prince bishopric · Scandinavia and the Baltic
Bishopric of Samland
Origins
Founded in 1243 as one of William of Modena's four Prussian dioceses, Samland took shape after the conquest of the Sambians in 1255. The bishop received a third of the diocese, with residence at Fischhausen and a cathedral on the Kneiphof island in Königsberg.
Rule and society
Like Pomesania, its cathedral chapter was incorporated into the Teutonic Order, and the bishops worked closely with the grand masters. The bishopric's lands included rich amber-gathering coasts, though the amber monopoly belonged to the Order.
Decline and legacy
Bishop Georg von Polentz adopted Lutheranism in 1523 and in 1525 transferred his secular rule to Duke Albert when the Order's state became Ducal Prussia, the first Protestant state. Samland became part of the duchy, and its lands later lay in East Prussia.
Lineage
On the connections map
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- Bishopric of Samland was a protectorate of State of the Teutonic Order1243 CE – 1525 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Bishopric of Samland. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-samland
- MLA
- “Bishopric of Samland.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-samland. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Bishopric of Samland.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-samland.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Bishopric of Samland’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/bishopric-of-samland (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻