  history of szczecin () - in poland. ==prehistory==  tacitus located the east germanic tribe of the rugians in the area around szczecin, as did modern historians. the rugians left during the great migrations in the 5th century ad. ==slavonic stronghold (~800-1164/81)== another stronghold was built in the 8th century-first half of the 9th century at the ford of the oder river, (at the same location where later was a ducal castle) and a few craftsmen, fishermen and traders settled in the vicinity. later it became the main centre of a western slavic tribe of ukrani (wkrzanie) living in the fork of the oder between the main branch and the randow river. several triglav temples existed nearby. after the decline of wolin in the 12th century, stetinum became one of the most important and powerful cities of the baltic sea south coasts, having some 5,000 inhabitants. in a winter campaign of 1121â1122, the area was subjugated by boleslaw iii of poland, who invited the catholic bishop otto of bamberg to baptize the citizens (1124). wartislaw i, duke of pomerania is recorded as the local duke during this time. wartislaw managed to expand his duchy westward, thereby forming the territorial body of the later duchy of pomerania, and organized the second visit of otto in 1128. at this time the first christian church of st. peter and paul was erected. the duchy was for the centuries ruled by the house of pomerania (the griffins dynasty), of which wartislaw i was the first historical ancestor. the town was made the capital of the duchy and did not lose this status even during the partitions of pomerania, when the duchy of pomerania comprised large portions of the its territory and always was seat of pomeranian dukes. ==trading city and ducal capital in the holy roman empire (1164/81-1630)== in the second half of the 12th century, a group of german tradesmen (from various parts of the holy roman empire) settled in the city around st. jacob's church, which was founded by beringer, a trader from bamberg, and consecrated in 1187. in 1181 the dukes of szczecin became vassals of the holy roman empire. for centuries the dukes invited west and central german settlers to colonize their land and to found towns and villages (see ostsiedlung). duke barnim of pomerania granted a local gov
History_of_Szczecin