Malbork Castle

Visited June 26, 2023. Written July 3, 2023

A short train ride from our hotel in Sopot, Poland, is the 13th century castle of Malbork (originally called Marienburg Fortress). The castle is situated on the Nogat River with easy access for the castle to commercial boats and barges, but protected from invasion by the river and several moats on the East. Malbork is the largest brick castle in the World and covers 4 times more land than Windsor Castle in England. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

View of Malbork Castle from the train The East side of the three levels of the castle. The High Castle was the most protected.

The castle was built by the Teutonic Order of Knights founded in 1190 in Acre, Jerusalem as a humanitarian order to aid pilgrims to the Holy Land and later as a military order commissioned by the Pope for the Crusades. With the fall of Acre in 1291, they moved first to Cyprus, then Venice, before finding a home in what is now Poland and building this beautiful castle complex of Malbork.

River view. The castle was protected from invasion by the river but had access to commercial boats for supplies.
One of three moats protecting the land side of the castle.
Under the drawbridge in the moat which is now dry.

Small door with access to the drawbridge over the second moat. The weight to to the left made raising the drawbridge easy. It still works
Drawbridge weights.

The castle remained a Catholic monastic order housing up to 3,000 knights, priests and sergeants on the castle grounds (52 acres) until the order followed Martin Luther in the 1500’s. In 1772 the castle became a royal residence for the Polish Kings until overtaken by Hitler. He used the castle and grounds as a destination for Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls. At the end of the war he was using it as a ammunition depot and an explosion within the castle destroyed 1/2 of the castle from those munitions. It has been faithfully restored using drawings from 1910. While the castle changed hands over the centuries, it was never captured in a battle.

1945 and 2023
Saint Anne’s Chapel

Unfortunately, we visited the castle on a Monday when the interiors were closed to visitors. The only interior room was the beautiful Saint Anne’s Chapel. The floor and basement of the chapel have the graves of the Grand Masters of the German Knights.

We did get to see the Cloisters and gardens which were beautiful.

The halls for the Cloister
Entrance to the chapel in the Cloisters. See below for the story.

The Chapel in the Cloisters is a Biblical Story of annunciation and birth of Jesus (bottom left) and to the sides the story of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. In many ancient churches, the Bible is portrayed with beautiful visual images.

Lower level of the Cloister with the central well. The order could be self sufficient with a mill, water, and garden within the castle walls.
Remains of the mill works
One of several garden spaces within the castle.
Pelican on the well, interior stairs between floors, the Teutonic Helmet of the Knights, four of the Teutonic Grand Masters.
The knight on the right following a letter from Martin Luther, changed the order to Lutheranism and the knights took wives just as Luther had.
Leaving this beautiful sight with special thanks to Nina-Jo Moore for a wonderful historic experience.

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carpentres

I am the retired Department Chair of Family & Child Studies at Appalachian State University. I retired in 2017 after 23 years at the University.

3 thoughts on “Malbork Castle”

  1. I learn so much from your travels. My knowledge of World History gets better. Plus the pictures just blow me away. You teach us well!!

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