Treaty of Soldin (1466)
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Soldin was signed on 21 January 1466 at Soldin
(now Myślibórz) by the Brandenburgian elector Frederick II
and the Pomeranian dukes
Eric II
and Wartislaw X
. It was mediated by the town of Stettin (now Szczecin). The treaty temporarily settled a conflict about the succession of Otto III, Duke of Pomerania
, who had died without issue: Emperor Frederick III, elector Frederick II as well as Eric II and Wartislaw X of Pomerania claimed to be the rightful heir of Otto's share of the Duchy of Pomerania
.
The Brandenburgian elector and the Pomeranian dukes bypassed the emperor's claims, and settled for a solution where the Pomeranian dukes took the Duchy of Pomerania
, including Otto's as well as their own shares, as a fief of the Electorate of Brandenburg. The implementation of the treaty failed due to the refusal of parts of the Pomeranian nobility and the town of Stettin to obey to the treaty's terms. Neither did the Pomeranian dukes enforce the treaty, and successfully intrigued against it at the emperor's court. Brandenburg tried to enforce the treaty militarily, yet initially with limited success. Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
declared the treaty null and void in 1469, but confirmed Brandenburg's claims in 1470. The treaty of Soldin was superseded by the Second Peace of Prenzlau in May 1472, that ended the war and confirmed Pomerania as a Brandenburgian fief.
and the Duchy of Pomerania
were part of a long-standing dispute regarding the status of the latter
. While Brandenburg regarded Pomerania to be her legal fief, the Pomeranian dukes rejected such claims. Both sides were at times successful in convincing the Holy Roman Emperor
of their respective view, and frequently, the conflict resulted in warfare. The most recent of these armed conflicts was fought between 1444 and 1448 about territory in the Uckermark
, claimed by both Pomerania and Brandenburg. The First Peace of Prenzlau (1448) had ended this war by dividing the area in a Brandenburgian and a Pomeranian part. The Duchy of Pomerania
was itself internally divided
between various members of the House of Pomerania
, each of whom ruled a part ("Teilherzogtum
") of it named after its respective primary residence. In 1455, Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
had bought back the Neumark
from the Teutonic Order State, and was searching for an access to the Baltic Sea
for his land-locked electorate.
During the 1450s, the Pomeranian dukes faced fierce opposition of the Hanseatic towns
within their duchy. Stralsund
refused to accept the dukes as overlords at all in 1451, and reconciled with the dukes only in a peace of 12 July 1454. In 1457, burghers of Stralsund and Greifswald
assaulted duke Eric II and his entourage – Eric barely escaped. Also in 1457, the Hanseatic towns of Stralsund, Greifswald, Demmin
and Anklam
conclude an alliance directed against the Pomeranian dukes.
In 1459, Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
, renounced all freedoms previously granted by the emperors to the Pomeranian dukes. The same year, Eric of Pomerania
's death caused a conflict between the remaining dukes Eric II, Wartislaw X and Otto III
about Eric's heritage – Eric II claimed all for himself. This led Otto III and Wartislaw X to ally with the elector of Brandenburg on 6 September 1459, and with Denmark on 27 July 1462, both alliances were directed against Eric II. The dukes however reconciled in 1463.
An epidemic wave of the Black Death
had reached Pomerania in 1451. Many members of the House of Pomerania
fell victim to this epidemic, including Otto III of Pomerania-Stettin, who died without issue on 10 September 1464. The remaining dukes Wartislaw X and Erich II on one side, and the Brandenburgian elector on the other side both claim Otto's Teilherzogtum
. Negotiations in Prenzlau
on 13 January 1465 ended without a result. Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
initially rejected both the Pomeranian and the Brandenburgian claims, and considered Pomerania-Stettin as his personal property. On 21 March, the emperor drafted a document confirming Brandenburg's claim, yet this title was kept in Nuremberg
and had to be bailed out with 37,000 gulden
. This did not happen, as the elector could not afford to pay this sum. Brandenburgian-Pomeranian negotiations in April and May in Prenzlau
failed.
as a fief without his approval. The respective imperial note arrived in Pomerania in February 1467.
and the Electorate of Saxony
admonished the Pomeranian dukes to obey by the treaty and threatened them with an economical boycott
, while the Hanseatic League
, especially Lübeck
, endorsed Stettin's refusal to pledge allegiance to Brandenburg. On 2 May 1468, Brandenburg sent a note to Stettin insisting on the implementation of the treaty and threatened with war, which eventually broke out in mid-July. Forces of Brandenburgian ally Mecklenburg crossed the Tollense
river into Vorpommern, while Brandenburgian forces attacked from the South. In the following battles, Brandenburg sacked Löcknitz
and Gartz (Oder) in July, and Mecklenburg sacked Altentreptow
in early August. After further Brandenburgian and Mecklenburgian gains, Stralsund
and Greifswald
mediated a truce in late August.
The truce however was not obeyed. Pomeranian forces invaded Brandenburgian territory and re-took Altentreptow on 7 or 8 September. On 21 September, peace negotiations failed, and Meckenburg renewed her alliance with Brandenburg. In October, Pomeranian forces sacked Bahn and stormed Gartz, yet were repelled from the latter. On 12 December, the Pomeranian delegates Jaroslaw Barnekow, Bernd Broke and Klaus Goldbeck offer a peace at Prenzlau, but Brandenburg refused due to ongoing attacks by the Pomeranian forces. Negotiations at Prenzlau continue, and on 8 January 1469, the Pomeranian dukes Eric II and Wartislaw X swear in public on Prenzlau's marketplace to obey the treaty of Soldin, and that the duchy will pledge allegiance within the next eight days. On 15 January, some Pomeranian nobles actually give the oath to the elector, but Stettin openly refuses again in May, and is again backed by the Hanseatic League. The Pomeranian dukes meanwhile intrigued with the emperor to declare the Soldin treaty void.
On 14 July 1469, the emperor issued a decree that nullified the treaty of Soldin, confirmed Pomerania's imperial immediacy and forbade Brandenburgian actions against the duchy. On the same day, Pomeranian forces invaded the Brandenburgian Neumark
, but were defeated in the Battle of Schivelbein. On 25 July, the elector mounted a counter-offensive, reaching Ueckermünde
on 30 July. The town, supported by Stralsund and Stettin, was besieged by combined Brandenburgian and Mecklenburgian forces until 10 August. On 21 October 1469, Pomerania and Mecklenburg conclude a peace treaty, and oblige themselves to maintain neutrality in case one of them is at war with Brandenburg. In May 1470, Eric II of Pomerania again invades the Neumark.
, scheduled until 24 June 1472. The Second Peace of Prenzlau, concluded between Brandenburg and Pomerania on 30 May 1472, finally settled the dispute in Brandenburg's favour: Brandenburg received Pomerania-Stettin, and Pomerania-Wolgast became a Brandenburgian fief.
Myslibórz
Myślibórz is a city in north-west Poland, in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It is the capital of the Powiat of Myślibórz...
(now Myślibórz) by the Brandenburgian elector Frederick II
Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick II of Brandenburg , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern.-Biography:Frederick II was born in Tangermünde to Frederick I, Brandenburg's...
and the Pomeranian dukes
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 ....
Eric II
Eric II, Duke of Pomerania
Eric II or Erich II, of the House of Pomerania , , was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1457 to 1474. He was the son of Wartislaw IX of Pomerania-Wolgast and Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg Eric II or Erich II, of the House of Pomerania (Griffins), (between 1418 and 1425 – 1474), was Duke of...
and Wartislaw X
Wartislaw X, Duke of Pomerania
Duke Wartislaw X of Pomerania was the second son of Duke Wartislaw IX of Pomerania and his wife, Sophia of Saxe-Lauenburg....
. It was mediated by the town of Stettin (now Szczecin). The treaty temporarily settled a conflict about the succession of Otto III, Duke of Pomerania
Otto III, Duke of Pomerania
Otto III, Duke of Pomerania was a member of the House of Griffins and a Duke of Pomerania-Stettin.- Life :...
, who had died without issue: Emperor Frederick III, elector Frederick II as well as Eric II and Wartislaw X of Pomerania claimed to be the rightful heir of Otto's share of the Duchy of Pomerania
Partitions of the Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was partitioned several times to satisfy the claims of the male members of the ruling House of Pomerania dynasty. The partitions were named after the ducal residences: Pomerania-Barth, -Demmin, -Rügenwalde, -Stettin, -Stolp, and -Wolgast. None of the partitions had a...
.
The Brandenburgian elector and the Pomeranian dukes bypassed the emperor's claims, and settled for a solution where the Pomeranian dukes took the Duchy of Pomerania
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 ....
, including Otto's as well as their own shares, as a fief of the Electorate of Brandenburg. The implementation of the treaty failed due to the refusal of parts of the Pomeranian nobility and the town of Stettin to obey to the treaty's terms. Neither did the Pomeranian dukes enforce the treaty, and successfully intrigued against it at the emperor's court. Brandenburg tried to enforce the treaty militarily, yet initially with limited success. Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
declared the treaty null and void in 1469, but confirmed Brandenburg's claims in 1470. The treaty of Soldin was superseded by the Second Peace of Prenzlau in May 1472, that ended the war and confirmed Pomerania as a Brandenburgian fief.
Background
BrandenburgBrandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
and the Duchy of Pomerania
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 ....
were part of a long-standing dispute regarding the status of the latter
Brandenburg-Pomeranian conflict
Starting in the 12th century, the Margraviate, later Electorate of Brandenburg was in conflict with the neighboring Duchy of Pomerania over frontier territories claimed by both Brandenburg and Pomerania, and over the status of the Pomeranian duchy, which Brandenburg claimed as a fief, whereas...
. While Brandenburg regarded Pomerania to be her legal fief, the Pomeranian dukes rejected such claims. Both sides were at times successful in convincing the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
of their respective view, and frequently, the conflict resulted in warfare. The most recent of these armed conflicts was fought between 1444 and 1448 about territory in the Uckermark
Uckermark
Uckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
, claimed by both Pomerania and Brandenburg. The First Peace of Prenzlau (1448) had ended this war by dividing the area in a Brandenburgian and a Pomeranian part. The Duchy of Pomerania
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 ....
was itself internally divided
Partitions of the Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was partitioned several times to satisfy the claims of the male members of the ruling House of Pomerania dynasty. The partitions were named after the ducal residences: Pomerania-Barth, -Demmin, -Rügenwalde, -Stettin, -Stolp, and -Wolgast. None of the partitions had a...
between various members of the House of Pomerania
House of Pomerania
The 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...
, each of whom ruled a part ("Teilherzogtum
Teilherzogtum
Teilherzogtum is a German term denoting a part of a duchy after the duchy had been internally partitioned among members of the respective ducal family. Teilherzogtum does not have an English cognate.-Bavaria:*Bavaria-Ingolstadt*Bavaria-Landshut...
") of it named after its respective primary residence. In 1455, Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
Frederick II of Brandenburg , nicknamed "the Iron" and sometimes "Irontooth" , was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from 1440 until his abdication in 1470, and was a member of the House of Hohenzollern.-Biography:Frederick II was born in Tangermünde to Frederick I, Brandenburg's...
had bought back the Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
from the Teutonic Order State, and was searching for an access to 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...
for his land-locked electorate.
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...
within their duchy. Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
refused to accept the dukes as overlords at all in 1451, and reconciled with the dukes only in a peace of 12 July 1454. In 1457, burghers of Stralsund and Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
assaulted duke Eric II and his entourage – Eric barely escaped. Also in 1457, the Hanseatic towns of Stralsund, Greifswald, Demmin
Demmin
Demmin is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It was the capital of the former district Demmin.- Name :...
and Anklam
Anklam
Anklam is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the Kleines Haff, the western part of the Stettin Lagoon. Anklam has a population of 14,603 and was the capital of the former...
conclude an alliance directed against the Pomeranian dukes.
In 1459, Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
, renounced all freedoms previously granted by the emperors to the Pomeranian dukes. The same year, Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania
Eric of Pomerania KG was King Eric III of Norway Norwegian Eirik, King Eric VII of Denmark , and as Eric King of Sweden...
's death caused a conflict between the remaining dukes Eric II, Wartislaw X and Otto III
Otto III, Duke of Pomerania
Otto III, Duke of Pomerania was a member of the House of Griffins and a Duke of Pomerania-Stettin.- Life :...
about Eric's heritage – Eric II claimed all for himself. This led Otto III and Wartislaw X to ally with the elector of Brandenburg on 6 September 1459, and with Denmark on 27 July 1462, both alliances were directed against Eric II. The dukes however reconciled in 1463.
An epidemic wave 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...
had reached Pomerania in 1451. Many members of the House of Pomerania
House of Pomerania
The 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...
fell victim to this epidemic, including Otto III of Pomerania-Stettin, who died without issue on 10 September 1464. The remaining dukes Wartislaw X and Erich II on one side, and the Brandenburgian elector on the other side both claim Otto's Teilherzogtum
Teilherzogtum
Teilherzogtum is a German term denoting a part of a duchy after the duchy had been internally partitioned among members of the respective ducal family. Teilherzogtum does not have an English cognate.-Bavaria:*Bavaria-Ingolstadt*Bavaria-Landshut...
. Negotiations in Prenzlau
Prenzlau
Prenzlau , a city in the Uckermark District of Brandenburg in Germany, had a population of about 21,000 in 2005.-International relations:Prenzlau is twinned with: Uster, Switzerland Barlinek, Poland Świdwin, Poland...
on 13 January 1465 ended without a result. Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...
initially rejected both the Pomeranian and the Brandenburgian claims, and considered Pomerania-Stettin as his personal property. On 21 March, the emperor drafted a document confirming Brandenburg's claim, yet this title was kept in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and had to be bailed out with 37,000 gulden
Gulden
Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin Gulden is the historical German term for gold coin (from Middle High German guldin [pfenni(n)c] "golden penny", equivalent to the Dutch term guilder...
. This did not happen, as the elector could not afford to pay this sum. Brandenburgian-Pomeranian negotiations in April and May in Prenzlau
Prenzlau
Prenzlau , a city in the Uckermark District of Brandenburg in Germany, had a population of about 21,000 in 2005.-International relations:Prenzlau is twinned with: Uster, Switzerland Barlinek, Poland Świdwin, Poland...
failed.
Provisions
The treaty included the following provisions:- The 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 ....
becomes a fief of the Electorate of Brandenburg. Erich II and Wartislaw X pledge allegiance to the elector. This does not affect the oaths of the Pomeranian nobility, who had to pledge allegiance to both the Pomeranian dukes and the Brandenburgian elector. The elector of Brandenburg has to justify this action before the Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
. Allegiance may only to be pledged after previous mutual consultations. - The Pomeranian dukes continue to receive all income from their duchy.
- Fiefs inside the duchy are to be handed out only by the Pomeranian dukes and the Brandenburgian elector in common.
- The Brandenburgian elector is obliged to protect the Duchy of Pomerania. Furthermore, Brandenburg and Pomerania enter a defensive alliance.
- The Pomeranian dukes are obliged to not unduly burden the Pomeranian nobility, and guarantee them certain freedoms.
- Brandenburg and Pomerania allow free trade and traffic.
Failed implementation
On 10 March, Wartislaw X of Pomerania and Frederick II of Brandenburg met in Gartz (Oder) to put the Pomeranian nobility under oath. However, they had to cancel the ceremony due to insufficient attention. On 26 April, Stettin mailed the elector that it refused to pledge allegiance. The Pomeranian delegate at the emperor's court, Jaroslaw Barnekow, pursued the cassation of the elector's title since the summer, and was successful on 14 October when the emperor forbade the Pomeranian dukes to take the Duchy of PomeraniaDuchy 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 ....
as a fief without his approval. The respective imperial note arrived in Pomerania in February 1467.
War between Brandenburg and Pomerania
On 8 May 1467, MecklenburgMecklenburg
Mecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
and the Electorate of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
admonished the Pomeranian dukes to obey by the treaty and threatened them with an economical boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
, while 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...
, especially 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...
, endorsed Stettin's refusal to pledge allegiance to Brandenburg. On 2 May 1468, Brandenburg sent a note to Stettin insisting on the implementation of the treaty and threatened with war, which eventually broke out in mid-July. Forces of Brandenburgian ally Mecklenburg crossed the Tollense
Tollense
The Tollense is a river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northeastern Germany, right tributary of the Peene. The river starts as the outflow of the lake Tollensesee in Neubrandenburg...
river into Vorpommern, while Brandenburgian forces attacked from the South. In the following battles, Brandenburg sacked Löcknitz
Löcknitz
Löcknitz is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, located 12 km west of the German-Polish border and 25 km west of Szczecin .- Cross-border contacts :...
and Gartz (Oder) in July, and Mecklenburg sacked Altentreptow
Altentreptow
Altentreptow is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Tollense, 15 km north of Neubrandenburg. Until 1939 the city's name was Treptow an der Tollense....
in early August. After further Brandenburgian and Mecklenburgian gains, Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
and Greifswald
Greifswald
Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...
mediated a truce in late August.
The truce however was not obeyed. Pomeranian forces invaded Brandenburgian territory and re-took Altentreptow on 7 or 8 September. On 21 September, peace negotiations failed, and Meckenburg renewed her alliance with Brandenburg. In October, Pomeranian forces sacked Bahn and stormed Gartz, yet were repelled from the latter. On 12 December, the Pomeranian delegates Jaroslaw Barnekow, Bernd Broke and Klaus Goldbeck offer a peace at Prenzlau, but Brandenburg refused due to ongoing attacks by the Pomeranian forces. Negotiations at Prenzlau continue, and on 8 January 1469, the Pomeranian dukes Eric II and Wartislaw X swear in public on Prenzlau's marketplace to obey the treaty of Soldin, and that the duchy will pledge allegiance within the next eight days. On 15 January, some Pomeranian nobles actually give the oath to the elector, but Stettin openly refuses again in May, and is again backed by the Hanseatic League. The Pomeranian dukes meanwhile intrigued with the emperor to declare the Soldin treaty void.
On 14 July 1469, the emperor issued a decree that nullified the treaty of Soldin, confirmed Pomerania's imperial immediacy and forbade Brandenburgian actions against the duchy. On the same day, Pomeranian forces invaded the Brandenburgian Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
, but were defeated in the Battle of Schivelbein. On 25 July, the elector mounted a counter-offensive, reaching Ueckermünde
Ueckermünde
Ueckermünde is a seaport town in northeast Germany, located in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, Western Pomerania, near Germany's border with Poland . Ueckermünde has a long and varied history, going back to its founding by Slavs, known as the Uchri and mentioned in 934 by Widukind of Corvey...
on 30 July. The town, supported by Stralsund and Stettin, was besieged by combined Brandenburgian and Mecklenburgian forces until 10 August. On 21 October 1469, Pomerania and Mecklenburg conclude a peace treaty, and oblige themselves to maintain neutrality in case one of them is at war with Brandenburg. In May 1470, Eric II of Pomerania again invades the Neumark.
Second Peace of Prenzlau
On 12 December 1470, the emperor confirmed the Brandenburgian claim to Pomerania-Stettin. Furthermore, he addressed the Polish king on 9 January 1470 to support Brandenburg against Pomerania. On 6 August, the emperor forbade the Pomeranian dukes to hinder Brandenburg's appropriation of Pomerania-Stettin, and ordered the nobles to pledge allegiance to the elector. On 16 September, Pomerania and Brandenburg agree on a truce in MescherinMescherin
Mescherin is a municipality in the Uckermark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is located on the western shore of the Oder river which is the international border to Poland since 1945.-Overview:...
, scheduled until 24 June 1472. The Second Peace of Prenzlau, concluded between Brandenburg and Pomerania on 30 May 1472, finally settled the dispute in Brandenburg's favour: Brandenburg received Pomerania-Stettin, and Pomerania-Wolgast became a Brandenburgian fief.