View source for Principality of Rügen

{{Short description|Former principality}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = ''Vürstentuom Rügen'' <small>([[Middle Low German|gml]])</small><br>''Fyrstendømmet Rygien'' (<small>[[Danish language|da]])</small>
| conventional_long_name = Principality of Rügen
| common_name            = Rugia|
| era                    = Middle Ages
| status                 = Principality
| empire                 = Holy Roman Empire
| status_text            = Vassal of [[Medieval Denmark|Denmark]]<br>State of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]*
| religion               = [[Catholicism]]<br>[[Slavic Paganism]]
| government_type        = Principality
| today                  = {{plainlist}}
* [[Germany]]
{{endplainlist}}
| year_start             = 1168
| year_end               = 1325|
| event_start            = [[Wends]] conquered<br />{{spaces|4}}by Denmark
| date_start             = 
| event_end              = Princely line extinct;<br />{{spaces|4}}to [[Duchy of Pomerania|Pomerania]]
| date_end               = 
| event_post             = Acquired by<br />{{spaces|4}}{{nowrap|[[Swedish Pomerania]]}}
| date_post              = &nbsp;<br />1648|
| p1                     = Rani (Slavic tribe)
| image_p1               = [[File:Coats of arms of None.svg|20px]]
| s1                     = Duchy of Pomerania
| image_s1               = [[File:Wappen Pommern.svg|20px]]|
| image_coat             = Księstwo rugijskie COA.svg
| symbol_type            = Coat of arms{{efn|This is the coat of arms of Rugia as part of the [[duchy of Pomerania]] during the 16th century. It is likely that it continues a 14th-century coat of arms of the dukes of Rugia, which may however have been slightly different.}}
| image_map              = FürstentumRügen.png
| image_map_caption      = 13th century borders of the principality of Rügen
| capital                = [[Charenza]] (before 1180)<br>[[Rugard]] (1180–1325)
| common_languages       = [[East Pomeranian dialect|East Pomeranian German]], [[Polabian language|Polabian]]|
| footnotes              = <nowiki>*</nowiki> Rügen may not always have been a state of the Empire, but was continuously a fief of Denmark.
}}
The '''Principality of Rügen'''{{efn|{{langx|de|Fürstentum Rügen}}; {{langx|da|Fyrstendømmet Rygien}}; {{langx|pl|Księstwo rugijskie}}; {{langx|la|Rugia}}}} was a [[Medieval Denmark|Danish]] principality, formerly a duchy, consisting of the island of [[Rügen]] and the adjacent mainland from 1168 until 1325. It was governed by a local dynasty of princes of the ''Wizlawiden'' (''House of Wizlaw'') dynasty. For at least part of this period, Rügen was subject to the [[Holy Roman Empire]].

== Danish conquest and conversion ==
{{further|Pomerania during the High Middle Ages|Conversion of Pomerania|Absalon}}
[[File:Bildstein Marienkirche Bergen.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Slavic stone embedded in St. Mary's walls, [[Bergen auf Rügen]], probably the tombstone of [[Jaromar I]]]]
The [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danes]] conquered the [[Rani (Slavic tribe)|Rani]] stronghold of [[Cape Arkona|Arkona]] in 1168.
The rulers of the Rani became vassals of the Danish king, and the Slavic population was gradually Christianized.

In the 12th century, the Duchy of Rügen not only functioned as a bridgehead for Danish expansions into [[Wends|''Vendland'']], but also Rani forces successfully participated in Danish raids into [[Circipania]] and areas conquered by [[Pomerania]]'s [[Wartislaw I]] in the 1120s. After Pomerania became part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 1181, it sent out a navy in 1184 to subdue Rügen for the empire, too. 
A Danish and Rani counterattack destroyed the Pomeranian navy in the Bay of Greifswald, granting Danish access to all of the Wendish Baltic coast and making Denmark the predominant power until 1227. In the [[Battle of Bornhöved (1227)|Battle of Bornhöved]] in 1227, the Danes again lost all Wendish lands except for Rügen.

After the Danish conquest, the princes moved their capital from [[Charenza]] to nearby [[Rugard]] (now incorporated in [[Bergen auf Rügen]]).
While the island of [[Rügen]] was incorporated into the Danish [[Archdiocese of Roskilde]], the mainland portion was incorporated into the Saxon [[Bishopric of Schwerin]] as a compensation for the [[Duchy of Saxony]]'s aid in the conquest.

==Rugia as Danish vassal==

[[Tetzlav]] was mentioned by [[Saxo Grammaticus]] already in 1164 as a king. After the Danish conquest, he became a prince, and in 1170 was succeeded by his brother, [[Jaromar I]] (d. 1218).<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101"/>

After Jaromar, the succession of Slavic princes under Danish vassalage was as follows:
* 1218–1221 [[Barnuta]] (oldest son of Jaromar I, ancestor of the [[House of Gristow]])<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101"/>
* 24 November 1221 – 1249 [[Wizlaw I]] (Barnuta's brother)<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101"/>
* 1249–1260 [[Jaromar II, Prince of Rugia|Jaromar II]] (son of Wizlaw I)<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101"/>
* 1260–1302 [[Wizlaw II]] (son of Jaromar II)<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101"/>
* 1303–1304 [[Sambor (Principality of Rugia)|Sambor]] and [[Wizlaw III]] (sons of Wizlaw II, Sambor died in 1304)<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101"/>
* 1304–1325 [[Wizlaw III]]<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101">Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, pp.100–101, {{ISBN|3-88680-272-8}}</ref>

===Population movements===
[[File:Bishop Absalon topples the god Svantevit at Arkona.PNG|thumb|250px|Bishop [[Absalon]] topples the god [[Svantevit]] at [[Cape Arkona|Arkona]], by [[Laurits Tuxen]]]]
{{further|Ostsiedlung|History of Pomerania#German settlement}}
When Rügen became a Danish principality, not only religion changed. In the course of the [[Ostsiedlung]], large numbers of German settlers had been encouraged to come to Rügen by the Rani prince [[Jaromar I]] and his successors. In the early 13th century, the mainland section of the duchy, which in large parts consisted of woodland, was settled by Germans, who established new villages and towns through large scale deforestation campaigns as well as settling in existing Rani dwellings. The first German settlements are recorded in the [[Ryck]] valley and the [[Tribsees]] area in the [[Trebel]] valley. The German settlement on the islands of Rügen started only in the 14th century, when the mainland was already densely German settled. In the following centuries, Rani and German population mixed and shared a common fate. As the Rani language, culture and administration was transformed into German in the 13th century, the Rani ceased to exist as a distinguishable ethnic group.
Danes and Danish property are recorded also.<ref name="Buchholz pp.102"/>

===Foundation of abbeys===
The [[Dargun Abbey]], founded 1272 by the [[Pomeranian duchies and dukes|Pomeranian dukes]], was also sponsored by the Rugian dukes with land.
Ostsiedlung was enhanced by abbeys founded on behalf of the princes of Rügen:
*1193 [[Bergen auf Rügen|Bergen Abbey]]
*1199 [[Hilda abbey]] (later ''Eldena'', erected by Danish monks from [[Esrom Abbey]] that had been in [[Dargun Abbey]] before)
*1231 [[Neuenkamp Abbey]] (erected by monks from Lower Saxon [[Altenkamp]])
*1296 [[Hiddensee|Hiddensee Abbey]]

The abbeys were granted vast lands, in part turned over from the former temple estates. [[Wittow]] had been [[Cape Arkona|Arkona]]'s temple isle before the Danish conquest, and the other temples, e.g. in [[Charenza]], also had rich possessions.

Towns were either built within a clearance or near an older Rani [[burgh]] and granted [[Lübeck law]] when grown to a respective size. The date Lübeck law was granted is given in the following list as it is usually seen as the town's anniversary, even if the town itself was projected and built earlier:

*1234 [[Stralsund]]
*1255 [[Barth, Germany|Barth]]
*1258 [[Damgarten]]
*1270 [[Rügenwalde]]
*1285 [[Grimmen]]

One exception is the town of [[Greifswald]]: While projected and built while within the Principality of Rügen, the area was claimed by the [[House of Pomerania|Griffin]] [[Duchy of Pomerania]] before it was granted market rights in 1241 by the Rugian and Pomeranian dukes in common and granted Lübeck law not by the Rugians, but by the Pomeranian duke alone.

The other exception is the town of [[Schadegast]]: Founded close to Stralsund, the town had to be levelled on behalf of the Stralsund [[Burgess (title)|burghers]] in 1269.

===Military expeditions===

After the [[Siege of Arkona|1168 Danish conquest]], the Rugian dukes became a valuable ally to the Danes who participated in many Danish expeditions:
[[File:Danish Empire and campaigns 1168-1227.png|thumb|'''Military expeditions of The Danish Empire''' ]]
*1177 Rugian troops participate in Danish raids of [[Usedom]], [[Wollin]] and the [[County of Gützkow]]
*1178 Rugian troops participate in a Danish raid of the terra [[Wusterhusen]] and [[Wolgast]]
*1184 [[Battle of the Bay of Greifswald]]: The Rugian navy encounters the [[Duchy of Pomerania|Pomeranian navy]] on its way to conquer [[Rügen]] and entirely defeats it. This made way for the Danes to again loot Usedom and Wolgast.
*1185 Rugian troops participate in Danish raids of the [[Peene]] river estuary and [[Kamien Pomorski|Cammin]]
*1219 Rugian troops participate in Danish conquest of [[Estonia]]<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101" />
*1259 Rugian troops raid [[Zealand]] aiding [[Christopher I of Denmark]] in a civil war with the [[Archdiocese of Lund|archbishops of Lund]], the Rugians sacked [[Copenhagen]], raided [[Skane]] and [[Lolland]]
*1260 Rugian troops take [[Lilleborg, Bornholm|Lilleborg]] fortress ([[Bornholm]])

=== Territorial changes ===

In 1235, Wizlaw I gained half of the terra [[Wolgast]], yet lost it to the Pomeranian dukes before 1250.<ref name="Buchholz pp.100-101"/>  Wizlaw II did not succeed in inheriting [[Schlawe-Stolp]] from his mother, but gained the terra [[Loitz]] in 1275

== Princes of Rügen ==

=== Tetzlav (1168–1170) ===
In 1168 after the [[Siege of Arkona|capture of the fortress and temple]] on [[Jaromarsburg|Arkona]] and [[Charenza]] by [[Valdemar I of Denmark]] the Rügen princes finally had to pay [[feudal homage]] to the Danes. In addition to handing over the temple treasure to the Danes and transferring the estates owned by the temple to the Church, the Rügen princes were obliged to render knights' service in case of war, to pay annual taxes, to provide hostages and to adopt Christianity. [[Tetzlav]] (died 1170) who was described by [[Saxo Grammaticus]] in 1164 as king, was from then on titled the Prince of Rügen.

=== Jaromar I (1170–1218) ===
His brother and successor, Prince [[Jaromar I]] (died 1218), accepted Danish supremacy and promoted the adoption of Christianity. By 1169, the Pope had placed the island of Rügen within the bishopric of [[Roskilde]]. In 1178, the [[Bishopric of Schwerin]], which was in [[Henry the Lion]]'s domain and was involved in the Rügen campaign under Bishop [[Berno, Apostle of the Obotrites|Berno]], was given responsibility for all the mainland territories of Rügen apart from Ryck. Donations of estates by the Pomeranian prince, [[Casimir I of Pomerania|Casimir I]] from the areas around [[Pantelitz|Pütte]] and [[Barth, Germany|Barth]] to [[Dargun Abbey]], founded in 1172 by Danish monks, show that, at that time, Pomerania extended well into Rügen's mainland territories through the region of [[Borgwallsee]] to Barth.

In 1177, Rügen troops supported military campaigns by the Danes to [[Wolin|Wollin]], [[Usedom (town)|Usedom]] and [[Gützkow]], and, in 1178, to [[Wusterhusen]] and [[Wolgast]] Jaromar I resided from 1180 on the [[Rugard]] near [[Bergen auf Rügen|Bergen]]. In 1182, when the Danish king, [[Knut VI]], refused 1182 to pay feudal homage to the emperor [[Frederick I (HRR)|Frederick Barbarossa]], the Duke of Pomerania, [[Bogislaw I]], is supposed to have contemplated forcing Knut VI to do so. But first he had to conquer Rügen. However, in 1184, the Pomeranian navy was defeated in the [[Bay of Greifswald]] by the Danish-Rügen fleet. The Danes then plundered the areas around Wolgast, Usedom and Wollin. The following year they again ravaged the countryside around the Peene estuary and [[Kamien Pomorski|Cammin]] and destroyed the castle of [[Groswin]] at [[Stolpe (Peene)|Stolpe]].

Finally, Bogislaw I was forced to submit to Danish [[suzerainty]]. Two years after Bogislaw I died in 1187, the Danish king appointed the Prince of Rügen, Jaromar I, as guardian of Bogislaw's minor sons. Jaromar I was able to use this opportunity to considerably expand his domain, as gifts to [[Bergen auf Rügen Abbey|Bergen Abbey]], founded in 1193, indicate. These estates included both land around [[Barth, Germany|Barth]] and [[Tribsees]] as well as around Gützkow and [[Ziethen (Anklam)|Ziethen]]. In the border dispute between Jaromar I and the widow of Bogislaw I, Knut VI awarded the estates of Miserez (near [[Jarmen]]) and [[Loitz]] to Gützkow Castle which was in Rügen's hands. Jaromar was given Tribsees and Wusterhusen as a fief. On the founding of the [[Eldena Abbey|Hilda Abbey]] at the mouth of the [[Ryck]] in 1199, Jaromar I granted large areas of land on both sides of the Ryck to the abbey. The sons of Bogislaw I, who were now of age, confirmed these grants in 1216 and 1219, after they had gained possession of Gützkow. Until 1240, the Ryck marked the boundary between the Principality of Rügen and the Duchy of Pomerania.

=== Barnuta (1218–1221) ===
After Jaromar I's death in 1218, his son [[Barnuta]] became his successor. However, he stepped down in 1221, leaving the government of the principality to his brother, [[Vitslav I]].

=== Vitslav I (24 Nov 1221–1249) ===
[[Vitslav I]] had taken part as early as 1219 in a military campaign by [[Valdemar II of Denmark|Waldemar II]] against [[Estonia]]. When Valdemar II lost control of Danish possessions on the southern Baltic Sea coast following his defeat in the [[Battle of Bornhöved (1227)|Battle of Bornhöved]], only the Principality of Rügen remained under Danish suzerainty.

The first new settlements were established north of the Ryck by Eldena Abbey. In the area around Tribsees, too, the first German settlers were had already arrived by 1221. In the years that followed they also settled in the area of [[Richtenberg]]. Vitslav I  encouraged this development, by enabling Cistercian monks from the Lower Rhine to found [[Neuenkamp Abbey]] in the region in 1231. The result was a rising influx of German settlers into an area of forest in the southern part of Rügen's mainland territory, 300 hides in area, which had been donated by the monastery with the aim of clearing and cultivating it. Two collateral branches of the princely house, the lords of [[House of Gristow|Gristow]] and the family of [[House of Putbus|Putbus]] also encouraged colonization by Germans of their estates in Reinberg and Brandshagen. This period also saw the granting of town rights to  [[Stralsund]] in 1234, and it evolved into an important trading post. In Loitz [[Detlef von Gadebusch]], who came into the area while Mecklenburg advanced against Pomerania, tried to establish vassal rule similar to that of the [[Jaczo of Salzwedel|Jaczos of Salzwedel]] with [[County of Gützkow]] in Pomerania. It is probably that, in 1244, he also came under the [[Duchy of Pomerania]]. On the island of Rügen itself, there was no significant German settlement at that time.

=== Jaromar II (1249–1260) ===
From 1246, [[Jaromar II, Prince of Rügen|Jaromar II]] was co-regent with his father, Vitslav I, who died in 1250. He strove, during his early years in power, to achieve peaceful relations with his Pomeranian neighbours, especially the counts of Gützkow. He encouraged trade, especially with [[Lübeck]], and abolished [[wrecking (shipwreck)|wrecking]] rights. The destruction of Stralsund in 1249 by an army commissioned by the town of Lübeck led to four years of privateering against Lübeck-registered ships until Lübeck eventually backed down and paid compensation.

The estates of the monasteries were greatly expanded under Jaromar II. In 1252, he sold the present-day [[Mönchgut]] estate of Reddevitz on Rügen to Eldena Abbey, and he also promoted the establishment of town-based monasteries in Stralsund. He gave [[town rights]] to Barth in 1255 and to [[Damgarten]] in 1258.

In 1259 he intervened in the conflict between the Danish king, [[Christopher I of Denmark|Christopher I]] and the archbishops of [[Lund]] and landed with a Rügen army on [[Zealand (Denmark)|Zealand]]. He conquered [[Copenhagen]], routed a peasant army raised by the Queen Dowager, [[Margaret Sambiria]], and devastated large parts of Zeeland, [[Scania]] and [[Lolland]]. In 1260, he landed on [[Bornholm]] and destroyed the fort of [[Lilleborg]]. In the same year he was killed by a woman who stabbed him in revenge.

=== Vitslav II (1260–1302) and Jaromar III (1260–1282) ===
[[Vitslav II]], who came to power at the age of 20 after the violent death of his father, tried to improve the relationship between Lübeck and Stralsund by renewing trade agreements. At the behest of Stralsund, he had the nearby town of [[Schadegard]], founded in 1269, razed. In 1270, as a result of his mother's claims, he came into the possession of the fiefdom of Schlawe and founded the city of [[Rügenwalde]] there. By in 1277 he had sold the estates and town to the [[margraves of Brandenburg]]. After the extinction of the line of Detlef von Gadebusch in 1273 he inherited the region of Loitz.

In 1283 he formed an alliance with several North German towns and other princes in the [[Rostock Peace Treaty]] The investiture of Vitslav II in 1283 by the German king, [[Rudolf I (HRR)|Rudolf]], was probably only related to the mainland territory. The regular participation of Vitslav II in Danish royal councils and attestations indicates the perpetuation of the feudal relationship between Rügen and the Kingdom of Denmark.

In 1285, Grimmen was given town rights by Vitslav. In 1296, Neuenkamp Abbey founded a [[Hiddensee Abbey|daughter monastery]] on the island of [[Hiddensee]]. By granting trade monopoly on the island of Rügen and the rights to fish for [[Atlantic herring|herring]] to [[Wittow]], hitherto reserved for Lübeck, he supported the town of Stralsund, but at the same time hampered the general development of trade and commerce.

Prior to his death in 1282, Vitslav II's younger brother, [[Jaromar III]], often served as regent and co-prince.

=== Vitslav III (1303–1325) and Sambor III ===
After Wizlaw II died during a visit to [[Norway]] in 1302, his sons, [[Vitslav III]] and [[Sambor III]], became joint princes of Rügen. Sambor died, however, in 1304. At the instigation of his mother's relatives, Vitslav III had received a courtly, aristocratic education and was a [[minnesinger]]. Since his first marriage turned out to be childless, in 1310 his liege lord, the King of Denmark [[Erik VI of Denmark|Erik Menved]], agreed a contract of inheritance with Vitslav III, whereby the collateral branches of the princely houses of Putbus and Gristow renounced their succession in favour of the Danish crown.

Erik Menved tried to enforce his dominance over the developing trading towns in the southern Baltic region. As a vassal of Erik Menveds, Wizlaw III tried to restrict Stralsund's privileges and Lübeck rights. The failure of negotiations eventually led to the siege of Stralsund in 1316 by an army under the leadership of Duke Eric I of Saxe-Lauenburg. A night attack by Stralsund ended in a victory over the besieging army and the duke was taken prisoner. Vitslaw III, who had participated in the siege of the town from the seaward side, had to escape. In 1317, there was a peace treaty between the town and its regional ruler. Vitslav III, whose financial situation had been worsened by the war, awarded numerous privileges to Stralsund, gave them the right to his royal taxes and jurisdiction and sold his mint to the town.
<!--

=== Übergang an Pommern ===
Mit dem Tod Erik Menveds 1319 wurde der Erbvertrag hinfällig. Daher schloss Wizlaw III. 1321 einen Erbverbrüderungsvertrag mit [[Wartislaw IV.]] von Pommern-Wolgast, seinem Neffen sowie den Herzögen [[Otto I. (Pommern)|Otto&nbsp;I.]] und [[Barnim III.]] von Pommern-Stettin. Als Wizlaw&nbsp;III. 1325 wenige Monate nach seinem einzigen Sohn Jaromar starb, war das rügische Fürstenhaus in seiner Hauptlinie erloschen. Wartislaw&nbsp;IV. hatte sich bereits 1315 vom Bruder Erik Menveds, dem späteren dänischen König [[Christoph II. (Dänemark)|Christoph&nbsp;II.]] die Übertragung des rügischen Lehens zusagen lassen. Thronstreitigkeiten in Dänemark und der plötzliche Tod Wartislaws im August 1326 führten zu Ansprüchen Mecklenburgs unter [[Heinrich II. (Mecklenburg)|Heinrich&nbsp;II.]] auf das Fürstentum, die schließlich im [[Rügischer Erbfolgekrieg|Rügischen Erbfolgekrieg]] gipfelten. Nach zwei Kriegen kamen die letzten Teile des Fürstentums 1355 endgültig an das Herzogtum Pommern.

Das Gebiet des Fürstentums gehörte bis 1365 einheitlich zum Herzogtum Pommern-Wolgast. Bei einer Erbteilung zwischen 1365 und 1372 wurde aus dem Festlandsbereich das [[Herzogtum Barth|Herzogtum Pommern-Barth]] gebildet. Die Insel Rügen blieb bis 1440 Bestandteil von Pommern-Wolgast, gehörte dann ebenfalls zum Barther Teilherzogtum, bis 1478 ganz Pommern nach dem Aussterben der Barther Linie unter [[Bogislaw X. (Pommern)|Bogislaw&nbsp;X.]] vereint wurde.
-->

=== Pomeranian dukes (House of Griffins) ===
* 1325–1326 [[Wartislaw IV]]
* 1326–1368 [[Bogislaw V]], [[Wartislaw V]] and [[Barnim IV]]
* 1368–1372 [[Wartislaw VI]] and [[Bogislaw VI]]
* 1372–1394 [[Wartislaw VI]]
* 1394–1415 [[Wartislaw VIII]]
* 1415–1432/6 [[Swietobor II of Pomerania|Swietobor II]]
* 1432/6-1451 [[Barnim VIII]]
* 1451–1457 [[Wartislaw IX]]
* 1457–1478 [[Wartislaw X]] 

=== Andrew Michael Parrillo-Kowieski ===
On August 14th 2024, Andrew Michael Parrillo-Kowieski of Kowalki village in Gmina Tychowo, inside the Bialogard County, within Western Pomerania has claimed the hereditary right, style and title to the styled name of [[Prince of Rügen]], 19th, via his matrilineal lineage and [[Primogeniture|male primogeniture]] of Headship of House Kownia. 

== Inheritance by the Dukes of Pomerania ==
{{main|Pomerania-Barth}}
While the main branch of the House of Wizlaw (House of Rügen) became extinct with the death of Wizlaw III, three branches remain:  
*The [[House of Gristow]], ancestors of Barnuta. Barnuta resigned for unknown reasons and was entitled "Herr" ([[Lord]]) of the Rugian terra [[Gristow]] north of the [[Ryck]] river. His descendants remained at Gristow.<ref name="Buchholz pp.102">Werner Buchholz, ''Pommern'', Siedler, 1999, pp.102, {{ISBN|3-88680-272-8}}</ref>
*The [[House of Putbus]], a branch derived from the Rugian princes already in pagan times. The members of this branch were entitled "Herr" of [[Putbus]] in Southeast [[Rügen]], and  in [[Prussia]]n times were entitled "Fürst" ([[prince]]). This branch still exists.<ref name="Buchholz pp.102"/> 
*The House of Kownia, a cadet branch of the [[House of Griffins|House of Griffin]] from the Parent branch of the [[House of Piast]]. Descendants hold the Dukedom of West Pomerania. <ref>https://pl.linkedin.com/company/house-of-kownia?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company</ref>

The Principality of Rügen was inherited by the [[House of Pomerania|Griffins]] ruling the [[Duchy of Pomerania]], after the last Rugian prince [[Wizlaw III]] died in 1325 and [[Wars of the Rügen Succession|two wars]] were fought with [[Mecklenburg]] for Rügen inheritance (''Rügischer Erbfolgekrieg'').

==Later history of the region==
{{further|Rugia#History|Duchy of Pomerania|Swedish Pomerania}}
Denmark at several occasions tried to again acquire the principality, yet without or only with temporary success. In 1625, a Danish offer of 150,000 [[riksdaler]] for Rügen was rejected. During the [[Swedish-Brandenburgian War]] (1675–79) [[Christian V of Denmark]] conquered the principality twice, but was unable to keep it afterwards. The last time the principality was under Danish rule was from 1715 until 1721.<ref>Martin Meier, ''Vorpommern nördlich der Peene unter dänischer Verwaltung 1715 bis 1721: Aufbau einer Verwaltung und Herrschaftssicherung in einem eroberten Gebiet'', 2007, {{ISBN|3-486-58285-2}}, {{ISBN|978-3-486-58285-7}}</ref>

The area of the principality retained some special status within the Duchy and later [[Province of Pomerania (1815–1945)|Province of Pomerania]], where it was at times the splinter [[Pomeranian duchies and dukes|duchy of Pomerania-Barth]], [[Swedish Pomerania]] and the [[Province of Pomerania (1815–1945)#Regierungsbezirk Stralsund|Regierungsbezirk Stralsund]], then referred to as ''Neuvorpommern''. Today, most of the area is administered as the districts of [[Vorpommern-Rügen]] and [[Vorpommern-Greifswald]] within the German federal state of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]].

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==See also==
*''[[dominium maris baltici]]''
*[[List of Pomeranian duchies and dukes]]
*[[History of Pomerania]]
*[[History of Denmark]]
*[[Rani (Slavic tribe)]]

{{Pomeranian history|adm}}

{{coord missing|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rugen, Principality of}}
[[Category:Principality of Rügen| ]]
[[Category:1160s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:1168 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:1320s disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:1325 disestablishments in Europe]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1168]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 1320s]]
[[Category:Former countries in Europe]]
[[Category:Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Former principalities]]
[[Category:History of Pomerania]]
[[Category:Medieval history of Denmark]]
[[Category:Pomeranian duchies]]
[[Category:Danish noble titles]]