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The German Order in Prussia: Monuments of Kaliningrad Region
In the early 1220s, the Polish state was raided by the Prussians. The principalities bordering Prussia had it the hardest — as a result of the raids there was almost no Polish population left in the area along the Vistula bank. The Duchy of Masovia and Diocese of Płock suffered the most. In 1225 the Polish prince Konrad of Masovia turned to the Teutonic Order, requesting for help in his struggle with the Prussians. In return for the commitment to conquer Prussia, the Grand Master of the Order was to be given the border lands. In 1230, Pope Grigory IX confirmed Konrad of Masovia’s charter and granted the Order the power over those Baltic lands that it would conquer and christianise. The Teutonic Order began advancing deep into the Prussian lands.
The first fortresses of the northern crusaders in the Baltic region were Thorn (modern Torun), Kulm (Chełmno) and Marienwerder (Kwidzyn). In the late 1230s, the Order of Dobrzyń and the Sword Brothers were incorporated into the Teutonic Order. In 1252, Memel fortress (today’s Klaipeda) was founded, the Kulm land was conquered and the Order reached the border with Masovia. In 1252–1255, Samland was conquered. Knights from various European countries participated in the crusaders’ campaigns. In particular, the Czech knights of King Přemysl Ottokar played a significant role. In 1255 King Přemysl Ottokar founded the future capital of the Order in Königsberg (present-day Kaliningrad). In 1260–1274 a second Prussian uprising was suppressed. After the fall of Acre in 1291, the Teutonic Order moved its residence from Venice to Marienburg (present-day Malbork, founded in 1270) in 1309.
More and more castles and churches were built on the conquered lands — the Order was actively expanding into new territories. The fortification complex of the Order, formed during the Christianisation process, would play an important role throughout the history of the region, up to the present day. Of the nearly 100 castles and fortifications of the Teutonic Order, about 60 were built between 1231 and 1310. Initially wooden fortifications, they were rebuilt in stone starting from the 14th century.
However, ecclesiastical institutions such as the episcopate also played an important role in the Christianisation process. According to the treaty with the pope, the Order was to hand over a third of the conquered lands to the newly formed dioceses. In 1243, the papal legate in Prussia, William of Modena, decreed that four dioceses should be created in Prussia — those of Kulm, Pomesania, Ermland and Samland. They were all located on the lands of today’s Kaliningrad Region. To control the border lands in Nadruvia, the Georgenburg Castle was founded in 1350. It is now located in the village of Mayovka, near the Order’s castle of Insterburg (present-day Chernyakhovsk). The castles of Neuhausen (1292) and Saalau (1325) went to the Samland chapter.
Throughout the 14th century, the Teutonic Order was at war with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and after the Union of Krewo was concluded in 1385 — with the Kingdom of Poland. The defeat of the Teutonic Order at the Battle of Grunwald (1410) undermined its political and financial position. The final blow to the Teutonic state was delivered by the Thirteen Years’ war (1454–1466) with Poland and the Prussian Confederation — the union of Prussian cities dissatisfied with the internal policy of the Order under the leadership of Danzig (today’s Gdańsk) and Thorn (Toruń). As a result of the defeat, the Grand Master’s residence was moved to the Königsberg Castle. After the Second Peace of Toruń, the Order lost a large part of its territory to Poland.
Decades later, in 1525, the Order’s holdings in Prussia were secularised and its territory was made a secular duchy, which opened new pages in the history of the castles founded during the Christianisation.
Some of these castles can still be seen today in the settlements of the Kaliningrad region, which was incorporated into the USSR in 1945 as a result of World War II. Thus, today we can suggest routes within the Russian Federation that will allow you to learn about the monuments of the history of the Teutonic Order.
Routes
Unfortunately, little trace survives of the history of the Teutonic Order in Kaliningrad (former Königsberg). The exception is the restored cathedral, better known for the tomb of I. Kant. The city was severely damaged during the Second World War. The castle survived, but was demolished in Soviet times.
Nevertheless, the Kaliningrad Region has evidence of the former greatness of the Teutonic Order. Its castles keep the memory of the events related to different stages of this land settlement. Due to the gradual expansion of the Order’s lands, its castles are located in different parts of the present-day Kaliningrad Region; therefore, we suggest several routes. Kaliningrad will be the starting point.
Route 1.
Includes two castles located south of Kaliningrad, along the coast. This route includes only two monuments, as the others that make up the network of the Order’s fortifications in this direction are already in Poland, notably Elbląg (German: Elbing) and the former capital of the Order from 1309 — Malbork (present-day Marienburg).
Leaving Kaliningrad in the south direction of the region the first castle will be Brandenburg (Ushakovo village). The distance from Kaliningrad is about 23 km, travel time by car is 30 minutes; the second castle is Balga, situated in some distance from the village of Znamenka and practically on the shore of the bay. Distance from Kaliningrad — 53 km to the south; time en route by car — 1 h. 30 min (approx. 1.30 hours by car).
Route 2.
Route includes several castles of the Order, including ones close to the Lithuanian border Laukisken Castle (Saranskoye village), 75 km from Kaliningrad; travelling time by car: 1 h. 30 min. However, this time can be longer, because you will have to drive straight through the towns of Guryevsk and Polessk, where the orderly castles Neuhausen and Labiau are also located.
Then the way will go through the town of Sovetsk, where the remnants of Tilsit Castle are preserved. The distance from Kaliningrad is 126 km; time en route by car is 2 hours. The main aim of the route is to the East — the well preserved castle Ragnit (Neman). It is only 10 km away from Sovetsk / Tilsit.
Route 3 is also full of monuments of the Order’s history. The first castle is Valdau (Waldau) in Nizovye, situated to some distance from the main route. The distance from Kaliningrad is 20 km; time by car — 25 min, further on, after returning to the main road eastwards, drive to Tapiau town in Gvardeisk, 45 km from Kaliningrad; travelling time — 40 min by car; further on, driving eastwards, you can stop in the village of Talpaki, where the Taplaken castle is situated nearby. 45 km from Kaliningrad; travelling time — 50 min by car. If you later turn a little bit to the North from the main road, the remains of Castle Zaalau can be seen in the village Kamenskoye — the distance from Kaliningrad is 76 km; time — 1 hour by car. The trail’s end point — Insterburg Castle, distance from Kaliningrad — 91 km; time — 1 hour by car. 20 min.
Route 4.
It includes two castles, the first one is Kreuzburg castle ruins (Slavskoye) at a distance of 38 km from Kaliningrad; time: 45 min; the second one is Preisis–Eylau castle in the township of Bagrationovsk.
Route 5.
The first point — the ruins of castle Schaaken in the settlement of Nekrasovo, distance from Kaliningrad to the north — 38 km; time — 45 min., and then drive west along the coast to the ruins of castle Fischhausen in Primorsk, distance from Kaliningrad to the north — 45 km; time — 33 min.
Route 6.
This way is more easterly than route 4. Heading to Zheleznodorozhny village. On the way you can stop at the ruins of the castle in Groß Wonsdorf in the village of Kurortnoye. There are ruins of the orderly fortress Gerdauen in Zheleznodorozhny itself. The distance from Kaliningrad is 80 km; time by car: 1 h. 30 min.
D. I. Veber
Tags: routes, 13 century, Teutonic Order (Prussia), The ways of the Teutonic knights: Prussia in the 13th century