Date of Birth and Position of the Later Duke of Gdańsk, Wartislaw II, until 1266

Abstract

The paper is dedicated to the date of birth of Wartislaw II, Duke of Gdańsk in the years 1266–1269/70, and his position in the country, as well as the Samborides dynasty before they came to power. Most historians place the birth of Wartislaw II around 1236. The above conclusion seems to be supported by the fact that the sources clearly ignore this Duke until 1248, but also after that. Achieving a certain level of maturity is confirmed only by the very probable participation of Wartislaw II in the battle of Nakło in 1256. It is possible that he was raised outside the capital Gdańsk, namely in Słupsk, as we know that he spent time there in his youth (in 1248 and 1253). It may have been related to the possibility raised in literature of Swietopelk preparing Wartislaw II to become his successor, in place of Mestwin II, taken hostage by the Teutonic Order. It is possible, moreover, that Wartislaw II was making preparations there to take rule over his own province, as modelled after North‑German solutions.
The above conclusions seem to be confirmed by the fact that since his youngest years, Wartislaw II was treated in documents as equal with Mestwin II – as Swietopelk’s successor. It is evidenced by the titulature of both brothers and the presence of their names side by side in the documents. Such position entitled Wartislaw to take possession of his own province. Its acquisition in 1266 may have been confirmed by the separate treatment of Wartislaw II and Swietopelk in the Kamień pact from 1264. It is also possible that this document confirmed the fact that his father chose Wartislaw as the successor to the function of the princeps or just the ruler of Gdańsk. In light of other sources, however, it is more likely that Swietopelk did not make any final decisions in this regard and that Wartislaw was elected the ruler of Gdańsk in 1266 by the gentry.