The Captivity of Casimir [V], Duke of Pomerania‑Stettin, after the Battle of Grunwald (1410/1411): Historic and Cultural Observations

Abstract

The paper presents the activities of Swantibor I, Duke of Pomerania, undertaken in relation to the captivity of his son, the young Griffin Casimir [V], by the King of Poland, Władysław II, after the Battle of Grunwald on July 15, 1410; it also verifies the erroneous opinions present in the older literature regarding the period of Casimir’s imprisonment (1410–1411) and indicates sources which confirm that in 1411 Swantibor I went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Taking into account the old age of the Pomeranian monarch, his poor health, the several‑months‑long break in performing monarchic functions in his Duchy and gubernatorial functions in the Mittelmark, the geographical expanse of the journey, as well as its very destination – i.e., the sanctuaries, first and foremost the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem – this journey, distant and in many aspects dangerous for the old Duke, should be interpreted as a paternal votivem pilgrimage in the intention of recovering his son. We also pointed at some indications that the votive pilgrimage of Swantibor I was motivated not only by his paternal feelings for his son, but that the decision to visit the Holy Sepulchre resulted from the old Duke’s perception of the Polish‑Lithuanian‑Teutonic conflict and the King of Poland himself. The latter, keeping his son imprisoned, most likely in the distant Lithuania, presented himself to him as an enemy of Christianity availing himself of “pagans”, “schismatics”, and “Saracens” in the fight with the German order, whom both Griffins supported. In this situation, only a remarkable votive deed performed in the hope of eliciting direct divine intervention could have saved the son and return him to his father. This action of Swantibor I and its motives wholly inscribe themselves into the religious mentality of the then elite and their perception of reality.