Editing Kaliningrad Oblast (section)

===Early modern period===
After the [[Polish–Teutonic War (1519–1521)|Teutonic Order lost the war of 1519–1521 with Poland]], the Teutonic Order remained a vassal of the Kingdom of Poland.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Matulevičius |first=Algirdas |title=Albrechtas Brandenburgietis |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/albrechtas-brandenburgietis/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=[[Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija|VLE]] |language=lt |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925005419/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/albrechtas-brandenburgietis/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1525, Grand Master [[Albert, Duke of Prussia|Albert of Brandenburg]] [[German mediatisation|secularized]] the Teutonic Order's Prussian branch and established himself as ruler of the [[Duchy of Prussia]], the first Protestant state in Europe.<ref name=":2" /> Königsberg was the residence of the [[Duke of Prussia]] from 1525 until 1701,<ref name=":0" /> and was the Duchy of Prussia's capital until 1660, when the capital moved to [[Berlin]].<ref name=":0" />

Polish and Lithuanian culture blossomed in Königsberg, with the city being the place of publication of the first Polish- and Lithuanian-language [[cathechism]]s (by [[Jan Seklucjan]] and [[Catechism of Martynas Mažvydas|Martynas Mažvydas]]), the first Polish translation of the [[New Testament]], ''[[Grammatica Litvanica]]'', the first Lithuanian grammar book, and the [[Albertina University]] being the second oldest university of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], after receiving a royal [[privilege (law)|privilege]] from King [[Sigismund II Augustus]] in 1560.<ref name=wp>{{cite magazine|last=Podbereski|first=Wacław|year=2010|title=Królewiec – Koenigsberg – Kaliningrad|magazine=Znad Wilii|volume=4 |language=pl|issue=44|pages=113–114|issn=1392-9712}}</ref> Polish printing continued for centuries with the last Polish publication in 1931.<ref name=wp/>

In 1577, the Duke of Prussia forbade [[serfdom|serfs]]—who were mostly Old Prussians, Lithuanians, and [[Masurians]]—to leave the land that was the property of the German knights who became proprietary nobles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Matulevičius |first=Algirdas |title=Prūsijos kunigaikštystė |trans-title=Duchy of Prussia |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/prusijos-kunigaikstyste/ |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=[[Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija|VLE]] |language=lt |archive-date=5 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205040022/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/prusijos-kunigaikstyste/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1618, the Duchy merged with the [[Margraviate of Brandenburg]] to form [[Brandenburg-Prussia]],<ref name=":1" /> remaining under Polish suzerainty until 1660. There was strong opposition to the separation of the region from Poland, especially in Königsberg.<ref name=jm>{{cite magazine|last=Małłek|first=Janusz|year=1992|title=Polityka miasta Królewca wobec Polski w latach 1525–1701|magazine=Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie|language=pl|issue=3–4|pages=254–255}}</ref> A confederation was formed in the city to maintain Poland's sovereignty over the city and region.<ref name=jm/> The Brandenburg Elector and his army, however, entered the city and abducted and imprisoned the leader of the city's anti-Elector opposition [[Hieronymus Roth]].<ref name=jm/> In 1663, the city burghers, forced by [[Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg|Elector Frederick William]], swore an oath of allegiance to him, however, in the same ceremony they still also pledged allegiance to Poland.<ref name=jm/>

In 1724, King [[Frederick William I of Prussia]] prohibited [[Polish people|Poles]], [[Samogitians]] and [[Jews]] from settling in Lithuania Minor, and initiated German colonization to change the region's ethnic composition.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kętrzyński|first=Wojciech|author-link=Wojciech Kętrzyński|year=1882|title=O ludności polskiej w Prusiech niegdyś krzyżackich|language=pl|location=Lwów|publisher=[[Ossolineum|Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich]]|pages=615–616}}</ref> In 1734–1736, Königsberg was the place of stay of Polish King [[Stanisław Leszczyński]] during the [[War of the Polish Succession]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Ciesielski|first=Tomasz|editor-last=Gieszczyński|editor-first=Witold|editor-last2=Kasparek|editor-first2=Norbert|year=2010|title=Wielkie wojny w Prusach. Działania militarne między dolną Wisłą a Niemnem na przestrzeni wieków|language=pl|location=Dąbrówno|pages=108, 113|chapter=Prusy Wschodnie w trakcie polskiej wojny sukcesyjnej i wojny siedmioletniej|isbn=978-83-62552-00-9}}</ref> In 1756 Russia decided to go to war with the Kingdom of Prussia and annex the territory, which was then to be offered to Poland as part of a territorial exchange desired by Russia.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ciesielski|first=Tomasz|editor-last=Gieszczyński|editor-first=Witold|editor-last2=Kasparek|editor-first2=Norbert|year=2010|title=Wielkie wojny w Prusach. Działania militarne między dolną Wisłą a Niemnem na przestrzeni wieków|language=pl|location=Dąbrówno|page=118|chapter=Prusy Wschodnie w trakcie polskiej wojny sukcesyjnej i wojny siedmioletniej|isbn=978-83-62552-00-9}}</ref> The territory was occupied and annexed by Russia in 1758 during the [[Seven Years' War]] before being returned to Prussia in 1762 when [[Miracle of the House of Brandenburg|Russia switched sides in the war]].<ref name="auto1">Roqueplo O: La Russie et son Miroir...2018</ref> It was then reorganized into the province of [[East Prussia]] within the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1773.

The current oblast also contains the now abandoned village of [[Narmeln]] ({{langx|pl|link=no|Polski}}), which was not part of Ducal Prussia, but of the [[Pomeranian Voivodeship (1466–1772)|Pomeranian Voivodeship]] of the Kingdom of Poland until its annexation by the Kingdom of Prussia the [[Second Partition of Poland]] in 1793,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Biskup|first1=Marian|last2=Tomczak|first2=Andrzej|year=1955|title=Mapy województwa pomorskiego w drugiej połowie XVI w.|language=pl|location=Toruń|page=129}}</ref> and is thus part of the historic region of [[Pomerania]].