New Studies on Arms and Armour in Teutonic Prussia Tne Present State and the Perspectives
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FASCICULI ARCHAEOLOGIAE HISTORICAE, Fase. V PL ISNN 0860-0007 ANDRZEJ NOWAKOWSKI NEW STUDIES ON ARMS AND ARMOUR IN TEUTONIC PRUSSIA TNE PRESENT STATE AND THE PERSPECTIVES Today, for the second time after fifteen years arms and armour among the rich and, it seemed, I have the pleasure to present to you, the historians multisided literature on the history of the Teutonic specializing in old weapons, the needs and the Order. The greatest achievement in the field of research achievements in the field of the Teutonic researches of the Teutonic arms and armour were arms and armour in Prussia. My first pronoun- then: G. Bujack's paper, published in 18883 and the cement, mostly of postulates, was restricted to a large cycle of short reports on arms and armour prepared extent to pointing out the vast gaps in our knowledge on the basis of the written records and iconographie of the history of arms and armour used in the data by B. Engel.4 Despite the fact that there were Teutonic state.1 Today it has become possible to some remarks about arms and armour in the works present examples of the positive results achieved so of Polish and German medievalists engaged in the far. studies of the military history of the Order, especially The first published attempt to estimate the state the wars led by it after its settlement in Prussia, they and the needs of the studies on the Teutonic military were but short mentions. history clearly proved how little had been known The progress in the studies on the Teutonic arms about the arms and armour used by the warriors and armour in Prussia could be seen clearly only enlisted in the service of the Order's troops and about 10 years ago. It was due to several reasons. demonstrated not so much the knowledge but, rather, The end of 1970's brought the program of the the lack of it.2 The program of research was yet to be Grunwald researches. Its aim was not only to launch worked out. The most essential problem was, then, archeological researches in the Grunwald Battlefield the recognition of the data stock, particularly the in order to find some material traces of the battle of large bulk of the written records as well as the 15th July, 1410, including the arms and armour, but estimation of the usefulness of particular categories of also to analyse anew many problems connceted with sources for the studies on the Teutonic arms and the Polish-Teutonic conflicts.5 These could not be armour. It was obvious, the studies had to rest on the fully investigated or explained without paying a close analysis of all possible categories of sources —histo- attention to the arms and armour used in the course rical arms and armour, written records and icono- of these military confrontations. Fully aware of the graphie materials. Also the most vivid gaps in our existing gaps in the knowledge of the problems knowledge of other elements of the Teutonic military concerning the Order's militaria, of the need to history were indicated in the paper mentioned above. develop researches of these problems, they postulated Without repeating its contents let us only recall the fact there were no larger publications devoted to 3G. Bujac k, Zur Bewaffnung und Kriegsführung der Ritter des Deutschen Ordens in Preussen, Programm des Altstädter Gymnasiums für Ostern 1887/1888, Königsberg 1888, pp. 1-22. 1 Paper delivered in September 1973 at the meeting of the 4В. Engel, Waffengeschichliche Studien aus dem Deutschor- Society for Ancient Arms and Armour at Malbork. densgebiet, „Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostüm- 2 A. Nowakowski, Stan i potrzeby badań nad wojskowością kunde", 1900-1902, 2, pp. 94-102, 174-175, 348-351; krzyżacką, „Pomorania Antiqua", 1975, VI, pp. 281—293; 1902-1905, 3, pp. 37-40 1906-1908, 4, pp. 118-123; A. Nowakowski, Situation und Notwendigkeit der Forschungen 1909-1911, 5, pp. 12-15; 1912-1915, 7, pp. 136-139. nach dem Militärwesen des Deutschen Ordens, Rapports du IIIe 5 Cf. A. Nadolski, Z problematyki archeologicznych badań Congrès International d'Archéologie Slave, vol. 2, Bratislava 1980, Pola Grunwaldzkiego, „Komunikaty Warmińsko-Mazurskie", 1980, pp. 329-334. 2, s. 123-132. www.rcin.org.pl 84 ANDRZEJ NOWAKOWSKI undertaking more thorough studies of the Teutonic forming the Teutonic forces. It was already pointed army, with a special attention given to arms and out by A. Nadolski in the article describing the armour.6 studies of medieval arms and armour in central- A significant factor aiding successfully the deve- -eastern Europe.9 Let us complete the image pre- lopment of such researches was the intensification of sented by this researcher with some significant details. excavation work in the so-called conical mottes i.e. The history of the Teutonic weapon in Prussia knights' residential-defensive seats, quite a lot of covers almost exactly the period of three centuries. militaria to be found in their ruins. A number of These are the years of vast changes in the history of interesting pieces of historical arms and armour were the European weapons. The warriors of the first half acquired, particularly valid discoveries were made in of 13th century, i.e. from the period of the beginnings the Chełmno district.7 The consciousness of the of organization of the Teutonic state in Prussia existing gaps in our knowledge of the Teutonic arms differed greatly, as far as their arms and armour were and armour, a numerical increase of authentic histori- concerned, from their fellow-warriors from the times cal objects, as well as a better investigation of other of the Order's secularization. Those deeep differences, categories of sources — all these rendered it possible to which we may doubtlessly call different values make think realistically about carrying out in practice at it necessary to take a different research approach, least some research needs. It would not be, however, a different methodological look at the arms and possible was it not for the development of the studies armour as well as the phenomena accompanying it. on the medieval arms and armour in Poland. Let us remember the studies of arms and armour are Thus, in recent years the studies on the arms and connected with almost all life spheres of the Middle armour in the Teutonic state have been considerably Ages. The military matters were closely connected accelerated mainly owing to the work undertaken by with the social structure, the state organization, the Polish experts on arms and armour. The progress a degree of technological development etc.10 In turn, made in the investigation of the arms and armour those phenomena were greatly transformed during and the equipment used by the warriors in service of the centuries of the Prussian chapter in the history of the Teutonic troops is closely connected with, the the Order. emergence of the Polish school of the study of arms It was impossible to investigate thoroughly the and armour in the Middle Ages.8 Let us state in all complicated history of the Teutonic arms and armour certainty that the results achieved in this field are in such a short time, since the moment a serious study considerable and the investigations of the Polish of these problems had begun. medieval arms and armour belong to the most In 1958 a book by A. Nickel was published in actively developing fields of study of this epoch. The which the author, while describing the medieval methods worked out in the meantime and the ways of shields of oriental origin, mentioned also some varie- scientific procedure could be used successfully during ties of this weapon used in the Teutonic armies.11 It the studies on the Teutonic arms and armour in was the first, after a long break,12 publication devo- Prussia. ted to the Teutonic arms and armour, based on the What is, then, the present state of researches in analysis of particular historical data, mainly some the field under consideration like? If we accept the iconographie sources.13 Unfortunately, in other level of our knowledge of the subject from before 15 years —which, as we know, was quite low —as a point 9 General information on the state of research on the Teutonic of reference, a meningful, significant progress can be arms and armour see ibidem, pp. 50 — 55. noted. This concerns almost all spheres of our know- 10A. Nowakowski, Historia uzbrojenia a dzieje polskiego ledge of the military equpiment used by the warriors średniowiecza, „Wiadomości Historyczne", 1983, XVI, 3, pp. 187-190. 11 H. Nickel, Der mittelalterliche Reiterschild des Abendlan- 6 M. Biskup, Stan i potrzeby badań nad państwem krzyżac- des, "Inaugural-Disertation zur Erlangerung des Doktorgrades der kim w Prusach (w. XIII — początek XVI), „Zapiski Historyczne", Philosophischer Fakultät der Freien Universität", Berlin 1958. 1976, XLI, 1, pp. 29-31. 12 The latest publication on the Teutonic arms and armour 7 The most numerous set of militaria has been found at preceeding H. Nickel's paper was an essay by B. R a t h g e n, Die Plemięta near Grudziądz see Plemięta. Średniowieczny gródek Pulverwaffen in Deutschordenstaat von 1362 bis 1450, „Elbinger w ziemi chełmińskiej, ed. A. Nadolski, Toruń 1985, pp. 85 — 128. Jahrbuch", 1922, 2, pp. 76-96. 8 An evaluation of the state of research on the Polish medieval 13Cf. S.M. Kuczyński, Wielka Wojna z Zakonem Krzyżac- arms and armour had been recently given by A. Nadolski, Die kim w latach 1409 — 1411, Warszawa 1955 — the subsequent Forschungen über die Bewaffnung des Deutschen Ordens und seiner editions do not bring any changes in the chapter on arms and Gegner in Ostmitteleuropa [in:] Werkstatt des Historikers der armour; H.