Pomerania

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1,762,000 people fled Pomerania, of which 330,000 lost their lives.

In this province once lived 1,956,000 Germans in 2314 settlements.

Major cities:

Stettin, Arnswalde, Belgard, Bütow, Deutsch-Krone, Köslin, Kolberg, Lauenburg, Neustettin, Schlawe, Schlochau, Schneidemühl, Stargard, Stolp and Swinemünde

Pomerania during peace time

Pomerania in a nutshell

Administrative capital: Stettin

Area: 30,120 km²

Populatilon: 1,684,125 (1905)

Counties: Stettin, Stralsund, Köslin

The region of Pomerania is larger than the size of Belgium.

The province of Pomerania was increased significantly in 1938:

The area around Driesen was separated from Brandenburg and attached to Pomerania.

The area around Schneidemühl was assigned from Posen-West-Prussia (formerly Posen) to Pomerania.

The territory around Schlochau was detached from Posen-West-Prussia (former West Prussia) and assigned to Pomerania.

Since 1945, the Oder River forms the border between the German and the Polish part of Pomerania.

Stettin

History of Pomerania

1200 B.C.
Settlement by the Germanic tribes of the Vandals

5th century B.C.
During the great migrations the Vandals wandered to the south and were replaced by Eastern peoples.

975
The Piast dinasty conquered Pomerania.

1164
Henry the Lion, duke of Saxony, became liege lord of Pomerania.

1185
Pomerania was occupied by the Danes.
In 1227 it fell back to the German Reich.

1625
In the course of the Thirty Years War, Pomerania was alternately plundered by the troops of Wallenstein and the Swedes.

1630
Pomerania became part of Sweden.

1648
Pomerania, by the peace of Westphalia, was divided into Hinterpommern (eastern part) belonging to Brandenburg and into Vorpommern (western part) belonging to Sweden.

1721
After the end of the Great Northern War the southern part of Western Pomerania fell back to Prussia.

1815
The northern part of Western Pomerania, including the island of Rügen, became Prussian again.

1945
By flight and expulsion 1,432,000 German Pomeranians lost their homeland.

Flight and expulsion

Pomerania was - similarly as East Prussia - separated from the rest of the Reich by the tank advance of the Red Army towards north-west up to the Baltic Sea. In this way people could escape just north of the Baltic Sea coast - to the Hanseatic port city of Kolberg that fought once so staunchly against Napoleon. As the noose drew ever closer and the news about the brutality of the Red Army spread, on 7 March 1945 the pharmacists were instructed to give out poison to the women also without prescription.

From March to May 1945, thousands of civilians were killed on the run before the advancing Red Army.

They were caught in the crossfire, they were blown apart by grenades, rolled over by tanks or shot at by low-flying aircraft.

In the occupied territories ruled chaos, violence and anarchy, accompanied by looting, shootings, abductions and rape.

In total, about 1,400,000 Germans were expelled in the very bestial way from Pomerania.

330,000 dead

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Important personalities of
Pomerania