Philip I, Duke of Pomerania
| Philip I | |
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Philip I of Pomerania-Wolgast, by Lucas Cranach the Younger
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| Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast | |
| Reign | 21 October 1532 – 14 February 1560 |
| Predecessor | George I |
| Successor | Ernest Louis |
| Born |
14 May 1515 Stettin |
| Died | 14 February 1560 (aged 44) Wolgast |
| Spouse | Maria of Saxony |
| Issue among others... |
John Frederick, Duke of Pomerania Bogislaw XIII, Duke of Pomerania Ernst Ludwig, Duke of Pomerania Barnim X, Duke of Pomerania Margaret, Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg Anna, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Casimir VI, Duke of Pomerania |
| House | Griffins |
| Father | George I, Duke of Pomerania |
| Mother | Amalie of the Palatinate |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Philip I of Pomerania (14 May 1515 in Stettin – 14 February 1560 in Wolgast) was Duke of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Philip was the only surviving son of Duke George, from his first marriage to Amalie of the Palatinate. After his mother died, on 6 January 1525, he received his education at the court of his maternal grandfather in Heidelberg. He took office in Stettin at the age of 16, after the death of his father. On 21 October 1532, Philip and his uncle Barnim IX split Pomerania, with Philip taking Pomerania-Wolgast (Vorpommern). The division was initially limited to only nine years. It was, however, reconfirmed in 1541.
His main advisors were Jobst von Dewitz, Rüdiger von Massow and his Chancellor, Nikolaus Brun. His secretary was the chronicler Thomas Kantzow.
When he came to power, his first task was to sort out the relationship with his unloved step-mother, Margaret of Brandenburg. Under the marriage treaty of 1530, she had was entitled to a specified part of his country as her Wittum. However, in the 1532 treaty with Barnim, part of her Wittum was awarded to his uncle, and was thus no longer his to give to his step-mother. In 1533, he gave her the districts of Barth, Tribsees, Grimmen and Breest. But a year later she married her second husband Prince John V of Anhalt.
When Philip took up government, he found his country in political and ecclesiastical turmoil. The Reformation had reached Pomerania and he could not ignore it, if he wanted to maintain his grip on the land. Consequently, the two Dukes decided to officially introduce Protestantism in their realm. They called a parliament in Treptow an der Rega in 1543 and invited Erasmus von Manteuffel-Arnhausen, the bishop of Cammin and representatives of the estates, the nobility and the cities. The Protestant cities were represented by Christian Ketelhut (representing Stralsund), Paul vom Rode (Stettin), Johannes Knipstro (Greifswald), Hermann Riecke (Stargard), Jakob Hogensee (Stolp). Also invited was Johannes Bugenhagen, a native of Pomerania and a supporter of Martin Luther. The parliament failed due to opposition by the nobility, but nevertheless, Bugenhagen was tasked with drafting a church order for the duchy. However, when this church order was ready, it was not officially entered into force. Bugenhagen continued to visit local churches, following the Saxon model. The Reformation gradually prevailed in Pomerania through the tireless activity of prominent evangelical leaders such as Paul Rode and John Knipstro. After the death of the bishop of Cammin, the road was completely open for the Reformation. The office of bishop of Cammin was offered to Bugenhagen, and when he turned down the offer, it was given to Bartholomaeus Suawe.
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