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The Archaeology of the Prussian Crusade

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The Archaeology of the Prussian Crusade THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE PRUSSIAN CRUSADE The Archaeology of the Prussian Crusade explores the archaeology and material culture of the Crusade against the Prussian tribes in the thirteenth century, and the subsequent society created by the Teutonic Order that lasted into the six- teenth century. It provides the first synthesis of the material culture of a unique crusading society created in the south-eastern Baltic region over the course of the thirteenth century. It encompasses the full range of archaeological data, from standing buildings through to artefacts and ecofacts, integrated with writ- ten and artistic sources. The work is sub-divided into broadly chronological themes, beginning with a historical outline, exploring the settlements, castles, towns and landscapes of the Teutonic Order’s theocratic state and concluding with the role of the reconstructed and ruined monuments of medieval Prussia in the modern world in the context of modern Polish culture. This is the first work on the archaeology of medieval Prussia in any lan- guage, and is intended as a comprehensive introduction to a period and area of growing interest. This book represents an important contribution to promot- ing international awareness of the cultural heritage of the Baltic region, which has been rapidly increasing over the last few decades. Aleksander Pluskowski is a lecturer in Medieval Archaeology at the University of Reading. THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE PRUSSIAN CRUSADE Holy war and colonisation Aleksander Pluskowski R~O~!!;"~~~P LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2013 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2013 Aleksander Pluskowski The right of Aleksander Pluskowski to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Pluskowski, Aleksander. The archaeology of the Prussian Crusade : holy war and colonisation / Aleksander Pluskowski. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Prussia, East (Poland and Russia)--Antiquities. 2. Excavations (Archaeology)--Prussia, East (Poland and Russia) 3. Prussia, East (Poland and Russia)--Civilization. 4. Prussia, East (Poland and Russia)--Social life and customs. 5. Teutonic Knights--History. 6. Military art and science-- History--Medieval, 500-1500. I. Title. DK4600.P773P58 2012 943.8’32022--dc23 2012021433 ISBN: 978-0-415-69170-3 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-415-69171-0 (pbk) ISBN: 978-0-203-07986-7 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by GreenGate Publishing Services, Tonbridge, Kent To the memory of my father, Gregory, who never leaves my thoughts CONTENTS List of figures ix Preface and acknowledgements xiii Terminology and glossary xv 1 Introduction: historical framework and sources 1 2 Pre-Christian Prussia: early medieval Baltic society 43 3 The ravages of holy war: crusade and colonisation in the thirteenth century 89 4 A land of red castles: consolidating the Teutonic Order’s state in the fourteenth century 140 5 From colonisation to urbanisation: towns and international trade 196 6 Converting Prussia: the Christianisation of the Teutonic Order’s state 246 7 From forest to field: the changing environment of medieval Prussia 294 8 The end of holy war: from the decline of a crusader state in the fifteenth century to constructing memories of medieval Prussia in the twentieth century 337 9 Conclusion: holy war and colonisation 375 viii Contents Further reading 385 Bibliography 386 Index 423 FIGURES Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are by the author. All maps and line drawings rendered by Lisa-Marie Shillito. Cover image Hand-and-a-half sword dating to c.1340–1400 recovered from the River Tina near Elbląg (Elbing) now on display in the castle museum in Malbork (with the Great Refectory of the Teutonic Order’s castle at Malbork (Marienburg) in the background) 1.1 The castle at Malbork (Marienburg), view from the south-western bank of the Nogat 1 1.2 Prussian tribal territories and the path of the thirteenth-century crusades 2 1.3 The castle at Gniew (Mewe) (a) and the ruins of the castle at Dzierzgoń (Christburg) as drawn by Hartknoch in 1684 (b) 4 1.4 The south-eastern Baltic region today 6 1.5 The commanderies and episcopal domains within the Teutonic Order’s state at the start of the fifteenth century 7 1.6 Territorial divisions in Prussia following ‘The Second Peace of Thorn’ in 1466 22 1.7 Artefacts from medieval Prussia 29 1.8 Excavations at the Teutonic Order’s castle in Grudziądz (Graudenz) in 2009 (a), excavations inside the western part of the castle in Radzyń Chełmiński (Rehden) in 2009 (b) and excavations in the north-west part of the outer bailey in Malbork (Marienburg) castle in 2005 (c) 34 1.9 Remnants of embankments in the western part of the Sztum Forest, south of Malbork 35 1.10 Page from one of the Prussia Museum books (no. 5), showing equestrian artefacts from the Viking Age Sambian cemetery at Schulstein (Volnoe in the Kaliningrad Oblast) 39 2.1 Prussian tribal territories and neighbouring regions in the early-thirteenth century 45 x Figures 2.2 A Prussian grave furnished with military equipment from Ekritten, Sambia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 49 2.3 Three views of the Prussian stronghold at Ostrów in Masuria, demonstrating in particular its strategic location within the landscape 50 2.4 Prussian, Slavic and Scandinavian settlement between the Vistula and Pasłęka (north-central Poland) from the ninth to eleventh century AD 54 2.5 The early-medieval settlement complex around Lake Salęt 56 2.6 The Prussian stronghold at Jeziorko, Masuria, associated with the Galindian tribe 57 2.7 Excavations of multi-period pits within the stronghold of Święta Góra, Masuria, in 2011 59 2.8 The distribution of strongholds in the Kaliningrad Oblast (Sambian Peninsula) 60 2.9 A stone ‘baba’ now situated in the courtyard of the castle at Olsztyn (Allenstein) 73 2.10 Twelfth-century horse burials from the North Sambian cemetery of Kholmy (Mülsen), Kaliningrad Oblast 79 3.1 The castle at Fieldioara, Transylvania, identified as the site of the Teutonic Order’s castle of Marienburg 94 3.2 Schematic representation of the stratigraphy in the courtyard of the high castle of Malbork, based on a 3m core taken in 2010 99 3.3 The Teutonic Order’s castle at Montfort (Starkenberg), north Israel 101 3.4 Plan of the excavated residence associated with Dietrich of Tiefenau at Podzamcze near Kwidzyn (Marienwerder) 103 3.5 Medieval ‘greyware’ ceramic vessels recovered from excavations in Kwidzyn (Marienwerder) now on display in the castle museum (a) and in situ in a pit at the site of Biała Góra (site 1), (b) less than 25km to the north 107 3.6 The chronology of the settlement complex at Kałdus in the Kulmerland 113 3.7 The oldest known Teutonic Order coins of the so-called ‘Arm and Banner type’ and dated to 1236/1237–c.1247/1248 124 3.8 Monuments of the medieval Prussian–Lithuanian frontier 130 3.9 Artefacts recovered from Prussian graves in Równina Dolna 132 3.10 The conserved ruins of the high castle in Viljandi (Fellin), Estonia 135 4.1 Castles from the Kulmerland to the Curonian Spit 148 4.2 Plan of the castle at Pokrzywno (Engelsburg) 151 4.3 Phased plan of the castle in Toruń (Thorn) 153 4.4 The ‘Golden Gate’ in the high castle at Malbork (Marienburg) 157 4.5 The Virgin and Child at the eastern end of the high castle church in Marienburg (Malbork) 160 Figures xi 4.6 A coloured drawing of a wall painting at Lochstedt castle showing the archangel Michael as a crusader, slaying the apocalyptic dragon 165 4.7 A koncerz still in situ under the bridge next to the New Gate at the castle in Malbork (Marienburg) 168 4.8 Plan of the castle and town complex in Marienburg (Malbork) at the end of the fourteenth century 176 4.9 The timber supports and foundations under the Great Refectory of the middle castle at Malbork (Marienburg), profile W–E 180 4.10 The Grand Master’s palace at Malbork (Marienburg) 181 4.11 The Old Town of Marienburg before the war (a), north facing view of the town after it was destroyed in 1945 (b) and south facing view of the rebuilt town of Malbork in 2011 (c) 185 5.1 Map showing the towns in medieval Prussia 198 5.2 A rare, surviving example of the high-quality religious art produced by late medieval urban workshops in Prussia 201 5.3 Plan of Elbing (Elbląg) in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries 203 5.4 The chronology of vernacular buildings in Elbing (Elbląg) 205 5.5 Plan of Thorn, c.1300 (Toruń) 211 5.6 Former granary buildings on Piekary 2 in Toruń (Thorn) 213 5.7 Cat’s muzzle in Toruń (Thorn) 215 5.8 Crooked tower in Toruń (Thorn) 216 5.9 Plan of medieval Danzig (Gdańsk) showing the relationship between the main districts 222 5.10 The historic centre of Gdańsk (Danzig),
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