Duchy of Pomerania

Duchy of Pomerania Hertogdom Pommern (Low German) Księstwo pomorskie (Polish)
1121–1160 1264–1295 1478–1531 1625–1637
Coat of arms
Map of the Duchy of Pomerania from the 17th century
Status	Vassal of Poland (1121–1138) Independent (1138–1160) Vassal of Saxony (1164–1181) Vassal of the Holy Roman Empire (1181–1185) Vassal of Denmark (1185–1227) Vassal of the Holy Roman Empire (1227–1637)
Capital	Stettin (Szczecin)
Religion	Roman Catholic Lutheran
Government	Feudal duchy
Historical era	High Middle Ages
• Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania	1121
• Partition into Wolgast and Stettin	1295
• Reunited under Bogislaw X	1478
• Joined Upper Saxon Circle	1512
• Divided again into P.-Wolgast and P.-Stettin	1532
• Occupied by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden	1630
• Death of Duke Bogislaw XIV	10 March 1637
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Poland Pomerania-Demmin Pomerania-Stettin Pomerania-Wolgast Pomerania-Stolp Pomerania-Stargard Pomerania-Barth Pomerania-Wolgast-Stolp Pomerania-Rügenwalde Pomerania-Demmin Pomerania-Stettin Pomerania-Wolgast Pomerania-Wolgast-Stolp Margraviate of Brandenburg Swedish Pomerania
Today part of	Poland Germany

The Duchy of Pomerania (German: Herzogtum Pommern; Polish: 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 existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–1160, 1264–1295, 1478–1531, and 1625–1637.

The duchy originated from the realm of Wartislaw I, a Slavic Pomeranian duke, and was extended by the Lands of Schlawe and Stolp in 1317, the Principality of Rügen in 1325, and the Lauenburg and Bütow Land in 1455. During the High Middle Ages, it also comprised the northern Neumark and Uckermark areas as well as Circipania and Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

The Duchy of Pomerania was established as a vassal state of Poland in 1121, which it remained until the fragmentation of Poland after the death of Polish ruler Bolesław III Wrymouth in 1138. Afterwards the Dukes of Pomerania were independent, and later were vassals of the Duchy of Saxony from 1164 to 1181, of the Holy Roman Empire from 1181 to 1185, of Denmark from 1185 to 1227 and finally, from 1227 on, staying with the Holy Roman Empire (including periods of vassalage to the Margraves of Brandenburg).

Most of the time, the duchy was ruled by several Griffin dukes in common, resulting in various internal partitions. After the last Griffin duke had died during the Thirty Years' War in 1637, the duchy was partitioned between Brandenburg-Prussia and Sweden. The Kings of Sweden and the Margraves of Brandenburg, later Kings of Prussia, became members as Dukes of Pomerania in the List of Reichstag participants.