Pommern

Pommern, known in English as Pomerania, is a historical and geographical region along the southern Baltic coast of Central Europe. The name derives from the Slavic po more, meaning along the sea. The region stretches from the Oder river in the west to the Vistula in the east and today lies across Germany and Poland. The Polish portion is divided between the West Pomeranian Voivodeship and the Pomeranian Voivodeship, while the German portion lies mainly within Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, including the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald and other Vorpommern counties.

The Baltic coast features sandy shores, coastal lagoons such as the Szczecin Lagoon, and islands including Usedom and Rügen. The area combines flat plains, lakeland, and low hills; major urban centers include Szczecin, Gdańsk, and Greifswald.

The region was settled by Slavic tribes in the early medieval period and became the Duchy of Pomerania in the 12th century, ruled by the Griffins. In the 17th century parts came under Swedish control as Swedish Pomerania until Prussia absorbed the territory in the 18th and 19th centuries. After World War II, borders shifted westward, with most of eastern Pomerania becoming part of Poland and the German population largely expelled; the western portion remained in Germany.

Today Pommern spans two countries and multiple administrative regions. It retains a mixed heritage influenced by German, Polish, and Kashubian cultures, with a legacy of Hanseatic towns and Baltic maritime trade.