Adalbert of Pomerania

Adalbert of Pomerania (German: Adalbert or Albert von Pommern, Polish: Wojciech I) (born before 1124; died 1162) was the first bishop of the 12th century Pomeranian bishopric, with its see in Wolin (also Jumne, Julin). He was a monk of the Michaelsberg Abbey, Bamberg and former chaplain to Bolesław III Wrymouth of Poland, whence he knew the Pomeranian language of the temporarily Polish-subjugated West Slavic population, whereas the Joms Vikings and other Germanic inhabitants of the Pomeranian coast understood his old German language.

The territory was put under the jurisdiction of the archbishopric of Magdeburg by Holy Roman emperor Otto I, King of Germany. In 1133 the Magdeburg archbishop Saint Norbert received verification by the pope of his jurisdiction over a number of dioceses, including those in Pomerania. However, bishop Otto of Bamberg had actually baptized the Pomeranians and therefore thought to add it to his southern Bamberg archdiocese and in order to avoid conflicts, pope Innocent II exempted the Pomeranian bishopric(s). When Wolin was destroyed several times by Danes, the diocese was moved to Cammin (also Kammin, now Kamien Pomorskie); this bishopric became known as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kammin.

The priest Adalbert participated in the conversion of the pagan inhabitants of Pomerania (Lutici and Slavic Pomeranians) during the missionary expeditions of Otto of Bamberg in 1124 and 1128, when he aided Otto as his assistant and interpreter. Adalbert is assumed to be of Polish origin.

In 1139 Otto of Bamberg died and was followed by Egilbert of Bamberg, who received the jurisdiction over the Pomeranian diocese. In 1140 Adalbert went to Rome, where he was invested as bishop of Pomerania in Wolin from 1140 to 1162.