Pomerania

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE DVKEDOME OF POMERANIA. (Book Pomerania) POMERANIA is now a Dukedome, it lyeth by the Balthick Sea, and reacheth from the confines of Holsatia even to Livonia. This Country was called by the first Inhabitants in the Vandals Language, Pamorzi, and it had alwayes a peculiar people, who were never conquered and as Bertius witnesseth, unto whom wee are beholden for this discription, they were beaten or expulsed out of their owne Country. The Country is plaine, and hath few Hills, but euery where fruitfull, and watered with Riuers and Springs, having pleasant Meddowes and greene Pastures, shadie Woods, in which there are divers kinde of wilde Beasts. It hath abundance of Cattell, as also great store of Corne, Butter, Honey, Waxe, Cotten, Hempe, and other Commodities, so that the Inhabitants doe gaine much by transporting them. There are many faire Citties in Pomerania. The chiefe Citty is Stettinum which is situate by the River Viadrus, which is now called Odera: it was heretofore a long Fisher Towne by the bancke of the River, but now it is the chiefe Metrapolis, and Mother Citty of Pomerania. Gripswaldum is a Towne famous for learning and humane Arts: an University was built here in the yeere of Christ, 1556. Here is also the Towne Iulinum, which was heretofore the most famous Towne of all Europe, and a Mart Towne of the Vandals, unto which the Russians, the Danes, the S•rabians, the Saxones, the Sarmatians, and the Suevians did bring their Commodities, and Merchandise. The Inhabitants when they perceived that the Christian Religion began to flourish and encrease, would not suffer any stranger to mention the new Religion, and this was the cause that they received the Christian faith so lately. But at last by compulsion they received this Religion about the yeere of Christ 1000. but they reuolting often from their faith, and having made a great massacre and slaughter of the Christians in the yeere 1066. did returne to Paganisme, untill Otto Bishop of Bamberg began againe to preach the Gospell of Salvation in Pomerania, with such good successe, that three Brothers who were Princes, namely Ratisborus, Bugislaus, and Suantepolcus, were baptized, and received the Christian Religion. The first Bishop of Iulium was Adelbert, but in regard the Citty was still infested by the Danes, hee thought good thirty yeeres afterward to translate his seate to Caminum, and so the other Citty fell to the ground. Stralz•na•a is a faire Towne on the shore of the Balthick Sea, which had heretofore a Duke of its owne, but now it is subject to the Duke of Pomerania, it is supposed to have beene built by the Frenchmen, and reedified by Waldemar King of Denmarke about the yeere of Christ 1209. but now it is a strong Towne, and is a defence to Denmark, and Swethland. Wineta is the richest of all the Sea Citties, being situate betweene the River Suenus, and the Iland Rugia, and it was ruinated by Conrado King of Denmarke, in the yeere 1030. There are also other Citties, as Neugardia, Stargardia, Camenez, Grifenburga, and by the shore, Colberga, Caminum, Collinum, Sunda, Lovensburg, and many other.