The Stettin castellan Wartislaw Swantiboriz, founder of Kolbatz abbey (1173) and the dukes' first guardian, was put out by the Danish king in 1189 and died in 1196.
His sons and grandson hold the great castellanies in the following decades: Kolberg, Gützkow and Stettin. Which of them holds which castle on 1 January 1200 is not pinned; this record stands for the family of castellans that governs Stettin and the eastern districts for the dukes.
Who he is
- Name
- Bartholomew and Kasimir, sons of Wartislaw Swantiboriz (offices in 1200 not pinned)
- Title
- castellans (kastelan) for the dukes
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- Sons of Wartislaw Swantiboriz (castellan of Stettin, guardian 1187-89, died 1196), the only known son of Swantibor, of a Griffin side line. Bartholomew (died about 1220) is castellan of Gützkow in 1219; Kasimir (died about 1220) is named castellan of Kolberg; both appear as brothers in 1208. Bartholomew's son Wartislaw of Gützkow (about 1175/80-1233) is later castellan of Stettin. Bishop Conrad II of Kammin (from 1219) may be a son of Wartislaw Swantiboriz (disputed).
- Confidence
- low
de.wikipedia Wartislaw Swantiboriz; fmg.ac Pomerania
Overlord
the dukes of Pomerania
What it holds
- the castellany of Stettin (in the family before 1189 and again later; 1200 not pinned)
- the castellany of Kolberg (Kasimir; date not pinned)
- the castellany of Gützkow (Bartholomew by 1219)
- advocacy of Kolbatz abbey (founded by Wartislaw, 1173)
How it was acquired
Office held of the dukes.
Allies and rivals
The dukes; out of favour with the Danish king since 1189.
Wealth
Castellans' share of dues and courts.
Military
The castle garrisons they command.
Places of note
- Kolbatz abbey: Cistercian abbey founded by Wartislaw Swantiboriz in 1173
- Kolberg: Kasimir's castellany
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Offices are dated only from 1208-1219.
On the map: Not drawn: their castellanies lie inside the dukes' districts (Bogislaw II, Gützkow).
Primary sources for Pomerania
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Helmold of Bosau, Helmold of Bosau (about 1167 to 1172). Background only. Read online
- The Danish annals of Lund, Ryd and other houses (12th and 13th centuries; Lund continued to 1307, Ryd to 1288). Short dated entries from Lund, the archbishop's seat, and from Ryd in Schleswig. Read online
- Deeds of the Danes, Saxo Grammaticus (about 1185 to 1208). Saxo was writing at Lund in 1200 under Absalon, who died in March 1201, and his last books are an insider's history of Valdemar I and Knud VI to 1185: the Wendish wars, the taking of Rügen, the submission of Pomerania in 1185, the Danish fleet, Absalon's power and the Danish quarrel with the Empire. Read online
- Short history of the kings of Denmark; The Law of the Retainers, Sven Aggesen (about 1185 to 1188). A short Latin history of the Danish kings to Knud VI's Pomeranian victory of 1185, with the Lex castrensis, Sven's version of the law of the royal household. Read online
- The saga of the descendants of Knut (the kings of Denmark) (about 1250 to 1260). An Icelandic kings' saga of Denmark that draws on Saxo and Danish tradition and ends in 1187 with Knud VI and Absalon's Wendish wars. Read online
- Pomeranian charter book, volume 1, 786 to 1253 (documents of 786 to 1253, edited 1868). All known charters for Pomerania and Rügen to 1253. Read online
- The Danish diplomatarium: charters and letters concerning Denmark, with Danish translation (documents of 789 to 1448; the online edition is continuing). Twenty-seven documents are dated to 1200: Innocent III's letters of February and March 1200 to Philip Augustus and Queen Ingeborg and his order for the interdict on France, Otto IV's letter to the pope expecting King Knud VI to move into Saxony, the reports of the legate Octavian and the French bishops on the lifting of the interdict in September, the pope's letters to Knud VI asking him to send advocates for his sister, Knud VI's ordinance on manslaughter for Skåne of 28 December 1200, and private gifts to Roskilde and Næstved. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.