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- BIOGRAPHY
Erich II was born about 1425, the son of Wartislaw IX, Herzog von Pommern-Wolgast, and Herzogin Sophia von Sachsen-Lauenburg. In 1451 Wartislaw arranged his son's marriage to Sophia, the daughter of Bogislaw IX, Herzog von Pommern-Stargard, and Maria of Masovia. Sophia was the heiress of Erich I, the son of Wartislaw VII, Herzog von Pommern, who had been king of Denmark, Sweden and Norway (the Kalmar Union) as Erik X. The marriage of these distant relatives granted Erich II access to Erich I's lands in Farther Pomerania. Also, Erich I arranged the Lauenburg-Bütow Land at the Pomerelian border to be granted by the Polish king to Erich II on 3 January 1455, as a reward for aiding Poland in her struggles with the Teutonic Knights. Erich II and Sophia had nine children of whom Bogislaw X, Sophie and Katharina would have progeny.
In 1456 Erich II took over Wassow Land in Farther Pomerania, despite Wassow not being included in his share of Pomerania. This led to conflicts with Otto III, duke of Pommern-Stettin and even Erich I. Even though the Pomeranian cities were able to mediate negotiations between the dukes which led to a compromise at Rügenwalde on 16 January 1457, Erich II lost the support of the other Pomeranian dukes with this action.
In August 1457 Erich II was hunting in the forests near Horst, not belonging to his lands, but to the Hanseatic city of Greifswald. In further disrespect of the city's rights he ordered local peasants to aid him. Greifwald's mayor Heinrich Rubenow led the burghers of Greifswald and Stralsund in an attempt to arrest Erich II. Although the burghers captured his guards, Erich managed to escape. However he was now opposed not only by his co-ruling Pomeranian dukes, but also by the Pomeranian cities.
After the death of his father Wartislaw IX later in 1457, Erich II received Pomerania-Wolgast together with his younger brother Wartislaw X. They split the duchy with Wartislaw X receiving the principality of Rügen (with Rügen, Barth, Tribsees and Grimmen) while Erich received the eastern parts. Upon Erich I's death in 1459 Erich II gained Pommern-Stolph and Pommern-Rügenwalde due to the claims of his wife. Despite being a partitioned duchy, in reality Pomerania was granted to the dukes as one fief to be co-ruled ('zur gesamten Hand', which meant that several issues had to be acted upon in common). Because Erich did not respect Wartislaw X's rights as co-ruler, Wartislaw sought an alliance with the margraviate of Brandenburg on 6 September 1459, in Angermünde. He pawned an area north of the Brandenburgian Uckermark to the Hohenzollern Friedrich II 'der Eiserne', Kurfürst von Brandenburg, and in return became assured of military protection against his brother.
Erich's wife, resenting her exclusion by her husband from the exercise of power which she felt she deserved as the heir of Erich I, retreated to the castle of Rügenwalde in the duchy Pommern-Rügenwalde with her children, to live there with the aid of her lord chancellor Ritter Johann von Massow.
In 1464 Erich's cousin Otto III, Herzog von Pommern-Stettin, died of the Black Death, leaving the brothers Erich and Wartislaw as well as Brandenburg's Kurfürst Friedrich II with claims to his inheritance. In 1466 Erich and Wartislaw were granted liens by the Kurfürst Friedrich II at Soldin. However the contract was not fulfilled and it came to military intervention. Aware that he would not withstand Brandenburg without allies, Erich sought to settle the conflict by allying with Poland, and in 1470 he invaded the Brandenburg Neumark. The Brandenburgs had their long-time claims to Pomerania re-verified by Emperor Friedrich III. The emperor ordered Erich II and Wartislaw X to recognise the suzerainty of Brandenburg. Heinrich IV-II 'der Dicke', Herzog von Mecklenburg-Schwerin, took a mediator role and the Mecklenburg army moved eastward following the Tollense River, and a Brandenburg army advanced to the North from Uckermark following the Randow River. The campaigns were ended by the Peace of Prenzlau of 31 May 1472 and the Pomeranian dukes gave their pledge of allegiance to Kurfürst Friedrich II. Brandenburg was again granted the right of inheritance to Pomerania upon the extinction of its ruling house.
Erich died at Wolgast on 5 July 1474 of a plague-like disease. He was buried in Eldena Abbey near Greifswald, and was succeeded by his son Bogislaw X.
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