Malbork Castle: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Malbork zamek zblizenie.jpg|450px|left|thumb|Malbork Castle, situated at the river Nogat]] |
[[Image:Malbork zamek zblizenie.jpg|450px|left|thumb|Malbork Castle, situated at the river Nogat]] |
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[[Image:Marienburg_2004_Panorama.jpg|650px|center|thumb|Panorama as seen from the river Nogat]] |
[[Image:Marienburg_2004_Panorama.jpg|650px|center|thumb|Panorama as seen from the river Nogat]] |
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==History and Construction== |
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Malburg Castle (also known as Malburk Castle or Ordensburg Marienburg) is situated on the right bank of the river Nogat in Poland. It was founded by Teutonic Knights in 1274, and was named Ordensburg Marienburg after the Virgin Mary, patron saint of the order. |
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The castle is the largest fortified Gothic building in Europe, and rose to become the seat of the 13th-century Teutonic Order. The favourable position of the castle on the river Nogat and its relatively flat surrounding allowed for easy access by barges and trading ships. During their governance of [[Prussia]], the [[Teutonic knights]] collected river tolls on passing ships in tandem with the other castles along the river, imposing a monopoly on the trade of amber. When the city became a member of the [[Hanseatic League]], many Hanse meetings were at Malburg. The castle was besieged after the Battle of Grunwald, but withstood the attack under the direction of Heinrich von Plauen the Elder. During the [[Thirteen Years’ War]] the castle was sold to [[Casimir IV]] of Poland by the Bohemian king's imperial soldiers, as a substitute for their wages. Under mayor Bartholomäus Blume, the fortress resisted the Polish onslaught for an additional three years, until he himself was captured and hanged. Prior to the partitions of Poland in 1772, Malburg served as one of the several Polish royal residences. In 1945, during the Second World War, the castle was severely damaged as a result of fighting, but was subsequently reconstructed. |
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Malburg comprises of three separate sections- the High, Middle and Low Castles, separated by multiple dry moats and towers. The castle once housed approximately 3,000 "brothers in arms", and the outermost castle walls enclose 52 acres (210,000 m²), four times larger than the enclosed space of Windsor Castle. |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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Revision as of 20:55, 28 March 2007
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
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| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii, iv |
| Reference | 847 |
| Inscription | 1997 (21st Session) |
Malbork Castle (‹See Tfd›German: Ordensburg Marienburg) was built by the Teutonic Order as Ordensburg and named Marienburg (literally "Mary's Castle"). The city which grew around it was also named Marienburg, now called Malbork.
It is a classic example of a medieval fortress; it is the world’s largest brick castle and one of the most impressive of its kind in Europe. The castle and its museum are listed as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, being added to the register in December 1997.
History and Construction
Malburg Castle (also known as Malburk Castle or Ordensburg Marienburg) is situated on the right bank of the river Nogat in Poland. It was founded by Teutonic Knights in 1274, and was named Ordensburg Marienburg after the Virgin Mary, patron saint of the order.
The castle is the largest fortified Gothic building in Europe, and rose to become the seat of the 13th-century Teutonic Order. The favourable position of the castle on the river Nogat and its relatively flat surrounding allowed for easy access by barges and trading ships. During their governance of Prussia, the Teutonic knights collected river tolls on passing ships in tandem with the other castles along the river, imposing a monopoly on the trade of amber. When the city became a member of the Hanseatic League, many Hanse meetings were at Malburg. The castle was besieged after the Battle of Grunwald, but withstood the attack under the direction of Heinrich von Plauen the Elder. During the Thirteen Years’ War the castle was sold to Casimir IV of Poland by the Bohemian king's imperial soldiers, as a substitute for their wages. Under mayor Bartholomäus Blume, the fortress resisted the Polish onslaught for an additional three years, until he himself was captured and hanged. Prior to the partitions of Poland in 1772, Malburg served as one of the several Polish royal residences. In 1945, during the Second World War, the castle was severely damaged as a result of fighting, but was subsequently reconstructed.
Malburg comprises of three separate sections- the High, Middle and Low Castles, separated by multiple dry moats and towers. The castle once housed approximately 3,000 "brothers in arms", and the outermost castle walls enclose 52 acres (210,000 m²), four times larger than the enclosed space of Windsor Castle.
External links
