Barnim I the Good

The exact date of birth of Barnim is not known. A number of sources claim that he was born around 1218/1219, based on the time of his first marriage (1238/1242) and the year of birth of his younger son (c. 1277). But there are researchers who believe that Barnim was born around 1210. ^[1]

In 1220 his father died, after which Barnim inherited his possessions - part of the Pomeranian principality with its center in Szczecin . Another part of the principality at about the same time was inherited by Barnim's cousin, Wartislav II . Since Barnim was still small at the time of his father’s death, the administration of the principality was in the hands of his mother, Miroslavy, the daughter of the Pomerelian Prince Mschivoy I of the Pomorian dynasty of Samborid . Independently, Barnim began to rule only from 1233, but from about 1226, his mother began to involve him in the management of the principality.

After the king of Denmark, Waldemar II , was defeated at Borgeveda in 1227, Pomerania was freed from its dependence on Denmark. However, Margraves Johann I and Otto III of Brandenburg began to claim Pomerania, who in 1231 were granted by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II Pomeran as Lena. Thus Frederick tried to join Pomorie to the empire. After this, Barnim, together with Wartislav II, had to repel the attempts of the Brandenburg margraves to subdue Pomerania. Under the Treaty of Kremmen on June 20, 1236, Wartislav was forced to cede part of his possessions to Brandenburg, and also to recognize the Margraves of Brandenburg as his heirs in the absence of children. In 1250, Barnim succeeded in defeating Johann and Otton of Brandenburg, who invaded Pomerania, after which he signed the Landinsky Treaty with Brandenburg, according to which the provision on the inheritance of the possessions of Vartislav II was annulled. As a result, after the death of Vartislav in 1264, Barnim united Pomorie in his hands.

However, the attacks of the Brandenburg margraves continued. As a result, Barnim had to make peace on their terms. As a result of the contract, Barnim’s son, Boguslav IV , was engaged to Johann I of Brandenburg’s daughter, and Barnim himself married the daughter of Otto III of Brandenburg, who brought him to the dowry of Ukeran region and the city of Prenclaw .

At the same time, Barnim sought to expand his holdings at the expense of other neighbors. In 1227, the part of the Pomerania occupied by him was taken from Rugen . In 1245, Barnim besieged Santotsky Castle , which belonged to the Polish prince Przemyzl I , but had to abandon the siege due to strong resistance from the Poles. In 1251, Barnim again attacked the possessions of Przemysl I , but again without any success.

Peace with the Empire continued until 1274, when a new war broke out, ending in Barnim’s victory.

Despite numerous wars with neighbors, Barnim has great services in the history of the internal development of his lands: he spread education, founded several cities and built a cathedral in Szczecin.

During the reign of Barnim, the German colonization of Pomerania began. Barnim patronized the settlers, giving the cities where they settled, the Lyubech and Magdeburg Law . Barnim also patronized the Bishops of Cummin , handing over the Pomeranian lands.

Barnim died in 1278. His successor, the eldest son of Boguslav IV, became the guardian of his younger brothers (one of whom was born after the death of Barnim). In 1295, the Pomeranian possessions were divided between Bohuslav and his younger brother Otton I into two parts.

1st wife: from September 4, 1238/18 July 1242 Marianne (died about June 27, 1252). There are various hypotheses about its origin. One, she was the daughter of King Erik X of Sweden , the other — Count Orlamunde Albrecht II , and the third — Count Anhalt Henry I. Children:

• Anastasia (c. 1245 - March 15, 1317); husband: with approx. 1259 Henry I (c. 1230 - 2 January 1302), prince of Mecklenburg

2nd wife: with approx. 1253/1254 Margarita (after 1231 - until May 27, 1261), the daughter of Nicholas I , Prince Werle . Children:

• Bohuslav IV (until 1258 - February 19, 1309), prince of Pomeranian from 1278, prince of Pomorskie-Veleoshsky from 1295

3rd wife: earlier on May 20, 1267 Mechthild (c. 1248/1255 - December 20, 1316), daughter of Margrave Brandenburg Otto III . Children:

• Miroslav (c. 1270 - December 23, November 1327/11, 1328); husband: with approx. 1285 Nicholas I (d. February 3 / June 23, 1323), Count Schwerin-Wittenberg
• Beatrice (died 1315/1316); husband: before 1290 Henry II (died after 1308), prince Werle-Penzlin
• Mechthild (d. 1295)
• Barnim II (c. 1277 - May 28, 1295), Prince of Pomerania
• Otto I (January 1 / August 31, 1279–30/31 December 1344), Prince of Pomerania, Prince of Pomeranian-Szczecin, from 1295

• Bohuslav IV
• Heinrich Borvin I
• Duchy of Pomerania
• Pomeranian House
• Pomeranian History
• Pomeranian rulers list

• Barnim, princes // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 t. (82 t. And 4 extra.). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Barnim (dukes) // Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). - Cambridge University Press, 1911.
• Gottfried von Bülow .. Barnim I. // Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). - Bd. 2. - Lpz. : Duncker & Humblot, 1875. - S. 71—74. (him)
• Ursula Scheil. Barnim I. // Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). - Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, 1953. - Bd. 1. - S. 594 f.

• Barnim I. Herzog von Pommern-Wolgast (German) . Mittelalterliche Genealogie im Deutschen Reich bis zum Ende der Staufer. The appeal date is April 17, 2012. Archived May 16, 2012.
• Dukes of Pomerania (English) . Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. The appeal date is April 17, 2012.