Pomerania consists of two parts: the western Vorpommern and the eastern Hinterpommern. Looking from the west Vorpommern is located in front of (vor) the Oder river, Hinterpommern is situated behind (hinter) the river.

The present situation

At present the larger part of Vorpommern forms - together with Mecklenburg - the German federal state (Land) Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Today the former Hinterpommern, the former pomeranian capital Stettin with its western foreland as well as the peninsula Wollin and the eastern part of the peninsula Usedom with the city of Swinemünde are parts of the Republic of Poland. With a German view this area is called East Pomerania, with a Polish view it is West Pomerania.

The polish administration reform of January 1, 1999 brought self-administration on all levels and formed 16 voivodeships (provinces) over the whole country. The area of former Hinterpommern is now part of the 

• voivodeship Zachodnio-Pomorskie (engl: West Pomerania) with its capital Szczecin (german: Stettin) and of the 

• voivodeship Pomorskie (engl. Pomerania) with its capital Gdansk (german: Danzig).

 Pomorze (pol.) means "along the (Baltic) sea".

The structure before 1945

Before 1945 the administration of the province (Provinz) of Pomerania (Pommern) was structured into three government disticts (Regierungsbezirke, Reg.-bez.). These were Stettin, Köslin and Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen. Each government district was divided into counties (Kreise, Kr.). For each level there was a capital.

List of Pomeranian counties (state of 1937)

Government district	Counties (with capital [Kreisstadt] if its name differs from the county's name)
Stettin (capital: Stettin)	Rügen (Bergen), Franzburg-Barth (Barth), Grimmen (Stralsund), Greifswald, Demmin, Anklam, Usedom-Wollin (Swinemünde), Ueckermünde, Cammin, Naugard, Saatzig, Greifenhagen, Pyritz
Köslin (capital: Köslin)	Greifenberg, Kolberg-Körlin (Kolberg), Regenwalde (Labes), Belgard, Köslin, Schlawe, Rummelsburg, Stolp, Bütow, Lauenburg
Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen (capital: Schneidemühl)	Arnswalde, Friedeberg, Netzekreis (Schönlanke), Dramburg, Deutsch-Krone, Flatow, Neustettin, Schlochau

Scheme of the Pomeranian counties



Changes in the administrative structure

Between 1918 and 1945 there were several changes of the administrative structure of Pomerania. 

• According to the Treaty of Versailles as of June 28, 1919 the counties of Bütow, Lauenburg and Stolp lost part of their territory to Poland. 
  
  
• Since 1920 resp. 1923 Kolberg and Köslin formed each a city county (Stadtkreis) of their own. 
  
  
• On July 30, 1932 the counties Franzburg-Barth, Greifswald-Land and Greifswald-Stadt, Grimmen, Rügen as well as Stralsund-Stadt of the dissolved government district Stralsund were transferred to the government district Stettin.
  
  
• On August 1, 1932 the counties of Belgard and Schievelbein were merged to form the new county Belgard (Persante). Also the counties Köslin and Bublitz were united to form the new county of Köslin.
  
  
• On March 21, 1938 the counties of Greifenberg and Regenwalde were transferred to the government district of Köslin.
  
  
• The province Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen was dissolved as of October 1, 1938 and was raised to constitute the government district Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen. 
  
  
• At the same time the counties of Dramburg and Neustettin were shifted from government district Köslin to the one of Grenzmark Posen-Westpreussen.
  
  
• Effective from October 15, 1939 the county of Randow was dissolved.