The Principality of Rügen ( German: Fürstentum Rügen ), or the Principality of Rugia ( German: Rugia ) - a medieval feud that occupied the territory of the island of Rügen , small islands and the adjacent mainland under the control of princes from the Wislawid dynasty ( German Wizlawiden ) from 1168 to 1325. The rulers of the principality were in vassal dependence on the kings of Denmark.
| vassal principality | |||
| Principality of Rugen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Furstentum rugen | |||
| |||
 Principality of Rügen in the 13th century | |||
1168 - 1325 | |||
| Capital | Horats (from 1180 Rugard) | ||
| Largest cities | Stralsund, Barth, Damgarten | ||
| Languages) | Ruyan, Old German | ||
| Religion | Catholicism | ||
| Form of government | monarchy | ||
| Dynasty | Wislawids | ||
| Prince of Rugen | |||
| • 1168–1170 | Teslav | ||
| • 1170-1218 | Jaromar I | ||
| • 1218-1221 | Barnuta | ||
| • 1218-1250 | Wislaw I | ||
| • 1250-1260 | Jaromar II | ||
| • 1260-1302 | Wislaw II | ||
| Continuity | |||
| ← Principality of Rugia | |||
Duchy of Pomerania → Province of Pomerania → Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania → | |||
History
Ruyan (VI – XII centuries)
In the VI century, the Slavic tribe Ruyan settled on the territory of the island of Rugia (now Rugen). Detailed documentary evidence of this tribe is found in written sources dating back to the 10th century. Helmold from Bosau reports that the prince ruled the Ruyan tribe, whose power was limited by the authority of the priests. The main deity they worshiped was called Sventovit .
The first known in the history of the Prince of Ruyan was Wislav (mentioned in 955 ), by whose name the dynasty received the name Wislavids. Behind him, the princes of the Ruyan were Kruto (mentioned in 1066 ), Grin (mentioned in 1100 ) and Ratislav (mentioned in 1038 ).
In the years 1123-1124, the Ruyan came into conflict with the encouragement , the reason for which was their refusal to pay the full fine for the murder of Prince Henry the Obodritsky's son. In 1136, King of Denmark Eric II (King of Denmark) captured Arkona , the main city of Ruyan. He returned these lands to the owners, but on condition that they accept Christianity, but the promise made to him was not kept. In the years 1159–1166, the Danes and Saxons attacked the lands of the Ruyan one by one.
The adoption of Christianity (1168)
In 1168, Waldemar I , king of Denmark, with the blessing of Absalon , Archbishop of Roskilde , again captured Arkona, the main city of the Ruyan, and destroyed their main temple . The princes of Ruyan recognized vassal dependence on the rulers of Denmark. In addition, they adopted Christianity with all the people, and agreed to the terms of the agreement, according to which the lands on which the church was built, the churches left, also in the event of war, the princes pledged to be allies of the rulers of Denmark, annually pay tribute to them and send hostages.
Principality of Rügen (XII century)
According to Saxon Grammatik , the first prince of the Ruyan, who was called the prince of Rügen, was Teslav (d. 1170) [1] . He was succeeded by his brother Jaromar I († 1218), married to Princess Hildegard of Denmark . During the reign of this prince, Germanic settlers appeared on the mainland of the principality, eventually assimilating the local Slavs [2] .
In 1177, the Rujans, along with the Danes, participated in the attack on the cities of Usedom and Wolin and the county of Gücki , and the following year on the cities of Wusterhausen and Volgast . After the Duchy of Pomerania became an imperial principality in 1181 , its rulers decided to subjugate the Holy Roman Empire and the Principality of Rugen. But in 1184 the fleet of the duchy was destroyed in the bay of Greifswald by a fleet of ruyan, after which the Danes again attacked Usedom and Volgast. Thus, under the authority of the rulers of Denmark was the entire southern coast of the Baltic Sea until 1227 , when after the defeat in the battle of Bornhoeved the Danes lost all vassal territories, with the exception of the Principality of Rügen [3] . In 1185, the Ruyan participated with the Danes in an attack on land at the mouth of the Pene River and the city of Cummin .
After the strengthening of Denmark in the region, the princes of Rügen moved the capital from Harenz to Rugard (now within the city of Bergen ). Church jurisdiction over the lands of the principality was divided between the dioceses of Roskilde (island part), Schwerin and Wloclawek (mainland). The abbeys of Bergen (in 1193) and Elden (in 1199) were founded on the territory of the principality.
Principality of Rügen (13th century)
After the death of Jaromar I in 1218, Barnut , his son from his first marriage, ascended the throne of the princes of Rügen. But in 1221 he refused to reign, and his brother Wislav I , married to Princess Margarita of Sweden, became the new prince. His successor was the son of Jaromar II , married to Princess Euphemiah of Pomerania , from whom he had a son and future prince Wisław II and a daughter, Princess Margarita Rügen .
At the same time, the side branches of the Rügen House finally took shape - von Gristov (offspring of Prince Barnuta) and von Putbus (offspring of Prince Stoislav ). [2]
The princes of Rügen, remaining the only vassals of the rulers of Denmark in the region after 1227, continued to take part in joint military campaigns, for example, in 1219 in the conquest of Estonia. They also had to oppose Christopher I , king of Denmark, on the side of the archbishops of Lund and Roskilde in the civil war of 1259-1260, and capture the Lilleborg fortress on the island of Bornholm .
In 1235, the Principality of Rugen occupied half of the lands of Volgast, but in 1250 it was forced to return these lands to the Duchy of Pomerania. [1] In 1240, a border along the Rick River was finally established between the principality and the duchy. After an unsuccessful attempt in 1273 to inherit the Schlave-Stolpe in 1275, the princes of Rügen were able to add Loitz to their possessions. In 1283, the principality entered into an alliance with a number of free cities in northern Germany.
In the 13th century, active development of the city began on the territory of the principality, which was ensured by a growing influx of German settlers. The first city of the principality to receive autonomy was the city of Stralsund in 1234, which turned into an important shopping center. Then the cities of Barth (in 1255 ), Damgarten (in 1258 ), Rügenwalde (in 1270 ) and Grimmen (in 1285 ) appeared. Built in 1241 on the border of the principality, the city of Greifswald soon came under the control of the Dukes of Pomerania.
Along with the construction of cities on the territory of the principality, the construction of churches and monasteries continued, for example, the Abbey of Neuenkamp (in 1231 ) and Hiddensee (in 1296 ) were founded. Founded by the Dukes of Pomerania on the border, the Dargun Abbey enjoyed the special protection of the princes of Rügen.
Principality of Rügen (XIV century)
After the death in 1302 of Wislaw II, during his visit to Norway , his sons Princes Wislaw III and Sambir ascended to the throne of the principality. However, Sambir soon died, and from 1304 his brother became the sovereign ruler of the principality.
Since his first marriage was childless, the ruler of Denmark demanded from his vassal a contract of inheritance, with the requirement for side branches of the princely house, von Putbus and von Gristov, to refuse inheritance in favor of the successor, whom Denmark would establish. In 1316, the Danes besieged the city of Stralsund, but suffered a crushing defeat. In 1317, a peace treaty was concluded between the King of Denmark and the city of Stralsund, and Prince Wislav III received numerous privileges from the city, which corrected the material situation of the dynasty.
In 1319, the Principality of Rugen denounced the inheritance agreement previously concluded with the Kingdom of Denmark. Prince Wislaw III declared his nephew from the House of Family Guy, Dukes of Pomerania, his successor. After the death of the prince in 1325, the direct line of the princes of Rugen from the House of Wislavids was cut short. From 1326 to 1355, after two Rügen wars , the territory of the principality became part of the Duchy of Pomerania.
Subsequent History of the Region
Denmark several times tried again to take possession of the Principality of Rügen, however, all these attempts were only temporary success. In 1625, the rulers of Denmark offered 150,000 imperial thalers for the Principality of Rügen, but the dukes of Pomerania rejected their offer. During the Swedish-Brandenburg War (1675–1679), Christian V , king of Denmark, occupied the principality twice, but both times he had to retreat. The principality was last ruled by Denmark from 1715 to 1721.
The territory of the principality retained a certain special status within the borders of the duchy, and later the province of Pomerania. Sometimes the lands of the former principality were called Neupommern (New Pomerania). Today, most of these lands are part of the areas of Western Pomerania - Rügen and Western Pomerania - Greifswald , in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in Germany .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Werner Buchholz . Pommern. - Siedler, 1999 .-- S. 100-101. - ISBN 3886802728 .
- ↑ 1 2 Werner Buchholz, Pommern , Siedler, 1999, pp. 102, ISBN 3886802728
- ↑ Borningoved // Military Encyclopedia : [in 18 vol.] / Ed. V.F. Novitsky [et al.]. - SPb. ; [ M. ]: Type. t-va I. D. Sytin , 1911-1915.