Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania

Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VII and his wife Maria von Mecklenburg on the picture family tree of the griffins by Cornelius Krommeny (1598)
Born	c. 1363–1365
Died	c. 1394–1395
Noble family	House of Griffin
Spouse(s)	Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Issue	Eric of Pomerania Catherine of Pomerania
Father	Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania
Mother	Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen

Wartislaw VII (Polish: Warcisław VII) (1363/1365 – 1394/1395)^[1] was one of the Dukes of Pomerania. His full name was Henry Wartislaw.^[2]

Life

He was the son of Bogislaw V, brother of Casimir IV and Bogislaw VIII. He married Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (daughter of Henry III, Duke of Mecklenburg) and was the father of Eric of Pomerania and Catherine of Pomerania.

In 1377, he became Duke of Pomerania in Pomerania-Stolp; at times he was its coruler with his brother, Bogislaw VIII. He maneuvered between two local powers, the Teutonic Knights and the Kingdom of Poland. In 1386 he allied himself with the Knights; but in 1390, by the Treaty of Pyzdry, he allied himself with Poland, and pledged vassalage to the king of Poland, Władysław Jagiełło. In return, he received the territory of Nakło from the Polish king.

In 1392–1393, he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.^[1] According to some sources, the pilgrimage started already in 1391, yet he is also reported to have stayed in Vordingborg in July 1392.^[3] On 1 August 1392, Wartislaw, his brother Bogislaw VIII and some clergy of the Bishopric of Cammin met with Johann, the bishop of Lebus, and Johann of Görlitz, a prince of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, in Brandenburgian Landsberg an der Warthe (now Gorzów). Bogislaw returned to Pomerania, and Wartislaw travelled southwards to meet with Wartislaw VIII, Duke of Pomerania. Both Wartislaws then travelled through Hungary. In Smederevo,^{[nb 1]} a town southeast of Belgrad (then part of Hungary, now part of Serbia) Wartislaw VII fell ill, and in 1393 returned to Pomerania while Wartislaw VIII continued the pilgrimage alone.^[4]

During Wartislaw VII's absence, the Pomeranian noble Matzke von Borcke auf Stramehl had led a holdup in Pomerania-Stolp, where Bohemian komtur Johann von Mühlheim was robbed on his way to the Teutonic Order state in late 1392. Konrad von Wallenrode, Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, protested at Wartislaw VII's and Bogislaw VIII's court and demanded satisfaction. Wartislaw and Bogislaw then granted him permission to destroy Matzke's residence Stramehl, which eventually was razed.^[5]

Wartislaw died between November 1394 and 23 February 1395.^[1]

Ancestors

Ancestors of Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania

16. Barnim I, Duke of Pomerania

8. Bogislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania

17. Margaret of Adenoys

4. Wartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania

18. Wizlaw II, Prince of Rügen

9. Margaret of Rugia

19. Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg

2. Bogislaw V, Duke of Pomerania

20. Günther I, Count of Lindow

10. Ulrich I, Count of Lindow-Ruppin

21. Euphemia of Rugia

5. Elisabeth of Lindow-Ruppin

22. Meinhard, Count of Schladen

11. Adelaide of Schaden

23. Adelaide of Werberg

1. Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania

24. Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg

12. Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen

25. Adelaide of Montferrat

6. Ernest I, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen

26. Albert II, Margrave of Meissen

13. Agnes of Meissen

27. Margaret of Sicily

3. Adelheid of Brunswick-Grubenhagen

28. Otto V, Count of Everstein-Polle

14. Herman III, Count of Everstein-Polle

29. Luitgard of Schladen

7. Adelheid of Everstein-Polle

30. Simon I, Lord of Lippe

15. Adelaide of Lippe

31. Adelaide of Waldeck

Notes

^ Smederevo, also Semengrin or Senderow, in primary sources also spelled Zeuderin, Zenderin, Zuderin, Zanderini, Senendria, Senderin. Zdrenka (1995), p.12.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Zdrenka, Joachim (1995). "Die Pilgerfahrten der pommerschen Herzöge ins Heilige Land in den Jahren 1392/1393 und 1406/1407". Baltische Studien. 81 (127). Marburg: Elwert: 10–11.
^ The King Who Became a Pirate, Story by Anja Klemp Vilgaard · Illustrations by Darya Malikova · Edited by Shawna Kenney · April 20, 2020, narratively.com.
^ Zdrenka, Joachim (1995). "Die Pilgerfahrten der pommerschen Herzöge ins Heilige Land in den Jahren 1392/1393 und 1406/1407". Baltische Studien. 81 (127). Marburg: Elwert: 10.
^ Zdrenka, Joachim (1995). "Die Pilgerfahrten der pommerschen Herzöge ins Heilige Land in den Jahren 1392/1393 und 1406/1407". Baltische Studien. 81 (127). Marburg: Elwert: 11–13.
^ Branig, Hans; Werner Buchholz (1997). Werner Buchholz (ed.). Geschichte Pommerns, Volume I, Vom Werden des neuzeitlichen Staates bis zum Verlust der staatlichen Selbständigkeit, 1300-1648. Böhlau. p. 30. ISBN 3-412-07189-7.

Branig, Hans; Werner Buchholz (1997). Werner Buchholz (ed.). Geschichte Pommerns, Volume I, Vom Werden des neuzeitlichen Staates bis zum Verlust der staatlichen Selbständigkeit, 1300-1648. Böhlau. pp. 29–30. ISBN 3-412-07189-7.
Juliusz Bardach, Historia państwa i prawa Polski, Volume 1, Państwowe Wydawn. Naukowe, 1964, p. 589
Władysław Czapliński, Tadeusz Ładogórski, Atlas historyczny polski, Państwowe Przedsiębiorstwo Wydawnictw Kartograficznych, 1970, p. 12
William Urban, Terry Jones, Medieval mercenaries: the business of war, MBI Publishing Company, 2006, ISBN 1-85367-697-7, Google Print, p.206

Wartislaw VII, Duke of Pomerania House of Griffins Born: c. 1363-1365 Died: c. 1394-1395
Preceded by Casimir IV	Duke of Pomerania-Stolp 1377–1395	Succeeded by Bogislaw VIII