Teutonic fortress. The order of appearance of the castles of the Teutonic Order. The order of appearance of the castles of the Teutonic Order
Started in the 11th century. The Crusades led to the phenomenon of the creation of knightly and monastic associations, “orders.” The first such association to appear in the Holy Land was the Order of the Templars or Templars ( temple - temple. The next knightly order was created on the basis of the Jerusalem Hospital of St. John
The German order was also created on the basis of the hospital that appeared during the Third Crusade in 1190 during the siege of the city of Acre. In 1198, it was decided to create a knightly order, its first master was German Walpot.
With the coming to power of Hermann von Salza (Hermann von Salza 1209-1239), the situation changed. In 1210-11 Hungarian king Andras II (1205-1235), invites the Teutonic Order to defend the Hungarian border from Cuman invasions.
Brother Theodoric was appointed leader of the expedition to Burzenland. Under his leadership, the development of the resulting territory began in 1212. The Order built 5 castles.
In the fight against the Cumans, the order achieved certain successes, inflicting a number of defeats on them. Some of the Polovtsians were forced to recognize his power and be baptized . In 1225, Andras II expelled the Teutonic Order from Hungary.
The order's successful fight against the Cumans attracted the attention of the Polish prince Konrad of Mazovia. His principality in northern Poland was constantly subjected to devastating raids by Prussian pagans. In 1225, Konrad of Mazovia turned to the German order brothers for help.
After lengthy negotiations, agreement was reached and the order sent its knights to Prussia. In 1230, an order detachment under the command of the Landmaster of Prussia, Hermann von Balck, approached the border.
Conquest of Prussia
In the spring of 1231, the order brothers, led by Hermann von Balck, crossed to east coast rivers. On the banks of the Vistula they built a rampart fortification, calling it Thorn. The next year they began to conquer Prussian lands by launching an offensive along the banks of the Vistula. As they advanced, the order built castles to secure their possessions. The first castles were shafted. Earthen ramparts were poured along the perimeter of which a wooden palisade with wooden towers and living quarters for the garrison was installed. The fortress was surrounded by deep ditches. At the initial stage, the order often used Prussian fortresses.
After the founding of Elbing in In 1238, the order carried out a reconnaissance naval expedition across the bay on two ships. Moving north along the coast of Warmia, they discovered the Prussian fortress of Honeda . The attempt to take the fortress by storm was unsuccessful; almost the entire landing force was destroyed by the Prussians.
A year later (1239), well-armed ships with a new detachment of knights moored at the foot of the high bank on which Honeda was located. After a long siege, it passed into the hands of the Order. Having slightly reconstructed the old fortress, they called it Balga .
In 1239-40, the order had 21 fortified points.
In 1242, the Prussians began an uprising in the territories captured by the order, which lasted about 7 years.
After the suppression of the uprising, the order began the further conquest of Prussian lands
Led by the Czech king Otakar (German: Ottokar), Sambia (Samland) was captured. The result of this offensive was the foundation Koenigsberg (1255).
The order was prevented from continuing its offensive by the second Prussian uprising, which began in 1260 and was finally suppressed in 1272.
After the suppression of the uprising, the order almost immediately began to conquer the Prussian lands of Nadrovia and Scalovia.
By 1283, the advanced detachments of the order reached the Memel (Neman) River and built a fortress on its steep bank in 1289 Landshut (Ragnit). At this stage the main territory of Prussia was conquered.
The development of the conquered territory and the tactical improvement of defense against the attacks from Lithuania began.
Due to the virtual absence of roads, the main transport arteries were rivers, in this region it was the Pregel River. From Königsberg along it was built a large number of castles, including Arnau(c. 1302), Tapiau, Velau in 1320 Taplaken(c. 1310), Norkitten(c. 1320), Insterburg(1336).
In 1309, the residence of the Hochmeister (Grand Master) was moved from Venice to Prussia to the Komtur castle of Marienburg, founded around 1270
Immediately after the Grand Master moved to Prussia, the massive construction of castles in stone began. By that time, the order had developed its own tradition of building castles, both for the residence of commanders and for the smallest fortified fortresses. Everything was consistent, despite the large differences in some outlines and location. It is thanks to this systematic and uniform construction that the castles of Prussia form a firmly defined group of orderly building art of the Middle Ages. As a rule, these were quadrangular castles with from one to four wings with bergfried and high defensive walls . These castles had a pre-castle fortification (forburg), also surrounded by a defensive wall made of bricks with a military passage.
During the 14th century, a large number of expensive castles were built.
Of great importance was the question of building materials. Prussia is poor in stone reserves; there are also no quarries on its territory, and therefore piles, columns, and some building blocks were made from imported granite and limestone blocks. Therefore, the main building material for Prussian castles was hand-molded burnt brick. In addition to ordinary bricks, shaped bricks were also required for the internal surfaces of vaults, windows, doors and for vault supports. Glazed brick was also used in large quantities. When laying, a mortar was needed, which required large quantities of lime, mined in Noenburg. Lime best quality imported from the island of Gotland.
Along with the reconstruction of old castles, the founding of new ones continued, which after 1310 were often immediately built of stone.
The construction work of the castles was enormous not only in volume, but also in complexity. From the material spent on the construction of the castle, it was possible to build medieval city medium size.
Small castles were also built, which served as residences for order officials (vogts, pflegers - managers, cammerarii, etc.). In addition to the costs of materials, there were also labor costs (production building materials, the construction itself). The Order also paid for highly qualified specialists.
Komtur castles (Conventburg)
The territory of the Order state was divided into commanders, large administrative units, which were the centers of the military and economic organization of the Order. This unit was headed by the commander, with a knightly convention, their residence was the castle. The castle itself Hochburg) had from one to four wings , in the shape of a closed quadrangle. Often with a large tower (bergfried) and small towers in dangerous areas.
The main floor in the castle was considered the second, which could be reached from the courtyard through a covered gallery; on the floor there was a chapel (chapel), a chapter hall (a room for meeting brothers of the order), a remter (dining room), and a dormitorium (bedroom), as well as but definitely a danzker (toilet). In winter, living quarters were heated by heating stones in the basement, warm air was supplied through air ducts, and through holes in the floor. On the ground floor there were utility rooms (kitchen, etc.). Food and other materials necessary for defense were stored in the basements. The third floor also served as storage; it was mainly used as a grain barn. Under the roof of the main castle along the perimeter there was a military passage and loopholes for shelling both outside and into the courtyard. (Particularly large castles had four or even five floors). There was always a well in the courtyard. The yard itself was paved with untreated field stones, and to prevent rainwater from stagnating, it had a sloping appearance with water drainage into a well.
The security of the castle complex was ensured by large ditches and walls with a military passage surrounding the castle itself. Between such a wall and the castle there was a platform called parham.
The construction of large massive buildings, which represented a well-fortified complex, also had a pre-castle fortification ( Forburg), and often several forburgs, with high walls, and numerous warehouse buildings for storing food, fodder, weapons, all kinds of workshops, stables, as well as living quarters, etc.
These castles were built not only as purely military structures, but also as symbols of the status of the knightly community and territorial power. Komtur castles were architecturally full of dignity. Rich decorative forms and building elements gave Northern European Gothic its unique features. In many cases, high-end artwork was used. Elements of architectural decoration were used, such as openwork stone carvings, multi-layer capitals, friezes with inscriptions, and glazed panels. The most beautiful work of order architecture are the halls with ribbed vaults. The castles were also decorated with reliefs and bas-reliefs, for which limestone imported from Gotland was used .
There were 4 Komtur castles on the territory of the Königsberg region:
Balga, Brandenburg, Königsberg, Ragnit. Temporarily served as commander's castles: Labiau, Tapiau, Lochstedt, Insterburg.
Firmari
At commander's castles there were very often firms for sick and old order brothers and order priests who, due to old age or injury, could not serve. In large Komtur castles there were two types of firmari, for order brothers-knights, order priests, gray cloaks and separately for servants. Sometimes there were separate firms for gray cloaks (serving brothers of humble origin) and simple bollards, as in Osterode Castle. But for the separate treatment of gray cloaks - half-brothers, this is perhaps the only evidence . Usually they were treated in the same room with the knights. The firmari table, at least in some castles, was provided with its own kitchen, where better and more plentiful dishes were prepared, as required by the order's statutes. Given the great importance of food diet in medieval medicine, we can talk about dietary cuisine. The kitchen had its own cook, and sometimes (in Königsberg) two cooks. In large castles with a convention of 30 to 60 brothers, there were large rooms with their own remter (dining room) for sick and elderly knights, with a separate bathhouse. Order statutes recommended bathing for sick brothers. The firmari were built in such a way that each knight of the order had his own room (cell) and a common room for rest. In most cases, this complex included a chapel, a kitchen and a basement. Everything looked like a small hospital in which life proceeded in isolation .
Baths
Baths were a fairly common phenomenon in Europe, and accordingly the Order built baths everywhere in its castles. They were available not only in castles with a large convention, but also in the castles of the Vogts, Pflegers - managers and Kammeramts. The baths were built in the same way as in firmari: a plank floor laid on a stone floor, glass windows. Stones were placed on the stoves, being hot, they were poured with water to produce steam. Water for washing was heated in boilers, and people washed in “baths” (wooden barrels). Leafy brooms were also used for bathing procedures. Sometimes there was a special well in the baths .
Water supply
According to research by B. Schmid ( B. Schmid ) there were 19 wells in the Marienburg castle complex. The well in the high castle was up to 27 m deep and lined with stones. Above it is a wooden canopy with tiles and a wheel for pulling out a container of water; the well was obviously built back in the 13th century. In the Grand Master's quarters in the middle castle there was a round hole in the floor that led through the floors into the basement to a well. Usually the well was located in the center of the castle courtyard, as in Königsberg in the courtyard of the Convention House.
Dantzker
A characteristic feature of the order's castles were danzkers (toilets), these were impressive towers standing outside the aisles of the castle building, most of them on a water stream (stream, bay, river, and in a flowing ditch). They were connected to the castle by a covered passage on powerful columns ( in Marienwerder this passage was 54 m long). They often combined defensive functions and architectural beauty and formed a striking castle complex. But, first of all, they served as a latrine for the inhabitants of the castle. In addition to the tower danzkers, there were also small rooms hung on the outer defensive wall with external hatches for sewage. Königsberg Castle had two dancers, one for the Convention House and the other for the firmari. As a rule, dancers had several places .
Heating
The heating system was also carefully thought out. In the 13th and first half of the 14th centuries. the castles were heated by open fireplaces and coal fires. Later, calorific heating (warm air heating) is found everywhere, the oldest is found up to 1300 in Marienburg. Under the heated rooms there was a special furnace in which large boulders were heated, then thermal holes were opened and warm air from the hot stones was channeled through thermal channels and the rooms were heated through holes in the floor. The chimney was also used for open fireplaces. Thanks to this heating system, the harsh Prussian winters were tolerated quite comfortably . Later, indoor ovens began to be used in castles. The room stove, combined with ventilated fireplaces, finally took its final form in Prussia around 1370.
Small castles
Along with the large convention castles, the order knights also needed numerous small castles to manage the lands.
The purpose of small castles was very diverse.
Komturstvos, with their often huge territories, needed smaller units (administrative units). They were headed by individual order brothers or order officials.
and existed in the form Pflegamt – care, (administrative department), Waldamt- “staircases” and Kammerä mter . Led them respectively Pfleger- caretakers (managers), Waldmeister- “foresters” and camerarius - chamberlain.
The territory adjacent to the convention castle was governed as a separate administrative unit, similar to the kammeramts. Along with the commanders, there were other administrative districts that were subordinate to the landmaster or master; these were Vogtoien - Vogtstva (vicerarchy), with Vogts at their head as supreme administrators. Vogtships arose during the magisterial period, sometimes from abolished commanders.
Differences in the purpose of the small castles had little effect on their architectural form; in all these castles approximately the same conditions were available: an order official needed residential, representative and office space. The castle was supposed to have a chapel intended for the entire pre-castle area. These few rooms could well have been located in a building like a one-wing convention castle. In addition, a courtyard and other premises were needed for various military and economic needs. The fortress walls expanded the area of the castle; buildings under their protection could be adjacent to the main building and even form a multi-wing structure. Therefore, there were one, two, three, and even four-wing castles, for example Tapiau, Labiau, Insterburg. In the initial period, these castles were used as komtur castles, and when they were rebuilt in stone, from the very beginning they were built as pflegerstvos. The scale of the castles was not related to their purpose. Most likely, they depended on the size of the subordinate territory, or the importance of the castle as a military point.
Small order castles begin to form when the development of convention castles reached its peak highest point, this happened after 1320. Before that time, not a single small castle built of stone had been identified. At the initial stage, castle structures were completely influenced by the standard convention castle. But, in the end, they acquired their own special form .
Zwischenwerke – advanced and intermediate fortifications, built to protect the border or as cover between larger fortifications. They were small in size and, as a rule, rarely received architectural decoration. The numerous ramparts of order castles preserved in Prussia may, for the most part, be the remains of the smallest defensive structures.
The Order built small fortifications to protect the population. Simultaneously with the settlements, he founded castles, the military purpose of which was to ensure the safety and protection of the population. Later, they began to perform the functions of the previously castled conventions: they became military castles, bastions on which the defense of the country was based.
Village (city) castles predominated within the country; as a rule, they were located next to settlements or cities and represented two separate fortified places (city and castle) separated by walls and ditches.
Castles of the Sambian Bishopric
On the territory of Kal region. The Sambian (Zamland) bishopric was located, and three separate parts were allocated to it. Two of them were in Sambia, one in Nadrovia.
After the start of the Order's offensive into Prussia, Pope Gregory IX On August 3, 1234, he issues a bull in which he gives permission to a similar “golden bull” of Frederick II for the conquest of Prussia and the subjugation of these territories to the Order, but on the condition that a third of these lands would be transferred to the church. The papal legate Wilhelm von Modena arrived in Prussia in 1243 and divided it into four bishoprics. Since Sambia had not yet been conquered by that time, the bishopric on its territory was only in partibus infidelium.
After the conquest in 1255 Sambia (Zamland), it was soon divided. In 1258, a treaty was drawn up between the first bishop, Heinrich von Strittberg, and the Landmaster of Prussia, Gerhard von Hirtzberg, according to which the bishop chose the southern and northwestern parts of Sambia.
Until 1260, the center of the bishopric was in Königsberg, but already in 1264 the bishop founded his residence Fischhausen on the shore of Frische Haff (Cal. Bay). After the Order conquered Nadrovia, a third of the territory was transferred to the bishop. To manage the border lands in Nadrovia, a castle was founded in 1350 Georgenburg.
In their architecture and form, they were practically no different from the order’s castles. In total, on the territory of the Königsberg region there were 11 castles of the Sambian bishopric: Fischhausen, Rinau-Galtgarben, Medenau, Laptau, Tierenberg, Neuhausen, Povunden, Ziegenberg, Saalau, Georgenburg, Quednau. Of these, 2 fortifications Rinau-Galtgarben and Ziegenberg served as fortress shelters. They did not have a permanent garrison and were used only during Lithuanian raids. The local population flocked to these refuge fortresses, which had rampart fortifications, and took part in the defense.
On November 19, 1190, the Teutonic Order was founded, from which many architectural monuments have survived to this day. Today we will talk about the most famous of them, both those that are well preserved and those that lie in ruins.
Malbork Castle, Poland
Malbork, the largest seat of the Teutonic Order in Europe, is located in what is today Poland. The master of the order moved to the Polish residence from the Venetian one at the very beginning of the fourteenth century. The gigantic red brick building, which cannot fail to impress with its size and grandeur, is located on twenty hectares of a green hill surrounded by a protective moat. After the fall of the order, the castle still served as a residence, but for Polish kings. Modern Malbork is one of the most famous architectural attractions of Poland, which several hundred thousand tourists from all over the world come to see every year.
Balga Castle, Russia, Kaliningrad region
Balga Castle, the construction of which began by order of the Grand Master of the Order in 1250, is led by an old cobblestone road with powerful trees on both sides. Life was once in full swing here, and fierce battles took place. But by the beginning of the 18th century, the fortress had lost its strategic importance and began to decline. It was finally finished off by the bombing of 1945, after which it was never restored. Today, the secluded building stands in the forest on the seashore, with a five-meter fortified ditch visible nearby. The best preserved of the fortifications is the tower, which served as a lighthouse. Unfortunately, the word “preserved” is not entirely appropriate here: what remains of the tower can be climbed using some fragments of spiral staircases, and even then not very high. Only the once four-story convention building looks good.
Schaaken Castle, Russia, Kaliningrad region
According to the order's chronicles, Schaaken was founded in 1261 on the site of a Prussian fortress, while defensive ditches were deepened, the rampart was strengthened and new palisades were built, where the garrison's living quarters were located. The castle was necessary for the Teutons to defend the coast of the Curonian Lagoon (Kurishe Gaf Bay). Subsequently, Schaaken was used for the order’s campaigns on Prussian territories. The castle survived many wars and survived even the terrible meat grinder of World War II. But by the end of the 20th century, due to the lack of timely repairs, the ceiling and walls collapsed, and all the buildings turned into ruins. Today there is a private museum on the territory of the castle, the owners of which are raising funds for restoration.
Koenigsberg Castle, Russia, Kaliningrad
This castle marked the beginning of the history of the city. The Czech King Ottokar and Grand Master Poppo von Ostern founded it in 1255, and the castle existed relatively safely until 1967. It was originally a wooden structure, later rebuilt into a brick fortress and then into a castle. Over the seven centuries of its existence, it housed both the residence of the Teutonic Order and the residence of the Duke of Prussia; it was the place where Prussian kings were crowned. The castle was seriously damaged during the Great Patriotic War, but its walls survived. They fell in 1967 - the castle, despite the protests of city residents, was not restored, but blown up by decision of the regional committee of the CPSU. Today, in its place there is the House of Soviets and a pile of stones with signs indicating which part of the castle belongs to certain fragments.
Velau Castle, Russia, Kaliningrad region
One of the most important castles of the Teutonic Order was Velau Castle. It was located where the village of Znamensk, which belongs to the Gvardeysky district, is now located. Kaliningrad region. The castle was destroyed in 1280. Later it was built again, but in a new place, where the Pregoli and Lava merge, on the eastern island. 1347 is the year the castle was burned, after which it was no longer restored. Today, part of the village is located on this site, and even the technical parameters of Velau Castle are practically unknown.
The development of military affairs often becomes the reason for the emergence of many innovative solutions not only in the economic sphere, but also in the field of engineering, urban planning, fortifications and medicine. Historically, each of the conflicting parties gives a start to the search and construction of new fortification systems, weapons, tactics and strategies. The emergence of new engineering solutions on the attacking side creates the basis for the search for innovations on the defensive side, and vice versa. There are many examples of this - for example, the construction in the Middle Ages throughout Europe of the so-called "star fortresses" seems to have been a consequence of the use of artillery during the siege. And such a striking example of the development of architecture in the field of fortifications can serve as today’s largest castle in the world.
Castle of the Teutonic Order
Malbork Castle(Polish name), can also be found under the German name Marienburg, which translates as “Castle of the Virgin Mary,” the patroness of the Teutonic Order. The full name of the fortification sounds like Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork. The fortification, located in northern Poland, is one of the standards of brick Gothic and an important historical monument, due to which it was included in the list in 1997.
Malbork served as the headquarters of the military order, and in its type belonged to the Ordersburg, fortifications built during the Crusades by the German military order.
The reason for the construction of such huge complex was typical for the period of the Crusades - the fight against undesirable peoples and their conversion to Catholics. Malbork Castle served as a fortress from where the Teutonic Order launched campaigns against the inhabitants inhabiting the Baltic Sea areas.
After the conquest of Prussia, to gain a foothold in the region, control it and suppress uprisings local population in the 1270s, the Order decided to organize a komturstvo (an administrative unit within the Order) here. These years are considered the beginning of the period of construction of the castle, which lasted until the beginning of the 14th century.
History of Malbork Castle
Malbork Castle was founded by the knights in 1274 on the banks of the Nogat River, near its confluence with the Vistula. The river was used as a source of water and a transport vein, characteristic features of fortifications of that time. Preparing for construction required considerable effort: producing bricks and tiles, collecting wood and stones for the foundation, and clearing the area of forest.
No documents about the construction have been preserved, so the entire history of construction is based on the results of research by archaeologists and records of the Order. So, for example, from these conclusions it follows that as of 1280, about 4.5 million bricks were used, 70% of which were spent on the castle itself, and the rest on the encircling fortress wall.
During its history, the fortification was expanded several times. After the first stage of construction, Malbork Castle consisted of a High Castle (main) and a Middle Castle. In the northern part there was a chapel (chapel), a meeting hall, living quarters, a managerial room and a refectory; in the southern and eastern parts there were stables and workshops. Next, a dansker was built, which served as a sanitary room, a defense point and an observation point. Also at the end of the 13th century, a tower called a klesha was erected; it had a defensive purpose, but after the expansion of the territory it lost its significance.
The next stage in the development of fortification is important. After the conquest of the territory of the Holy Land from the Europeans by Baybars I, the leader of the Mamluks, all the knights lost their assignments and their stay there was not reasonable, including the Teutons. The residence of the order left the lands in the Middle East and moved to Venice. Without thinking twice, so that the order would not lose its military dexterity, campaigns were carried out in the region of the Baltic Pomerania (Pomerania) to capture Danzig (now Gdansk).
In 1308, Danzig was taken, German colonists arrived on the captured lands, in fact, by this year the order began to be considered a state. Malbork Castle and the surrounding city were designated the capital of the Teutonic Order and in 1309 the Master of the Knights, Siegfried von Feuchtwangen, moved here from Venice, thereby strengthening the position and importance of the castle.
After the master moved to Malbork, the castle was rebuilt and expanded many times, which made it possible to accommodate large quantity knights. It soon grew to a size that made it the largest in the world, and it also became the most fortified place in Europe. The plot of land surrounded by the outer fortress wall occupied an impressive area of 21 hectares. Behind the wall there were several more defensive walls and three separate standing castle: High, Middle and Lower, each of which had its own ditch. In total, the castle could accommodate 3 thousand knights.
The advantageous position and inaccessibility of the fortress played an important role in its economic development. Malbork Castle became a post controlling trade along the Vistula. All merchant ships and ships going to the Baltic paid duties to the knights for the right to travel along the river. The Teutons also created a monopoly on the amber trade. This state of affairs became the reason for the adoption of the order into the Hanseatic League, which united about 300 trading cities of Northern and Western Europe. The security of the fortress created favorable conditions for holding conferences between members of the union within its walls.
Malbork Castle, medieval stronghold
The hegemony of the Teutons did not suit the neighboring Poles and Lithuanians, who also wanted to return their lands back. These reasons led to the Great War of 1409-1411, led by King Vladislav II Jagiello and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas. During the Battle of Grunwald, Malbork Castle was besieged, the surrounding area was destroyed, but the fortress was never taken. It all ended with the First Peace of Torun, where the order suffered minor territorial losses. However, these events marked the beginning of the decline of Teutonic rule in these lands.
In the period 1454-1466, the Thirteen Years' War broke out, during which the Poles decided to expand their possessions and reach the shores of the Baltic, taking control from the Teutonic Order. Due to the high taxes of the order in the cities under its control, oppositions hostile to the knights began to form.
In 1456, due to high expenses, the order became insolvent. In turn, this state of affairs caused indignation among the mercenaries from Bohemia who were stationed inside the fortress. Having learned about this, the Polish general Stibor de Poniec borrowed funds in Danzig to pay off the mercenaries and convince them to give the castle to the Poles. So in May 1457, King Casimir IV of Poland triumphantly entered Malbork Castle.
In 1466, Malbork became part of the Kingdom of Prussia, one of the Polish provinces. The castle served as a royal residence where balls and events were held. The 17th century was not the best period for the fortress. At this time, the Swedes conquered the complex twice, which caused its decline. After the division of Poland between Prussia and Russia in 1772, Malbork went to the Prussians, where they built workshops and placed barracks.
At the end of the 18th century, the German architect Friedrich David Gilly made sketches of the remains of the fortress, later published in Berlin. The architect's work so impressed the population that funds were allocated for the reconstruction of Malbork Castle in order to restore the history of the order.
Active holidays in Poland are a pleasure. Mountains, sea, bike trails, tourist routes. What's not here? A separate item on this list is traveling to Teutonic castles in the northern part of the country.
During the several hundred years of its rule, the Teutonic Order built about 90 castles and fortresses on these lands. Some of them did not survive to this day - they were destroyed, burned or demolished. Those that remain are amazing in their grandeur gothic architecture, brag rich history, are shrouded in numerous secrets and legends. All this exclusively testifies to the unsurpassed skill of medieval builders. Teutonic castles are eagerly visited by tourists from all over the world. We invite you to follow in the footsteps of the crusaders.
Crusaders are knights of the Teutonic Order.
We begin the expedition route in the footsteps of the crusaders from Toruń. This city was founded by the Knights of the Teutonic Order in 1230. boasts the wonderful Old Town, full of historical attractions, and the not much younger New Town. From the mighty Teutonic castle, destroyed during the 13-year war, only colorful ruins remain.
Ruins of a Teutonic castle in the city of Torun.
About 15 kilometers in southwest direction from Torun there is Bezglovsky Castle - a small village with a well-preserved fortress. Bezhglov Fortress is one of the oldest Teutonic buildings (1270). It was in it that the residence of the commander (commander of a separate detachment of the knightly order) was located. The castle was destroyed several times during battles, but in the middle of the 19th century it was completely rebuilt in the neo-Gothic style.
The Bezhglov fortress is one of the oldest.
We cross the Vistula and head north to the town of Świecie. Already from afar one can see the massive ruins of a Teutonic castle, which was built on an artificial island, not far from the confluence of the Vda and the Vistula. Svetsky Castle has preserved part of the medieval wall and a high, more than 30 meters, cylindrical tower, from the top of which a delightful panorama opens.
Tower of the Svetsky Castle.
Now we will have to go along the banks of the Vistula in a northerly direction in order to reach the city of Wrath. Most beautiful view the city will open to us with east side. Gniew Gothic Castle was built in the second half of the 13th century. Especially luxurious castle looked like during the residence of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Michal Kuhmeysiter, within its walls.
Gniew Castle.
Far to the west, near the ancient borders of the Teutonic State, stands the majestic Czlukhov Castle. It has survived to this day only partially - a fragment of the city wall and a high 46-meter tower, which offers an amazing view of the city of Czlukhov. One of the commanders of the Chlukhov stronghold was the famous Konrad von Wallenrod, the 24th Master of the Order and the greatest commander of the Middle Ages.
Teutonic fortress in Czlukhov.
Another attraction, located far to the west, is the Teutonic castle in Bytov. This is one of the best preserved fortresses, whose history begins in the 14th century. The architect of the Bytovsky castle was Mikolaj Fellenstein - the same one who built the fortress in Malbrok. Today the castle houses a museum and a hotel.
Bytovsky Castle.
We return to the Vistula valley, and then follow along its eastern tributary Nogata to see the most significant landmark of the Teutonic traces. Castle in Malbroc. This, the largest brick building in the world, was built with the aim of establishing the capital of the Teutonic State in it. Every year thousands of tourists come to admire this treasure of Gothic architecture.
Malbork is the most famous crusader castle.
Now we head south to see the castle in Sztum. On the isthmus between two lakes, in a place occupying an excellent defensive position, stands the Štum Castle, built in the mid-14th century. The building has perfectly preserved underground floors, defensive walls and a moat. Currently, the Association of the Knights' Brotherhood of the Land of Sztumov is located in the Sztumov Castle.
The Teutonic Order, which was one of the most powerful forces in Eastern Europe and the Baltic states from the 13th to the beginning of the 15th centuries, relied on the organization of support bases, that is, fortified castles, throughout the territory of its influence. As a result, according to historians, only on the territory of the modern Kaliningrad region of Russia there were about forty Teutonic castles.
Castles are symbols of greatness
- Ragnit Castle was founded in 1289 on the Neman River and in many ways repeated the fate of many castles of the Teutonic Order in these territories. Originally it was a Prussian settlement, occupied by knights who built a wooden fortification here. Only at the end of the 14th century did Ragnit become a completely stone castle. It is noteworthy that, according to historians, one of the architects of the newly completed Marienburg supervised the construction of the stone Ragnit;
- at the end of the 13th century, a major uprising against the Teutonic Order took place on Prussian lands, which was suppressed. One of the participants in the uprising was the owner of the Prussian castle Zoke on the shores of the Curonian Lagoon. The Order took the castle as war booty and, around 1270, founded its own wooden fortification in its place, called Schaaken, with an extensive system of defensive ditches and palisades. At the beginning of the 14th century, Schaaken was built in stone, but its layout differed from other typical castles of the Order of that time. Typically, Teutonic castles were quadrangular structures with an obligatory forburg (that is, a pre-castle fortification). Schaaken, in plan, had an almost circular diameter, which was caused, according to researchers, by the constant threat from the Lithuanians, so the builders of the Order simply erected stone walls along the already existing perimeter of the old fortifications, without having time to create a “standard” castle.
Alexander Babitsky