Zamek w Malborku - Marienburg

In the course of its expansion to the East, the Teutonic Order secured the conquered territories by building castles. While the Order achieved military successes in Eastern Europe, it suffered setbacks in the Holy Land. In 1291 Acre, the last stronghold of the Crusaders in the Holy Land fell. The Order moved its headquarters to Venice, but it was clear that a reconquest of Palestine was out of the question. Prussia offered itself as an alternative field of activity.

In 1308 the Order took over Gdansk and in 1309 Grand Master Siegfried von Feuchtwangen moved his seat from Venice to Marienburg. The fortress was expanded into a very spacious castle. Today complex is the largest brick building in Europe

After the defeat of the Order in the Battle of Grunwald (Schlacht bei Tanneberg) against Poland-Lithuania, the first siege of Marienburg took place in 1410. Heinrich von Plauen managed to hold the fortress.

In 1454, during the Thirteen Years' Prussian City War, Ludwig von Erlichshausen successfully defended the castle against the Polish King Casimir IV. Jagiello. However, as the Grand Master fell behind with the payment of the salaries, he had to pawn the castle to his rebelling mercenaries in 1455. They sold the fortress to the Polish king without further ado.

After WWII about 60 per cent of the castle was destroyed or damaged. It got reconstructed and by now is one of the hot spots of tourism in Poland.