
For any medievalist, no visit to Poland can be complete without a trip to Malbork -- the site of an impressive and large medieval castle. Malbork is located along the banks of the river Nogat, near the city of Gdansk. The first sections of the castle were built by the Teutonic Knights around 1280. The Teutonic Knights were a crusading military order made up of mostly Germans who were initially focused on protecting Christians in the Holy Land. Gradually, their interest shifted to Eastern Europe, where they fought against the Lithuanians and other pagan peoples, and set up their own state along the Baltic Sea. They Teutonic Knights named this castle Marienburg after the the Virgin Mary, and over the next few decades the site saw new additions and extra fortifications built, increasing its size. By the year 1309, Malbork had become the home of the Order's Grand Master, making the castle essentially the capital of the Teutonic state. The 14th and 15th centuries saw further expansion, until the castle became the largest Gothic fortification in Europe, and able to accommodate over 3000 fighters. Malbork is designed to be a series of three fortifications -- a High, Middle and Low Castle, which would allow defenders to fall back deeper into the fortress when pressed from attackers. The entire site takes up about 52 acres of space, and consists of several layers of defences. Towers, moats, walls, bridges and gates help add to its strength, and visitors can soon find themselves <b>...</b>
Malbork
Poland
Teutonic
Castles
Fortresses
Medieval
Medievalists