Wolin (Civ6)/Civilopedia

The Slavs were one of a number of European groups – what the Romans, Greeks, and Byzantines called “barbarians” that appeared on the European scene towards the end of the Roman Empire. Appearing to the east of the Germans, the Slavs settled across Eastern Europe and became the majority in multiple states: Russia, Poland, Czechia, among others. Wolin was one of their earliest settlements, situated on an island just off the Polish coast.
On the Baltic Sea, Wolin was an early Slav settlement that formed a key trading point during the 10th and 11th centuries and a military outpost for a number of different groups. As Viking ships began to plow the Baltic, settlements such as Wolin grew increasingly important for commerce (Vikings weren’t just about plunder!) as well as a base for military excursions. With Christianization, the town waned in power and influence – repeat plundering by Danish forces didn’t help, but in the later Middle Ages, the city became one of the city-states of the Holy Roman Empire. It constituted a part of the important region of Pomerania, a medieval state that incorporated Germans as well as Slavs.
The city changed hands through conquest and succession, being occupied by Sweden, the Teutonic Knights and, eventually, Prussia – that state which is the predecessor for modern-day Germany. When the Soviets defeated Germany in World War II, Wolin transferred hands yet again, this time to modern-day Poland.
Today, Wolin is famous for its wildlife preserve, where some of the last European bison can be found, as well as a yearly Viking festival, celebrating the town’s martial history.