The seat of the kings of Poland has been destroyed many times - the castle in Malbork

 Malbork Castle is the largest medieval castle in Europe. It was entered into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1977. The castle was erected in several stages, during which it served as, among others the seat of the masters of the Teutonic Order, Polish kings and the Maritime Commission. Over the years, the castle in Malbork was devastated and reconstructed several times. Currently, it is one of the most beautiful examples of medieval defensive and residential architecture in Europe. Check out the interesting facts from the construction of this famous building and find out what historical sieges took place at the Malbork Castle.

Before the castle in Malbork was built, in 1278 great preparations began. It was then that the forest was cut down and all the materials needed to erect the building were gathered - stones for foundations, wood, and bricks. The first stage of the construction of the castle began in 1280. It is worth noting that the castle was divided into three parts: Low Castle, Middle Castle, and High Castle. Until 1300, at the High Castle, among others, defensive wall, as well as the north wing, where various important rooms were placed. Only in the following years, the rest of the wings, which were mostly wooden, were added - stables, workshops, and warehouses. Outside the area of ​​the castle body, a defensive tower was also erected, which was connected with the castle and called a gdanisko. It was this tower that was to perform both sanitary, observation, and defense functions. At the end of the 13th century, a second tower was also built in the opposite corner. The castle was also surrounded by a moat and a perimeter wall.

In 1309, the seat of the Grand Master of the Order was moved from Venice to Malbork. As many monks came with him, the castle had to be expanded. Therefore, there were, inter alia, dormitories, as well as the chapel of St. Anna - this is where the burials of monastic masters took place. In the presbytery, an 8-meter statue of the Mother of God with the Child was placed - despite its destruction in 1945, in the years 2014-2016, it was possible to recreate it in over 60% of the original segments. In 1410, the castle in Malbork was besieged by the Polish-Lithuanian army after the Battle of Grunwald. During the siege in 1411, there was supposed to be an unidentified traitor in the castle, as can be read in historical chronicles. During the stay of important monks at the castle, he was to hang a red flag outside the window to inform the besiegers about their presence. They were to fire a cannonball at the pillar of the room, which was supporting the entire structure. The bullet, however, passed him ... six centimeters. Miraculously, the castle was not demolished then.

In 1457, the castle in Malbork was sold to the Polish king Kazimierz Jagiellończyk for 190,000 florins. From that time until 1772, the castle served as the residence of the kings of Poland. Royal receptions were held in the Great Refectory, while a warehouse was arranged in the High Castle. Each castle wing was perfectly used, allocating individual rooms for royal chambers or an audience hall. There was also a place for the staroste, burgraves, and castle commanders. In the second half of the 16th century, a clock appeared on the main tower, as well as a Renaissance helmet.

The castle was a mainstay not only for kings but also for other important figures. Thanks to King Zygmunt August, in 1568 a Maritime Commission was established, for which offices were created in the eastern wing of the Middle Castle. A year later, Zygmunt III Waza became the king of the castle. In 1626, during the war with Sweden "over the mouth of the Vistula", the castle was besieged again - despite the fight, the Swedes managed to conquer it. It was the Swedes who managed to build as many as 11 earth bastions in just two years. The Poles tried to retake the castle several times, but they failed. Only in 1635, due to the truce, Polish troops were admitted to the castle. Interestingly, a few years after this event, Corpus Christi was celebrated in the castle. Then a fire was accidentally started, as a result of which all four wings of the High Castle lost their roof. The roof over Danzig and the castle church also burned down, and the clock and the tower's cupola were damaged. Fortunately, the castle in Malbork was renovated by Gerard Denhoff, who was appointed by King Władysław IV as the economist of Malbork. At the same time, the castle was well-armed.

In the following years, the Swedes reappeared in the castle, namely in the period of the so-called Swedish deluge. Although attempts were made to regain it, the Swedes occupied the castle until the "Peace in Oliwa" (1660). In the following years, the Jesuits received the High Castle (from 1737 it housed the barracks of the Polish infantry regiment and fortifications). In turn, economic buildings and craft workshops were built in the outer bailey. Who else was at the castle? Well, i.a. King Stanisław Leszczyński and King August II the Strong. After the First Partition of Poland, Polish soldiers left the castle on September 12, 1772. A day later, Prussians were already at the castle in Malbork.

The reconstruction of the High Castle began after the building was taken over by the Prussians. Unfortunately, they did it unskillfully, which led to numerous damages - especially during the reign of Frederick William III, when the castle began to be rebuilt into ... military warehouses. It was then that the medieval vaults were completely demolished, replacing them with a wooden ceilings. When the French army invaded the castle after the battle of Prussian Iława (1807), they established a hospital for their soldiers there. In the same year, even Napoleon Bonaparte himself visited the castle in Malbork. The renovation and reconstruction actually began in 1817 - the Management Board for the Reconstruction of the Castle in Malbork was established for this purpose. It was possible to reconstruct, among others, the chapel of St. Catherine, as well as the entire western part of the Middle Castle. The gaps in the figure of the Mother of God with the Child were also supplemented. In 1881, the reconstruction of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the High Castle also began.

The construction and conservation work at the castle aroused a keen interest in the tsarist family. Around 1884, even a Committee for the Reconstruction of the High Castle was established, which took care of collecting money for, among others, restoration of old and new wall paintings, purchase of books, and architectural details. By 1900, the main works at the High Castle were completed. The works at the Middle Castle lasted until 1918. When Bernard Schmid became the conservator of Prussia in 1922, it was under his supervision that the castle in Malbork regained its final shape, becoming a museum in the interwar period.

In the first half of the 20th century, the Germans began to use the castle as a place for Nazi celebrations, especially for pilgrimages. It was 1945. During the battle of Malbork with the Red Army, the castle was seriously damaged - over 50% of it was devastated. Both the castle church and the main tower with the eastern part of the High Castle and the Middle Castle were completely demolished. When the Polish Army began to rule the castle in Malbork on August 7 of the same year, a branch of the Polish Army Museum was established in it. The museum's management handed them over to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on November 30, 1950.

As the castle was half-destroyed after World War II, it was planned to be pulled down. Ultimately, however, the mind was changed and the many years of reconstruction of the castle in Malbork began, slowly restoring its medieval shape and getting rid of erroneous reconstructions - both inside and outside the building. In 1997, the castle was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. To this day, historical reconstructions are staged there, and numerous performances are also held. There is no doubt that the castle in Malbork is one of the most beautiful in Poland.

Surprising facts about the castle in Malbork

1. Today's castle in Malbork consists of 12 to 15 million bricks. Thus, it is the largest brick structure in Europe.
2. In honor of Our Lady, the Teutonic Knights called the castle Marienburg.
3. The castle is located on the Nogat river, which made it easy for merchant ships to reach it.
4. Every year, in the last week of July, a medieval fair is organized at the Malbork Castle.
5. The structure of the castle was placed on piles of pillars and pillars in the sand - so a similar practice was used by the Romans when building Venice.
6. The original bricks of the castle can be recognized by the fact that they are dark and not very well profiled.
7. The original sculptures of Teutonic knights can still be admired in the castle.
8. Experts believe that the castle in Malbork is located in an ideal location for ... UFOs. Apparently, the vicinity of the castle meets all the requirements to remain a base for visitors from outer space.