07.11.2026 · History
For more than six hundred years Kamień was the seat of the Pomeranian bishops. Traces of this history are everywhere.
In 1175 or 1176 the seat of the Pomeranian bishopric moved from Wolin to Kamień – the town was more populous and safer. Pope Clement III confirmed the decision in 1188. From then on the bishopric was called the Bishopric of Kamień; from about 1188 it was directly subject to the Holy See.
Cathedral, palace and the clergy quarter
A cathedral quarter grew up around the cathedral: the Bishops' Palace, canons' houses, the sexton's house and the cloister garth. This ensemble survives to this day and is the most valuable part of the town – the cathedral complex is recognised as a Monument of History.
The Reformation and the end of the bishopric
In 1545 the bishopric was secularised; a Lutheran bishopric existed until 1648. The last bishop, Duke Ernst Bogislaw de Croÿ, gave the cathedral the organ that still plays today. Formally Kamień remained the bishopric's capital until 1810.
Today
Since 1972 the cathedral has been a co-cathedral – today of the Archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamień. Kamień is the archdiocese's second seat, alongside Szczecin.