Pomerania
The southern shore of the Baltic Sea defines Pomerania, a historical region split between Poland and Germany. Its western boundary follows the Recknitz river, while the eastern edge stops at the Vistula River. Most of this land is coastal lowland, part of the Central European Plain. The soil here is often poor, sometimes sandy or marshy. In the west, the coastline is jagged with many peninsulas like Darß, Zingst. Islands such as Rügen, Usedom, and Wolin enclose numerous bays known as Bodden. The largest lagoon in the area is the Lagoon of Szczecin. The eastern coast tells a different story. It is smooth, featuring the Hel Peninsula jutting into the Baltic. Łebsko Lake was once a bay before being cut off from the sea. A chain of moraine-dammed lakes forms the Pomeranian Lake District within the hilly Baltic Ridge. This ridge consists of terminal moraines formed during the Pleistocene epoch.
Settlement in the area called Pomerania began around 13,000 years ago after the end of the Vistula Glacial Stage. Various cultures left traces during the Stone and Bronze Age. West Slavic tribes and Vikings appeared during the Dark Ages. Early Polish rulers subdued the region starting in the 10th century. Mieszko I of Poland established Gdańsk, which later became Poland's main port. The western part fell under the suzerainty of Denmark and the Holy Roman Empire by the late 12th century. Saint Otto of Bamberg converted the Duchy of Pomerania to Christianity in the 12th century. He is known as the Apostle of the Pomeranians. Meanwhile, Pomerelia became part of the diocese of Włocławek within Poland. The Teutonic Knights invaded and annexed Pomerelia from Poland into their monastic state in the early 14th century. Ostsiedlung turned narrow Pomerania into an increasingly German-settled area. The remaining Wends and Polish people continued to settle within Pomerelia. These groups are often known today as Kashubians.
The line of princes of Rügen died out in 1325, and the principality was inherited by the Griffins. In 1466, with the Teutonic Order's defeat in the Thirteen Years' War, Pomerelia became again part of the Polish Crown. It formed the Pomeranian Voivodeship within Royal Prussia. While the German population adopted Protestant reformation in 1534, the Polish population remained Catholic. The Thirty Years' War severely ravaged narrow Pomerania. Few years later, this same happened to Pomerelia during the Deluge. With the extinction of the Griffin house, the Duchy of Pomerania was divided between the Swedish Empire and Brandenburg-Prussia in 1648. Pomerelia remained with the Kingdom of Poland. French Huguenot communes were established in Gdańsk, Stargard, Prenzlau, Schwedt, Kołobrzeg, Pasewalk, and Szczecin in the late 17th century. Prussia gained southern parts of Swedish Pomerania in 1720. They invaded and annexed Pomerelia from Poland in 1772 and 1793. Prussia gained the remainder of Swedish Pomerania in 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars.
In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland starting World War II. The first battle of the war took place at Westerplatte in the region. Afterwards, the Polish part of Pomerania was annexed by Germany as Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia. The Nazis deported Pomeranian Jews to a reservation near Lublin on the 12th of February 1940. More than 40,000 people died in executions, death camps, prisons, and forced labour. Thousands of Poles and Kashubians suffered expulsion while their homes were taken over. The Stutthof concentration camp with numerous subcamps was located in the region. After Nazi Germany's defeat, the German, Polish border shifted west to the Oder, Neisse line. All of Pomerania fell into the Soviet Occupation Zone. Between 1945 and 1948, millions of ethnic Germans were removed from former German territory now governed by Poland. Many German civilians were sent to internment and labor camps where they worked as forced labor. The area was resettled primarily with Poles of Polish ethnicity. Some were expellees from former eastern Poland. Others were Poles of Ukrainian ethnicity resettled under Operation Vistula.
Polish is the dominating language in the Polish part of Pomerania. Kashubian dialects are spoken by the Kashubians in Pomerelia. In the German part, Standard German dominates. Historical German dialects of Pomerania were Low German. These dialects belonged to the East Low German subgroup. Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch existed in the west. Central Pomeranian appeared around Szczecin. East Pomeranian developed in the east. Regions east of the Piaśnica river are not considered Pomeranian according to German terminology. Danzig German was classified as Low Prussian. Those parts of Pomerania that remained German after 1945 are almost entirely located in the Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch area. Only regions between the Zarow river and the Oder river are historically part of the Central Pomeranian dialect region. East Pomeranian, Low Prussian, and Standard German dominated east of the Oder-Neisse line before most speakers were expelled. Kashubian and East Low German are also spoken by descendants of émigrés in the Americas. Slovincian was spoken at the Farther Pomeranian, Pomerelian frontier but is now extinct.
Agriculture primarily consists of raising livestock, forestry, fishery, and cultivation of cereals, sugar beets, and potatoes. Industrial food processing is increasingly relevant in the region. Key producing industries include shipyards and mechanical engineering facilities for renewable energy components. Sugar refineries, paper mills, and wood fabricators operate throughout the area. Service industries today are an important economic factor. Logistics, information technology, life science, biotechnology, and health care cluster around research facilities of Pomeranian universities. Since the late 19th century, tourism has been an important sector of the economy. Numerous seaside resorts along the coast attract visitors. The Polish Świnoujście LNG terminal is located in Pomerania. Football teams like Arka Gdynia, Lechia Gdańsk, and Pogoń Szczecin enjoy great popularity. Basketball, speedway, handball, volleyball, and rugby union are also successful sports in the region. The Tricity metropolitan area includes Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot with a population exceeding one million people.
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Common questions
What defines the geographical boundaries of Pomerania?
Pomerania is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea split between Poland and Germany. Its western boundary follows the Recknitz river, while the eastern edge stops at the Vistula River.
When did settlement begin in the area called Pomerania?
Settlement in the area called Pomerania began around 13,000 years ago after the end of the Vistula Glacial Stage. Various cultures left traces during the Stone and Bronze Age before West Slavic tribes and Vikings appeared during the Dark Ages.
Who converted the Duchy of Pomerania to Christianity in the 12th century?
Saint Otto of Bamberg converted the Duchy of Pomerania to Christianity in the 12th century. He is known as the Apostle of the Pomeranians.
How was the Duchy of Pomerania divided after the extinction of the Griffin house?
With the extinction of the Griffin house, the Duchy of Pomerania was divided between the Swedish Empire and Brandenburg-Prussia in 1648. Pomerelia remained with the Kingdom of Poland until Prussia gained it later.
What happened to Pomeranian Jews on the 12th of February 1940?
The Nazis deported Pomeranian Jews to a reservation near Lublin on the 12th of February 1940. More than 40,000 people died in executions, death camps, prisons, and forced labour during this period.
Which dialects are spoken by Kashubians in Pomerelia today?
Kashubian dialects are spoken by the Kashubians in Pomerelia while Polish dominates the Polish part of Pomerania. Historical German dialects of Pomerania were Low German but Slovincian is now extinct.