Augustine of Stargard and the Beginnings of Pomeranian Historiography

Augustine was a monk at the Augustinian monastery in Stargard. In older literature, he was referred to as Angelus; however, more recent research indicates that the more accurate form of his name is Augustine. His work, which has survived to our day through copies included in later records, is the so-called Protocol (Protocollum), written in the first half of the fourteenth century. It is a work that describes the history of the Pomeranian duchy and bishopric from the earliest times up to the author’s own contemporary period. The central idea around which Augustine of Stargard’s narrative was constructed was Pomerania’s independence from Poland. Indeed, the piece was written in the context of an intensified Polish-Pomeranian dispute over the metropolitan supremacy of the Archbishopric of Gniezno over the Bishopric of Kamień, which can be interpreted more broadly as efforts to extend Polish influence in Pomerania.

From the very inception of the bishopric in the twelfth century—with its see initially located in Wolin and later in Kamień—the bishops of Kamień (previously known as the Pomeranian bishops) were directly subordinate to the Pope, without the mediation of surrounding archbishoprics. However, representatives of the Archbishopric of Gniezno claimed the right to bring the Pomeranian bishopric under their jurisdiction. They intervened with successive popes, who ruled sometimes in favor of one side and sometimes the other. This conflict also had a material dimension, as it involved the collection of Peter’s Pence and tithes.

There is much to indicate that Augustine of Stargard was an active participant in the ongoing dispute and its related events. Among other things, he was a member of the legation that John, Bishop of Kamień, sent in 1345 to Pope Clement VI, who was residing in Avignon at the time. The representatives of the Bishop of Kamień brought a recognizance tribute to the Pope and, at the same time, sought to persuade him to support their position—namely, to confirm the independence of the Bishopric of Kamień from the Archbishopric of Gniezno.

Augustine of Stargard may have also participated in the Pomeranian-Polish trial held earlier, most likely in 1342 in Gdańsk, before the papal collector of Peter’s Pence, Galhard de Carceribus. As a result of this papal court session, a memorandum describing the course of the trial was produced, which is currently kept in the archive in Greifswald. The arguments presented by the Pomeranians, as detailed in the memorandum, are identical to those later put forward by Augustine of Stargard in the Protocol. Furthermore, the body of sources from which information was drawn is identical for both the Pomeranian representatives in Gdańsk and Augustine.

The Protocol discusses the Pomeranian argumentation at length, grounding it in specific examples intended to serve as proof confirming its validity. The author utilized information contained in earlier chronicles, hagiographical texts, and documents, including papal bulls. From these, he selected excerpts that could confirm the validity of the central thesis presented in the work, which was Pomerania’s independence from Poland. Augustine developed this thesis based on three lines of reasoning. The first comprised the Polish-Pomeranian borders as presented in source accounts; the second, the eternal hostility between Poland and Pomerania; and the third, the direct subordination of the bishopric to the Pope.

The descriptions of the borders between Poland and Pomerania cited by Augustine were intended to prove that they constituted two independent political entities. The author also quoted lists from earlier records of bishoprics within the boundaries of the archbishoprics neighboring Pomerania, pointing out that the Pomeranian bishopric was not included in any of them, which demonstrated that it was not subordinate to any archbishopric. Furthermore, he referred to papal documents that were meant to confirm its direct subordination to the Pope. To strengthen this argument, Augustine cited the example of the Diocese of Bamberg, which was directly subordinate to the Pope and on whose model—according to Augustine—the Pomeranian diocese had been established. Meanwhile, the depiction of the roots of the Polish-Pomeranian battles was intended to show that the conflict contemporary to the author was grounded in a centuries-old tradition of hostility between Poles and Pomeranians. Finally, the last group of arguments sought to prove that the Pomeranian bishops received their investiture directly from the Pope.

One of the two main axes of Augustine’s narrative was the eternal Polish-Pomeranian conflict. Drawing on information from earlier chronicles, Augustine presented the origins of Pomerania and Poland, which, in his view, shared common roots in the mythical Empire of the Lechites. According to him, following the childless death of Wanda, this empire split into two parts: Poland and Pomerania, the latter ruled by the valiant King Attila. From that moment on—in accordance with Augustine’s concept—the Polish-Pomeranian battles began. These conflicts supposedly took place even during the time of Julius Caesar, who built fortified strongholds in Pomerania (Wolin and Wołogoszcz) to serve in the warfare against the Poles.

The threads presented above constituted an example, typical for the historiography of that period, of using well-known historical figures to build a narrative about the ancient roots of one’s own people. The motif concerning the presence of Julius Caesar in Pomerania was also present in other accounts from which Augustine drew his information. Attributing an ancient origin to the Pomeranian state was intended to reinforce the impact of Augustine’s message; moreover, introducing the figure of Julius Caesar into the narrative highlighted connections with the Holy Roman Empire of his own time, in opposition to Poland. Furthermore, the introduction of figures associated with strength and bravery was meant to emphasize that the Pomeranians descended from fearless ancestors. What is more, hostility toward Poland was framed as the element that bound them together internally. Augustine thus projected the contemporary conviction regarding the necessity of proving Pomerania’s independence from Poland onto a historical foundation.

Augustine also utilized another thread associated with the history of Pomerania that was present in earlier chronicles, concerning the legendary city of Vineta. According to local tradition, it was an exceptional, wealthy city of immense importance, which was destroyed under largely unknown circumstances. The city of Vineta was also said to have given its name to the Veneti inhabiting Pomerania, who called themselves Pomeranians—meaning those reaching all the way to the sea (po morze)—after the destruction of Vineta. Augustine of Stargard linked the motif of Vineta with Julius Caesar and asserted that this ancient commander had built the city of Wolin on the remains of Vineta, which served as a central base for warfare against the Poles. In this way, he outlined the historical axis of Pomerania and the Pomeranians, intertwining within it threads drawn from earlier chronicles.

Augustine emphasized that the Polish-Pomeranian conflict had endured continuously from the earliest times through those closer to his own and contemporary era. Among other things, he presented descriptions of the battles fought between Pomerania and Poland during the reign of Bolesław Krzywousty (Bolesław III Wrymouth), who, in the light of Augustine’s account, was a fierce enemy of the Pomeranians. Augustine also stated that peace between the feuding sides was established for the first time thanks to the efforts of Otto of Bamberg during the course of the Christianization mission, which Bolesław Krzywousty had directed toward Pomerania. Otto of Bamberg held exceptional significance for Augustine’s narrative, as he was fashioned into a figure who established a new order in Pomerania associated with the adoption of Christianity.

Indeed, the Christianization mission of Otto of Bamberg to Pomerania, carried out in the years 1124–1125 and 1128, played an essential role in Augustine’s message; he utilized several threads in his narrative drawn from three hagiographical lives (vitae) of the missionary, which were written shortly after his death in 1139. The author used the information found in these accounts as arguments to prove his thesis regarding Pomerania’s independence. In depicting the course of the Christianization mission, he focused primarily on the figure of Otto of Bamberg, who is referred to in Pomeranian tradition as the Apostle of the Pomeranians. In Augustine’s conception, the execution of the Christianization mission in Pomerania by Otto of Bamberg determined the subsequent shape of the Pomeranian bishopric and duchy.

The execution of the Christianization mission took place on the initiative of Bolesław Krzywousty, who directed Otto of Bamberg to Pomerania. Augustine of Stargard, however, sought to diminish Krzywousty’s role in carrying out the mission, instead emphasizing the merits of the Pomeranian Duke Warcisław I (Wartislaw I), who provided Otto with protection and support during his missionary journey. This strategy resulted in elevating the status of not only Warcisław I himself but also the entire Pomeranian dynasty, which ruled the duchy in Augustine’s own contemporary times. Augustine also emphasized that during the Christianization mission, Otto acted with the authority and consent of both the Pope and the Emperor, which served as another example of a narrative technique used to align Pomerania with the Empire.

In describing the course of the Christianization mission, Augustine of Stargard focused on those elements that could serve to confirm the central thesis of his message. He thus emphasized that Otto of Bamberg demanded no material goods from the Pomeranians and established no fees following the introduction of Christianity, including Peter’s Pence. In Augustine’s view, this constituted sufficient proof that Pomerania was not required to pay this tribute. He also pointed out that it was the will of Otto of Bamberg to establish a diocese in Pomerania directly subordinate to the Pope, modeled after his own diocese. Consequently, opposing Otto’s will was to be treated as a refusal to recognize the authority of the Pope, the head of the Church. In a direct manner, therefore, he branded the representatives of the Archbishopric of Gniezno as blasphemers. The Christianization mission thus formed one of the foundational elements of Augustine’s narrative regarding the origins of the Pomeranian bishopric and duchy.

Augustine of Stargard’s message must be analyzed not only in terms of efforts to confirm Pomerania’s ecclesiastical independence, but also regarding the shaping of memory about the origins of the Pomeranian duchy. The author explicitly outlined his intentions at the beginning of the work, in a dedication addressed to the Duke of Szczecin, Barnim III, whom he called a pentarch ruling over Szczecin, Pomerania, Slavia, Cassubia, and Lucicia. Augustine also emphasized that Barnim III descended from a royal lineage tracing back to the aforementioned Attila, and that the work dedicated to Barnim was intended to present the history of the Pomeranian dynasty. The inclusion of Barnim III in the Protocol was by no means accidental; he was the most powerful of the Pomeranian dukes at the time, whose actions contributed to strengthening Pomerania’s position, removing Brandenburg’s feudal suzerainty, and ultimately securing its recognition as an independent duchy of the Holy Roman Empire. The Protocol of Augustine of Stargard is thus an example of native Pomeranian historiography, the purpose of which was to shape the memory of Pomerania’s past. Its significance is further demonstrated by the fact that the assertions presented therein were also utilized in later examples of Pomeranian historiography.

More:

Augustyn ze Stargardu zwany niegdyś Angelusem, Protokół. Kamieńska Kronika-Rodowód Książąt Pomorskich. Tzw. Stargardzka Genealogia, wyd. Edward Rymar, tłum. Elwira Buszewicz, Stargard: Muzeum Archeologiczno-Historyczne 2008.

Ryszard Walczak, „Protocollum” Augustianina-eremity zwanego Angelusem ze Stargardu. O polsko-pomorskich związkach historiograficznych w średniowieczu, Poznań: Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk 1991.

Monika Rusakiewicz, Polacy i Pomorzanie w świetle przekazu Augustyna ze Stargardu, „Przegląd Zachodniopomorski”, 32 (61), 2017, z.2, s. 169–179.

Monika Rusakiewicz, Założenie biskupstwa pomorskiego według Augustyna ze Stargardu, „Przegląd Zachodniopomorski”, 32 (61), 2017, z. 1, s. 21–33.

Monika Rusakiewicz