Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania

Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania
Sculpture from the epitaph in Kenz
Spouse(s)	Veronica of Hohenzollern
Noble family	House of Griffins
Father	Wartislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania
Mother	Anne of Mecklenburg-Stargard
Born	c. 1365
Died	22 September 1405 Pütnitz, near Ribnitz-Damgarten
Buried	Kenz, now part of Kenz-Küstrow

Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania (c. 1365 – 22 September 1405 in Pütnitz, near Ribnitz-Damgarten) 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.^[1]

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.^[1]

• 

  Kenz church. In the Late Middle Ages, the church was a prime destination for pilgrimages due to a nearby holy spring. Barnim, infected with the Black Death, died during his pilgrimage and was buried in Kenz.

• 

  Cenotaph for Barnim VI in St. Mary's church, Kenz, containing a wooden statue

• 

  Epitaph for Barnim VI in St. Mary's church, Kenz

• 

  Tombstone for Barnim VI in St. Mary's church, Kenz

See also

• List of Pomeranian duchies and dukes
• History of Pomerania
• Duchy of Pomerania
• House of Pomerania

References

1. Werner Buchholz (ed.), Pommern, Siedler, 1999, p.147 ISBN 3-88680-272-8

Ancestors

Ancestors of Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania

16. Bogislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania               8. Wartislaw IV, Duke of Pomerania                       17. Margaret of Rugia               4. Barnim IV, Duke of Pomerania                             18. Ulrich I, Count of Lindow-Ruppin               9. Elisabeth of Lindow-Ruppin                       19. Adelaide of Schladen               2. Wartislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania                                   20. John I of Werle               10. John II of Werle                       21. Sophie of Lindow-Ruppin               5. Sophie of Werle                             22. Henry I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg               11. Matilda of Brunswick-Grubenhagen                       23. Agnes of Meissen               1. Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania                                         24. Henry I, Lord of Mecklenburg               12. Henry II of Mecklenburg                       25. Anastasia of Pomerania               6. John I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Stargard                             26. Albert II, Duke of Saxony               13. Anna of Saxony                       27. Agnes of Habsburg               3. Anne of Mecklenburg-Stargard                                   28. Adolph VI, Count of Holstein-Schauenburg               14. Adolph VII, Count of Holstein-Schauenburg                       29. Helen of Saxe-Lauenburg               7. Anna of Holstein-Pinneberg and Schauenburg                             30. Simon I, Lord of Lippe               15. Heilwig of Lippe                       31. Adelaide of Waldeck