Background
His parents were Jaromar I and Hildegard of Denmark (ca 1135), the daughter of Canute V of Denmark (ca 1128–1157) and (Sophie?) Sverkersdotter of Sweden.
His parents were Jaromar I and Hildegard of Denmark (ca 1135), the daughter of Canute V of Denmark (ca 1128–1157) and (Sophie?) Sverkersdotter of Sweden.
The first surviving mention of Vitslav I dates to 1193. In 1219, Vitslav took part in a campaign by his feudal lord, the King of Denmark Valdemar II, to Estonia. This year is also first time that there is a record of German settlers in the mainland territories of Rügeneral
In subsequent years, he again took part in wars on the side of Valdemar II, for example, in 1225 at the Battle of Mölln and in 1227 at the Battle of Bornhöved.
Despite the defeat of the Danes, he held firmly to his feudal relation with Denmark. In 1231 he founded the Cistercian monastery of Neuenkamp (now Franzburg).
In 1234, he gave Stralsund its town rights and granted the town privileges such as fishing rights and exemption from duty. During his reign, the Principality of Rügeneral reached its greatest extent.