until 1113. Written in Latin by an anonymous author, it was most likely completed between 1112 an ...

'' calls the Griffins "close cousins" of then-contemporary Bolesław III of Poland, directly implying a close dynastic relationship with the Piasts. In the 17th century, the Griffins derived their roots from legendary beings from Sorb mythology called ''Gryphus'' or ''Baltus''. The first known members of the Griffins were the brothers

and Ratibor I. Wartislaw would be the ancestor of the line of dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania until 1630; Ratibor would be the ancestor of the Ratiborides branch of the Griffins, that was to rule 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 (Eastern Pomerania), present-day Poland. The are ...

until the line became extinct and the area was incorporated in the Duchy of Pomerania. The first known member of the Swantiborides branch of the Griffins, notable as castellans of Pomeranian cities, was Wartislaw (II) Swantiboriz.

Family tree

File:Cornelius Krommeny Drzewo genealogiczne ksiazat Pomorza Zachodniego.jpg, ''Family tree of the House of Pomerania'', 1598,

National Museum in Szczecin The National Museum in Szczecin () is a national museum in Szczecin, Poland, established on 1 August 1945. The museum features ancient and modern art, archaeological, historical, numismatic, nautical and ethnographic collections and is divided int ...

Wartislaw I to Bogislaw IV and Otto I

(† between 1134 and 1148) ## Bogusław I (* about 1130; † 1187) ∞ (I) Walburgis († 1177), daughter of

Valdemar I of Denmark 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 ...

;
(II) Anastasia, daughter of Mieszko III of Poland and Eudoxia of Kiev ###(I) Ratibor (* 1160; † 1183) ∞ Salome, daughter of Mieszko III of Poland and Eudoxia of Kiev ###(I) Wartislaw II. (* 1160; † 1184) ∞ Sophia, daughter of

Bolesław IV Bolesław or Boleslav may refer to: People * Bolesław (given name) (also ''Boleslav'' or ''Boleslaus''), including a list of people with this name Geography * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz Coun ...

. of Poland ###(II) Bogislaw II. (* um 1177; † 1220) ∞ Miroslawa (†1233), Daughter of

Mestwin I Mestwin I ( or , ; c. 1160 – 1/2 May 1219 or 1220) was Prince of Pomerelia (styled himself as ''princeps Pomoranorum'') from about 1205 until his death. Mestwin was a member of the Samborides dynasty, the son of Duke Sobiesław of Gdańsk ...

of Pomerelia and Swinislawa ####Woislawa († 1229) ####

Barnim I Barnim I the Good ( 1217/1219 – 13 November 1278), from the Griffin dynasty, was a Duke of Pomerania (''ducis Slauorum et Cassubie'') from 1220 until his death. Life Son of Duke Bogislaw II and Miroslava of Pomerelia, he succeeded to the Duc ...

(* ca. 1217/19; † 1278) ∞ (I) Marianne, Daughter of William of Lüneburg and Helene of Denmark
(II) Margarete of Brunswick
(III) Mathilde (Mechthild) († 1316), Daughter of

Otto III, Margrave of Brandenburg Otto III, nicknamed ''the pious'' (1215 – 9 October 1267 in Brandenburg an der Havel) was Margrave of Brandenburg jointly with his elder brother John I, Margrave of Brandenburg, John I until John died in 1266. Otto III then ruled alone, unti ...

and Beatrix of Böhmen #####(I) Anastasia (* 1245; † 1317) ∞ Henry I of Mecklenburg (1230–1302) #####(II) Bogislaw IV (*1258; † 1309) → Pomerania-Wolgast (''see section below'') #####(III) Barnim II (* about 1277; † 1295) #####(III)

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), known as Otto the Great ( ) or Otto of Saxony ( ), was East Francia, East Frankish (Kingdom of Germany, German) king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the eldest son o ...

(* about 1279; † 1344) → Pomerania-Stettin (''see section below'') #####(III) Miroslawa († 1328) ∞ Nikolaus I of Schwerin #####(III) Beatrix († 1300 or 1315) ∞ Henry II of Werle #####(?) Dobroslawa ∞ Jaczo of Salzwedel ###(II) Casimir II (* c. 1180, † 1219) ∞ Ingardis of Denmark ####

Wartislaw III Wartislaw III (Polish: Warcisław III) (c. 1210 – 17 May 1264) was a Griffin duke of Pomerania-Demmin. Son of Casimir II of Pomerania-Demmin and Ingardis of Denmark, he was married to a Sophia of an unknown house. As he did not have any children ...

(* c. 1210; † 1264) ∞ Sophia ####Elisabeth († 1222) ###(II) Dobroslawa (* before 1187, † c. 1226) ## Casimir I. (* after 1130; † 1180) ∞ Pritolawa # Ratibor I († 1156) → Ratiborides #Swantibor → Swantiborides

Bogislaw IV to Bogislaw X (Pomerania-Wolgast, -Barth, and -Stolp)

# Bogislaw IV (*1258; † 1309) ∞ (I) Mechthild († vor 1309), Daughter of

John I of Brandenburg John I, Margrave of Brandenburg ( – 4 April 1266) was from 1220 until his death Margrave of Brandenburg, jointly with his brother Otto III "the Pious". The reign of these two Ascanian Margraves was characterized by an expansion of the Mar ...

and

Jutta of Saxony Jutta of Saxony ( 1223 – before 2 February 1267) was Queen of Denmark as the wife of King Eric IV of Denmark. She was the daughter of Albert I, Duke of Saxony. She married king Erik in 1239, and became junior queen consort, since her husband w ...

(II) Margareta, (Daughter of Wizlaw II of Rügen and

Agnes of Brandenburg Agnes of Brandenburg (c. 1257 – 29 September 1304) was the Queen consort of Denmark and Duchy of Estonia (1219–1346), Duchess Regnant of Estonia by marriage to King Eric V of Denmark. As a widow, she served as the regent of Denmark for her s ...

##(II)

Euphemia of Pomerania Euphemia of Pomerania (c. 1285 – 26 July 1330) was Queen consort of Denmark from 1320 to 1330 as the spouse of King Christopher II. She was the daughter of Bogislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania, and his second spouse, Margarete of Rügen. The perio ...

(1289–1330) ∞

Christopher II of Denmark Christopher II (; 29 September 1276 – 2 August 1332) was King of Denmark from 1320 to 1326 and again from 1329 until his death. He was a younger son of Eric V. His name is connected with national disaster, as his rule ended in a near-total di ...

##(II) Margareta (1287–1337) ∞ (I) Nikolaus of Rostock († 1314), (II) John of Ścinawa († 1365) ##(II) Wartislaw IV (* before 1290; † 1326) ∞ Elisabeth of Lindau-Ruppin (?) ### Bogislaw V-Stolp (* c. 1318; † 1373/74) ∞ (I)

Elisabeth of Poland Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

, daughter of

Casimir III of Poland Casimir III the Great (; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, retaining the title throughout the Galicia–Volhynia Wars. He was the last Polish king fr ...

and

Aldona of Lithuania Aldona (baptized ''Ona'' or ''Anna''; her pagan name, Aldona, is known only from the writings of Maciej Stryjkowski; – 26 May 1339) was Queen consort of Poland (1333–1339), and a princess of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. She was the daught ...

(II) Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, daughter of Ernest I of Brunswick-Grubenhagen and Adelheid of Everstein ####(I) Casimir IV (* c. 1351; † 2.1.1377) ∞ (I) Johanna (Kenna) († 1368), daughter of Olgierd of Lithuania and Mary of Witebsk
(II) Margareta († 1409), daughter of Siemowit III of Masovia and Eufemia of Toppau ####(I)

Elisabeth of Pomerania Elizabeth of Pomerania (, ; – 15 April 1393) was the fourth and last wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Life Elizabeth was the daughter of Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Elisabeth of Poland. Her mater ...

(* 1347; † 15.2.1393) ∞

Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV (; ; ; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charles of Luxembourg, born Wenceslaus (, ), was H ...

####(I) Daughter 2 ####(II) Wartislaw VII (* 1363/64; † 1395) ∞ Maria of Mecklenburg, daughter of Henry III of Mecklenburg ##### Eric (Bogislaw) of Pomerania (* 1382; † 1459) ∞ Philippa, daughter of Henry IV (England). ##### Catherine of Pomerania (* c. 1390; † 4.3.1426) ∞ John of Pfalz-Neumarkt ###### Christopher III of Denmark ####(II) Bogislaw VIII (* c. 1364; † 11.2.1418) ∞ Sophie of Holstein #####

Bogislaw IX Bogislav IX (, ; 1407/1410 – 7 December 1446), was a duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp, whose residence was Stargard. In 1439 his first cousin Eric of Pomerania tried in vain to have him recognised as Erik's heir to the Kalmar Union. Bog ...

(* 1407/10; † 7.12.1446) ∞ Maria of Masovia, daughter of

Siemowit IV of Masovia Siemowit IV (Ziemowit IV), also known as Siemowit IV the Younger (pl: ''Siemowit IV Młodszy''; ca. 1353/1356 – 21 January 1426), was a Polish prince, member of the Masovian branch of the House of Piast and from 1373 or 1374 Duke of Rawa, ...

and

Alexandra of Lithuania Alexandra (, ; died 20 April 1434 in Płock) was the youngest daughter of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his second wife, Uliana of Tver. Though Alexandra's exact date of birth is not known, it is thought that she was born in the late 1360 ...

######Sophia (* c. 1435; † 24.8.1497) ∞

Eric II, Duke of Pomerania Eric II or Erich II (between 1418 and 1425 – 5 July 1474) was a member of the House of Pomerania (also known as the Griffins) and was the ruling Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1457 to 1474. He was the son of Wartislaw IX of Pomerania-Wolga ...

-Wolgast ######Alexandra ####(II) Barnim V (* 1369; † 1402/04) ####(II) Margareta ### Barnim IV (* 1325; † 22.8.1365) ∞ Sophie, daughter of

John II of Werle John II, Lord of WerleGüstrownicknamed ''The Bald'' (after 1250 – 27 August 1337), was from 1309 to 1316 co-regent of Werle and from 1316 to 1337 Lord of Werle-Güstrow. He was the second eldest son of John I of Werle and Sophie of Lindow-R ...

####

Wartislaw VI Wartislaw VI of Pomerania (1345 – 13 June 1394) was a member of the House of Griffin. From 1365 to 1377, he ruled Pomerania-Wolgast jointly with his brother Bogislaw VI. From 1377 until his death, he was the sole ruler of Pomerania-Barth ...

(* c. 1345; † 1394) ∞ Anna, daughter of

John I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard John I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard (1326 – between 9 August 1392 and 9 February 1393), Duke of Mecklenburg from 1344 to 1352 and Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard from 1352 to 1392. Life John I was probably born in 1326 as the youngest chi ...

##### Barnim VI (* c. 1365; † 1404) ∞ Veronica of Hohenzollern ###### Wartislaw IX (* um 1400; † 1457) ∞ Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg, daughter of Eric IV ####### Eric II. (* c. 1425; † 1474) ∞ Sophia († 1497), daughter

of Pomerania-Stolp ######## Bogislaw X (* 1454; † 1523) ######## Casimir VII. (VI.) (* c. 1455; † 1474) ######## Wartislaw XI (after 1465–1475) ########Barnim († 1474) ########Elisabeth, Priorin in Verchen abbey († 1516) ########Sophia, (* 1460, † 1504) ∞ Magnus II of Mecklenburg ########Margarete († 1526), married to Balthasar of Mecklenburg ########

Catherine Katherine (), also spelled Catherine and Catherina, other variations, is a feminine given name. The name and its variants are popular in countries where large Christian populations exist, because of its associations with one of the earliest Ch ...

(ca. 1465–1526), ∞ Duke Henry IV of Brunswick and Lunenburg (1463–1514), Prince of Wolfenbüttel ########Mary, Äbtissin of Wollin († 1512) ####### Wartislaw X (* c. 1435; † 1478) ∞ (I) Elisabeth († 1465), widow of Joachim of Pommern-Stettin, daughter of John of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
(II) Magdalena of Mecklenburg, widow of Count Burkhard of Barby ########(I) Swantibor († 1464) ########(I) Ertmar († 1464) #######Elisabeth #######Christoph ###### Barnim VII (* um 1390; † 1450) ######Elisabeth, Äbtissin of Kammin #####

Wartislaw VIII Wartislaw VIII (1373 – 20 or 23 August 1415) was a duke of Pomerania from the House of Griffins house. He ruled in Pomerania-Wolgast from 1394 together with his brother Barnim VI. After Barnim died in 1405, he ruled alone. Life Wartis ...

∞ Agnes of Saxe-Lauenburg, daughter of Eric IV of Saxe-Lauenburg ###### Barnim VIII. (* c. 1406, † 1451) ∞ Anna of Wunstorf #######Agnes (1434–1512) ∞ (I) 1449 Frederick of Altmark (''the Fat'')
(II) 1478 George II of Anhalt-Zerbst #####Sophie ∞ Henry I of Brunswick #### Bogislaw VI ####Elisabeth ∞ Magnus I of Mecklenburg ### Wartislaw V ##(II) Jutta (1290–1336), Äbtissin in Krummin abbey ##(II) Elisabeth (1291–1349) ∞ Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg

Otto I to Otto III (Pomerania-Stettin)

(* c. 1279; † 1344) ∞ Elisabeth (*1281), daughter of

Gerhard II, Count of Holstein-Plön Gerhard II of Holstein-Plön (1254 - 28 October 1312), nicknamed the Blind, was Count of Holstein-Plön from 1290 to 1312. Life He was the second son of Gerhard I, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe and Elisabeth of Mecklenburg. After his father's deat ...

and Ingeborg of Sweden ##

Barnim III Barnim III the Great (14 August 1368) was a Pomeranian duke from the House of Griffin. Life He ruled Pomerania-Stettin in the years 1344–1368, although he had been a co-regent of his father Otto I since 1320, taking a prominent part in the defen ...

(before 1300; † 24.08.1368)Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.149, ∞ Agnes (1318–1371), daughter of Henry II, Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburg (Grubenhagen) ###Otto ### Casimir III (* before 1348; † 1372) ### Swantibor I (III) (* ca 1351; † 21.6.1413) ∞ Anna of Hohenzollern, daughter of Albrecht of Nuremberg (''the Pretty'') ####

Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy. Otto II was ...

(* c. 1380; † 27.3.1428) ∞ Agnes, daughter of John II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard and Wilheida of Lithuania #### Casimir V (VI) (* after 1380; † 12.4.1435) ∞ (I) Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg († 1429), daughter of Bernard I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Celle)
(II) Elisabeth († 1451), daughter of Eric I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Grubenhagen) #####(I) Joachim the Elder (* um 1424) #####(I) Anna († 1447) ∞ John V of Mecklenburg-Schwerin #####(I) Joachim the Younger (* after 1424; † 1451) ∞ Elisabeth (* 1425; † 1465), daughter of John of Brandenburg and Barbara of Saxe-Wittenberg ######

Otto III Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was the Holy Roman emperor and King of Italy from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu. Otto III was c ...

(* 29.5.1444; † 10.9.1464) ####Albrecht ####Margareta ### Bogislaw VII (*before 1355; † 1404) ##Mechthild († 1331) ∞

John III of Werle John III, Lord of Werle (nicknamed ''John van Ruoden''; born: before 1300; died: between 1 April and 28 August 1352) was Lord of Werle-Goldberg from 1316 until his death. He was the son of Nicholas II and Rixa of Denmark. After the death of his f ...

(† 1352)

Bogislaw X to Bogislaw XIV

# Bogislaw X (* 1454; † 1523) ∞ Anna (1476–1503), daughter of Casimir IV. of Poland ##

Sophie of Pomerania Sophie of Pomerania (1498–1568) was Queen of Denmark and Norway as the spouse of Frederick I. She is known for her independent rule over her fiefs Lolland and Falster, the castles in Kiel and Plön, and several villages in Holstein as quee ...

(* 1498, † 1568) ∞

Frederick I of Denmark Frederick I ( Danish and ; ; ; 7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533) was King of Denmark and Norway. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over Denmark and Norway, when subsequent monarchs embraced Lutheranism after the Protestant Reformatio ...

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George of Beltan (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgoruk ...

(* 1493, † 1531) ∞ (I) Amalia (* 1490; † 1525), daughter of Elector Palatine

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

and

Margaret of Bavaria Margaret of Bavaria (1363 – 23 January 1424, Dijon) was List of Burgundian royal consorts, Duchess of Burgundy by marriage to John the Fearless. She was the regent of the Burgundian Low Countries during the absence of her spouse in 1404–1419 ...

(II) Margarete of Brandenburg, daughter of Joachim I of Brandenburg and Elisabeth of Denmark. ###(I) Bogislaw (* 1514) ###(I) Phillip I (* 1515; † 1560) ∞

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

(† 1583), daughter of

John of Saxony John of Saxony is the name of: * John the Old Saxon an Anglo-Saxon scholar and abbot of Athelney * John I, Duke of Saxony (1249–1285, Duke 1260–1282) * John of Saxony (astronomer) (fl. 1327–1355). * John, Elector of Saxony Joh ...

####Georg (died early) ####Erich (died early) #### John Frederick (* 1542; † 1600) #### Bogislaw XIII (* 1544; † 1606) ∞ Clara, daughter of

Francis of Brunswick-Lüneburg 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 Boogie29 ...

##### Philip II (* 1573; † 1618) ∞ Sophia, daughter of

John II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg John the Younger (; ; 25 March 1545 – 9 October 1622) was the duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg. Biography John was born on 25 March 1545 at Koldinghus Castle in Jutland, Denmark as the fourth child and third son of King Christian III ...

#####

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 ...

(* 1577; † 1620) ∞ Sophia, daughter of Christian I of Saxony ##### Bogislaw XIV (* 1580; † 1637) ∞ Elisabeth, daughter of

and Elisabeth of Brunswick-Grubenhagen #####

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 ...

(* 1589; † 1622) ∞ Hedwig of Brunswick († 1650) #####

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...

∞ Ernest of Croy and Aerschot ###### Ernest Bogislaw of Croy #### Ernest Louis (* 1545, † 1592) ∞ Sophia Hedwig (1561–1631), daughter of

Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Julius may refer to: People * Julius (name), a masculine given name and surname (includes a list of people with the name) * Julius (nomen), the name of a Roman family (includes a list of Ancient Romans with the name) ** Julius Caesar (100– ...

#####Hedwig Maria #####Elisabeth Magdalena ##### Philipp Julius(* 1584, † 1625) ∞ Agnes, daughter of John George of Brandenburg. #### Barnim X (IX) #### Casimir VI (IX) (* 1557, † 1605) ####Amalia (died unmarried) ####Margaret ∞ Duke Francis II of Saxe-Lauenburg ####Anna ∞ Ulrich of Mecklenburg-Güstrow ###(I) Margaret (1518–1569) ∞ Ernest III of Brunswick-Grubenhagen ###(II) Georgia (* 1531; † 1574) ∞ Stanislaus Latalski Count of Latochin ##

(* 1492, † 1550) ∞ George I of Silesia of Silesia-Liegnitz ##Barnim (* before 1501, † before 1501) ## Barnim IX (* 1501, † 1573) ##Elisabeth († before 1518) ##Otto (* before 1503, † before 1518) ## Casimir VIII (* 1494, † 1518) ##Christopher; probably an illegitimate son, as Junker Christopher, Tochof of Schwerin

Branches

Ratiborides

Members of the Ratiborides (Ratiboriden) branch were most probably descendants of Ratibor I, a brother of

.Werner Buchholz, Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.38, # Ratibor I ##Bogislaw, ∞ (I) N.N.; (II) a daughter of

Mieszko III of Poland Mieszko III ( 1122/25 – 13 March 1202), sometimes called the Old, was Duke of Greater Poland from 1138 and High Duke of Poland, with interruptions, from 1173 until his death. He was the fourth and second surviving son of Duke Bolesław III Wry ...

###(I) Bogislaw (III), ∞ another daughter of

###(II ?) Ratibor II (either half-brother of Bogislaw III or cousin)

Swantiborides

The Swantiborides () were related to the Griffins, but the link remains unclear. Probably they descend from Swantibor, a Pomeranian duke overthrown in a rebellion and expelled to Poland in 1105/06. This Swantibor might have been a cousin of Świętopełk, a Pomeranian duke defeated by Boleslaw III of Poland in a campaign of 1111/12. Yet, these assumptions all remain speculative. # Wartislaw (II) Swantibor (↑ 1196), Castellan of

Szczecin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the Poland-Germany border, German border, it is a major port, seaport, the la ...

∞ unknown wife ##Bartholomew († 1219), Castellan of

Gützkow Gützkow () is a town in the District of Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, in north-eastern Germany. It is situated some south of Greifswald, on the north bank of the River Peene. Gützkow was the central town of the medieval ...

∞ unknown wife ###Wartislaw (* 1175/80, ↑ 1233), Castellan of Szczecin, Lord of Gützkow 1219 ∞ Dobroslawa, widow of Boleslaw of Poland Duke of Kujavia, daughter of Bogislaw I ####Bartholomew (+ 1206/10, ↑ 1259/60) ##Wartislaw (↑ 1230/32), Castellan of Szczecin ##Konrad (↑ 1233), Canon at Kammin Cathedral 1176/1186, provost 1186/1189 and 1208, Bishop of Kammin 1219 ##Casimir (↑ 1219), Castellan of

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 ...

∞ unknown wife ###Swietoslawa / Swiatochna (↑ after 1217) ###Swantibor (* 1219, ↑ 1244) ∞ unknown wife ####Casimir (↑1277/1280), Castellan of Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) ∞ Miroslawa, who secondly married Johann Ramel, Castellan of Kolberg and Pomeranian counsellor 1265/1297. ###daughter 3 ∞ Czyrnek, Castellan of Kolberg

Griffins Kings and Queens

, son of Wartislaw VII, was King of

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

(1389–1442), elected King of

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

(1396–1439), and of

(1396–1439). He was the first king of the Nordic

. #

, daughter of Bogislaw IV, married

and became queen of

. #

Elizabeth of Pomerania Elizabeth of Pomerania (, ; – 15 April 1393) was the fourth and last wife of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia. Life Elizabeth was the daughter of Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania and Elisabeth of Poland. Her mater ...

, daughter of Bogislaw V, was the fourth and last wife of

and king of Bohemia. Her daughter

Anne of Bohemia Anne of Bohemia (11 May 1366 – 7 June 1394), also known as Anne of Luxembourg, was Queen consort of England, Queen of England as the first wife of King Richard II. A member of the House of Luxembourg, she was the daughter of Charles IV, Holy ...

, of Luxembourg and of Pomerania became Queen of England as a wife of

King Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

of England. She was known as "Good Queen Anne". #

, daughter of Bogislaw X, married King

and became Queen of

and

Burial sites

Main burial sites of the Griffins are the Ducal Castle in

, Saint John Co-Cathedral in

Kamień Pomorski Kamień Pomorski (; ; or ''Kammin'') is a spa town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of north-western Poland, on the Baltic coast. It is the seat of an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Kamień County which lies approximately 63&n ...

and Saint Peter church in

Wolgast Wolgast () is a town in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the bank of the river (or strait) Peenestrom, vis-a-vis the island of Usedom on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast that can be accessed ...

, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, is buried in the Our Lady of Częstochowa church in

Darłowo Darłowo (; ; ) is a seaside town on the Slovincian Coast of north-western Poland, south of the Baltic Sea, with 13,324 inhabitants as of December 2021. Administratively, it is located in Sławno County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The earlie ...

Eponymy

', a microspecies of '' Ranunculus auricomus'' known from Pomerania, was named in honour of the dynasty.

Sources

*Edward Rymar: Rodowód książąt pomorskich, Szczecin 1995. * Martin Wehrmann: ''Genealogie des pommerschen Fürstenhauses.'' Veröffentlichungen the landesgeschichtlichen Forschungsstelle für Pommern, Reihe 1, Bd. 5. Leon Saunier, Stettin 1937. * Martin Wehrmann: ''Geschichte von Pommern''. Weltbild Verlag 1992, Reprint der Ausgaben von 1919 und 1921, *Udo Madsen
Die Greifen - Das herzogliche Geschlecht von Pommern

Notes

References

External links

*http://www.genemaas.net/Pommern.htm
Rulers of PomeraniaGreifen, Herzöge von Pommern
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pomerania Noble families of the Holy Roman Empire German noble families Polish noble families Kingdom of Poland