Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania
Encyclopedia
Barnim VI was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast
from 1394 to 1405. He was the son of Wartislaw VI
of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Barnim is known for his engagement in piracy
. He erected a fort and a port for this purpose in Ahrenshoop
, which was destroyed by Rostock
in 1395. He allowed the Victual Brothers
, a pirate organization assaulting vessels of the Hanseatic League
in the Baltic Sea
, to use the Peene
river as a winter refuge and the Bay of Greifswald
as a basis. In 1398, he signed a treaty with the Teutonic Knights
not to further support the Victual Brothers (then also "Likedeelers"), but kept on engaging in piracy himself. On one of his expeditions, he was caught by the Hanseatic League in Kopenhagen's port. From 1400-1403, he aided the dukes of Mecklenburg-Werle in their campaigns against Lübeck
. Barnim himself was wounded once at Lübeck's gates.
In 1405, Barnim died of the Black Death
. To avoid this fate, he went on a pilgrimage to Kenz
near Barth, but died on his way in Pütnitz (a part of today's Ribnitz-Damgarten
) on 23 September 1405. He was buried in Kenz, where a large wooden statue resembling Barnim was furnished.
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
from 1394 to 1405. He was the son of Wartislaw VI
Wartislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw VI of Pomarania was the eldest son of the Duke Barnim IV of Pomerania-Wolgast-Rügen....
of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
. He erected a fort and a port for this purpose in Ahrenshoop
Ahrenshoop
Ahrenshoop is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula of the Baltic Sea. It used to be a small fishing village, but is today known for its tourism and as a holiday resort....
, which was destroyed by Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
in 1395. He allowed the Victual Brothers
Victual Brothers
The Victual Brothers were a companionship of privateers who later turned to piracy. They were hired in 1392 by the Dukes of Mecklenburg to fight against Denmark, because the Danish Queen Margaret I had imprisoned Albrecht of Mecklenburg and his son in order to subdue the kingdom of Sweden...
, a pirate organization assaulting vessels of the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, to use the Peene
Peene
The Peene is a river in Germany. The Westpeene, Kleine Peene and Ostpeene flow into the Kummerower See, and from there as Peene proper to Anklam and into the Oder Lagoon....
river as a winter refuge and the Bay of Greifswald
Bay of Greifswald
The Bay of Greifswald is a basin in the southwestern Baltic Sea, off the shores of Germany in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. With an area of 514 km², it is the largest Bodden of the German Baltic coast....
as a basis. In 1398, he signed a treaty with the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
not to further support the Victual Brothers (then also "Likedeelers"), but kept on engaging in piracy himself. On one of his expeditions, he was caught by the Hanseatic League in Kopenhagen's port. From 1400-1403, he aided the dukes of Mecklenburg-Werle in their campaigns against Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
. Barnim himself was wounded once at Lübeck's gates.
In 1405, Barnim died of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
. To avoid this fate, he went on a pilgrimage to Kenz
Kenz-Küstrow
Kenz-Küstrow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.During the Middle Ages, Kenz was an important destination of pilgrimages. Barnim VI is buried in Kenz....
near Barth, but died on his way in Pütnitz (a part of today's Ribnitz-Damgarten
Ribnitz-Damgarten
Ribnitz-Damgarten is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated at the Ribnitzer See . Ribnitz-Damgarten is the largest town of the district Vorpommern-Rügen, but not its capital.-Geography:...
) on 23 September 1405. He was buried in Kenz, where a large wooden statue resembling Barnim was furnished.
See also
- List of Pomeranian duchies and dukes
- History of PomeraniaHistory of PomeraniaThe history of Pomerania dates back more than 10,000 years. Settlement in the area started by the end of the Vistula Glacial Stage, about 13,000 years ago. Archeological traces have been found of various cultures during the Stone and Bronze Age, of Veneti and Germanic peoples during the Iron Age...
- Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy of PomeraniaThe Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
- House of PomeraniaHouse of PomeraniaThe House of Griffins or House of Pomerania, , also known as House of Greifen; House of Gryf, was a dynasty of Royal dukes that ruled the Duchy of Pomerania from the 12th century until 1637, after their power was temporarily derivated to Prussian Royal House...