Zantirburg, Burg Zanthir | |
Coordinates | 53°56′37″N18°54′36″E / 53.94361°N 18.91000°E |
---|---|
History | |
Builder | State of the Teutonic Order |
Founded | 1240 |
Abandoned | c. 1281-1282 |
Site notes | |
Condition | lost |
Zantyr (Polish : Santyr, Zantir, [1] German : Zantirburg, Burg Zanthir. [2] [3] ) is a lost Teutonic Order castle with established commandry and town with cathedral, seat of the bishopric. In the early 13th century it was located at present day Pomeranian Voivodeship, in Sztum County, in the municipality of Sztum, south of the village Uśnice or in the region Biała Góra at the confluence of the rivers Nogat and Vistula. [4] Here, at the southern end of the Vistula delta region (Żuław Wiślanych), resides the Nogat River Protected Landscape Area. During its brief history Zantyr was contested between Swietopelk II, Duke of Pomerania, State of the Teutonic Order and Bishopric of Pomesania. At the end around year 1280 the castle and town were reestablished at a new location and became known as Malbork Castle. [4] [5]
The location of the Zantyr castle has not been determined and no archaeological artifacts has been found. [6] It is believed that the first castle was built near the "old Prussian settlement Santyr", [7] [8] likely at location of former hillfort. Till present day there are two inhabited places: a village Piekło located on island or peninsula (depending on water level) at two rivers confluence and another one Biała Góra on the high river bank. In 13th century contested property was also referred as "island of Zanthir" [9] (German : Insel Zanthir [10] ). Finding exact location if successful will make Zantyr a Pomeranian Troy . [11] "The association between Zantyr and Biała Gora, as well as its relocation, was maintained by local inhabitants into the eighteenth century, and remains the most likely location for the early commandery centre." [12] The Zantirburg (German : Burg Zanthir) is depicted on the maps of Caspar Hennenberger from 1576 and of Samuel Suchodolec from 1700 to 1713. [12]
Missionary bishop Christian of Oliva founded the first Cistercian monastery in Prussia near the fork of the Vistula and Nogat, on the right river bank, the area known as Zantar. This area not far from Sztum was received by Christian of Oliva from Mestwin I, Duke of Pomerania. [9] From 1215 Zantyr was the seat of the first bishop of Prussia, there was also the first episcopal chapter and a cathedral.
The first documented mentions of Zantyr (Zantir) appear in the year 1240 in the document of Pope Gregory IX, with a complaint from the missionary bishop Christian of Oliva on the actions of the Teutonic Knights, who destroyed or repossessed the episcopal church, castle and town Sanctir along with others. [5] Prior to these events lands of Prussian Pomezani has been partially conquered and controlled by Pomeranian prince Swietopelk II, Duke of Pomerania. In course of conquest Swietopelk II established Zantyr castle together with the borough on the right, high bank of Nogat river. [4]
In December 1251 Sambor II, Duke of Pomerania gave Zantyr to the Teutonic Order for Order help in the construction of the castle Tczew and village Gorzędziej. Another version of this story informs about the sale of the castle Zantyr to the Teutonic Knights by Swietopelk II, Duke of Pomerania. In 1266, after the death of Swietopelk II, Mestwin II, Duke of Pomerania, demanded the return of Zantyr, calling the Teutonic Knights beggars who claimed the right to the city. [4] [9] In 1275 Pope Gregory X confirmed that the Teutonic Knights possessed the island of Zantyr. In 1279, the castle at Zantyr was relocated down the Nogat to the site of Malbork, which became the centre of the new commandery of Marienburg. [13]
In 1274–1280 the Teutonic Knights began to build, partly from materials obtained from the demolition of the old monastery buildings of Cistercian Order in Zantyr, Malbork Castle in the lower reaches of Nogat, which they called Marienburg (today's Malbork). [9] [14] [15] [16]
In 1399 the church in Zantyr was ordained. During the Thirteen Years’ War (1454–1466), there were fights for the church in Zantyr. [2]
Royal Prussia or Polish Prussia became a province of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, which was annexed following the imposed Second Peace of Toruń (1466) from territory in Pomerelia and western Prussia which had been part of the State of the Teutonic Order. Royal Prussia retained its autonomy, governing itself and maintaining its own laws, customs, rights and German language for the German majority.
Malbork is a town in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It is the seat of Malbork County and has a population of 37,898 people as of 2021. The town is located on the Nogat river, in the historical region of Pomerelia.
Pomerelia, also known as Eastern Pomerania, Vistula Pomerania, and also before World War II as Polish Pomerania, is a historical sub-region of Pomerania on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland.
Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe on the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, that ranges from the Vistula delta in the west to the end of the Curonian Spit in the east and extends inland as far as Masuria, divided between Poland, Russia and Lithuania. This region is often also referred to as Old Prussia.
Mestwin II was a Duke of Pomerelia, member of the Samborides dynasty. He ruled Pomerelia as a sole ruler from 1273 to 1294.
Swietopelk II, also Zwantepolc II or Swantopolk II,, sometimes known as the Great, was the ruling Duke of Pomerelia-Gdańsk from 1215 until his death. He was the first member of the Samborides to style himself dux from 1227 onwards.
The Province of West Prussia was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1919. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1773, formed from Royal Prussia of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth annexed in the First Partition of Poland. West Prussia was dissolved in 1829 and merged with East Prussia to form the Province of Prussia, but was re-established in 1878 when the merger was reversed and became part of the German Empire. From 1918, West Prussia was a province of the Free State of Prussia within Weimar Germany, losing most of its territory to the Second Polish Republic and the Free City of Danzig in the Treaty of Versailles. West Prussia was dissolved in 1920, and its remaining western territory was merged with Posen to form Posen-West Prussia, and its eastern territory merged with East Prussia as the Region of West Prussia district.
The Malbork Voivodeship, after Partitions of Poland also referred to as the Malbork Land, was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Kingdom of Poland from 1454/1466 until the Partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. Its capital was at Malbork.
Gdańsk Pomerania is the main geographical region within Pomerelia in northern and northwestern Poland, covering the bulk of Pomeranian Voivodeship. In contrast to Pomerelia and its synonyms, the term does not cover the historical areas of Chełmno Land and Michałów Land, sometimes with the addition of Lubawa Land.
Pelplin is a town in northern Poland, in the Tczew County, Pomeranian Voivodship. Population: 8,320 (2009).
The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork, commonly known as Malbork Castle, is a 13th-century castle complex located in the town of Malbork, Poland. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Duchy of Eastern Pomerania, was a duchy centred on Pomerelia, with Gdańsk as its capital.
The Samborides or House of Sobiesław were a ruling dynasty in the historic region of Pomerelia. They were first documented about 1155 as governors (princeps) in the Eastern Pomeranian lands serving the royal Piast dynasty of Poland, and from 1227 ruled as autonomous princes until 1294, at which time the dynasty died out. The subsequent war for succession between the Polish Piast dynasty, the Imperial Margraviate of Brandenburg and the State of the Teutonic Order resulted in the Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk (Danzig) in 1308.
The Prussian uprisings were two major and three smaller uprisings by the Old Prussians, one of the Baltic tribes, against the Teutonic Knights that took place in the 13th century during the Prussian Crusade. The crusading military order, supported by the Popes and Christian Europe, sought to conquer and convert the pagan Prussians. In the first ten years of the crusade, five of the seven major Prussian clans fell under the control of the less numerous Teutonic Knights. However, the Prussians rose against their conquerors on five occasions.
Lauenburg and Bütow Land formed a historical region in the western part of Pomerelia or in the eastern part of Farther Pomerania. It was composed of two districts centered on the towns of Lauenburg (Lębork) and Bütow (Bytów). The land is today part of the Polish Pomeranian Voivodeship.
Polish–Teutonic Wars refer to a series of conflicts that took place between the Kingdom of Poland and the Teutonic Order, a medieval German military order with roots in the Baltic region. These wars occurred primarily during the 14th and 15th centuries and were characterized by territorial disputes, political maneuvering, and religious differences.
Sambor II of Tczew was a duke of Pomerania and prince of Lubiszewo Tczewskie.
The Schlawe and Stolp Land, also known as Słupsk and Sławno Land, is a historical region in Pomerania, centered on the towns of Sławno (Schlawe) and Słupsk (Stolp) in Farther Pomerania, in present-day Poland.
This is the 1454-1466 Polish-Teutonic War. For a list of all Polish-German Wars, see Polish-German Wars.
Pomesanians were a Prussian clan. They lived in Pomesania, a historical region in modern northern Poland, located between the Nogat and Vistula Rivers to the west and the Elbląg River to the east. It is located around the modern towns of Elbląg and Malbork. As the westernmost clan, the Pomesanians were the first of the Prussians to be conquered by the Teutonic Knights, a German military crusading order brought to the Chełmno Land to convert the pagans to Christianity. Due to Germanization and assimilation, Pomesanians became extinct some time in the 17th century.