Bishopric of Pomesania
The Bishopric of Pomesania (German: Bistum Pomesanien; Polish: Diecezja pomezańska) was a diocese in the Prussian regions of Pomesania and Pogesania. It was founded as a Roman Catholic diocese in 1243 by the papal legate William of Modena.
The bishops, whose seat was Prabuty (Riesenburg), ruled one third of diocesan territory as his temporality. The diocesan cathedral chapter met in the fortified cathedral of Kwidzyn (Marienwerder). In the 1280s the Teutonic Order succeeded to impose the simultaneous membership of all capitular canons in the Order thus winning influence in the diocese and in the capitular elections of the bishops. So the temporality of Pomesania's bishop did not develop the status of a prince-bishopric and was ruled as part of Teutonic Prussia.
Beginning in 1523 during the Protestant Reformation, the diocese was administered by Lutheran bishops. In 1587, the diocese was secularized by the regent of Ducal Prussia, George Frederick. The diocesan area outside of Ducal Prussia remained Catholic and joined the Bishopric of Culm.
Catholic bishops
- Ernst (1248/49–1259)
- Albert (1259–1286)
- Heinrich (1277/78–1292) (Counter bishop)
- Heinrich (1286–1303)
- Christian (1303–1308/9)
- Ludeko (1309–1321)
- Rudolf (1321–1331)
- Bertold von Riesenburg (1331–1346)
- Arnold (1347–1360)
- Nikolaus von Radam (1360–1376)
- Johannes Mönch (1376–1409)
- Johannes Rymann (1409–1417)
- Gerhard Stolpmann (1417–1427)
- Johannes von Mewe (1427–1440)
- Kaspar Linke (1440–1463)
- Nikolaus (1464–1466)
- Vincent Kielbasa (1467–1478) (administrator)
- Johannes Christiani von Lessen (ca. 1480–1501)
- Hiob von Dobeneck (1501–1521)
- George of Polentz (1521–1523)
Lutheran bishops
- George of Polentz (de:Georg von Polenz) (from 1523 first Lutheran Bishop)
- Erhard of Queis (1523–1525)
- Paul Speratus (1530–1551)
- Georg von Venediger (1567–1574)
- Johannes Wigand (1575–1587)