Editing Masuria (section)

=== Ducal Prussia ===
The [[Prussian Homage|secularization]] of the [[Teutonic Order]] in Prussia and the conversion of [[Albert I, Duke of Prussia|Albert of Prussia]] to [[Lutheranism]] in 1525 brought Prussia including the area later called Masuria to [[Protestantism]]. The Knights untied their bonds to the Catholic Church and became land-owning noblemen and the [[Duchy of Prussia]] was established as a vassal state of Poland. The [[Polish language]] predominated due to the many immigrants from [[Mazovia]], who additionally settled the southern parts of Ducal Prussia, till then virgin part of (later Masuria) in the 16th century. While the southern countryside was inhabited by these - meanwhile Protestant - Polish-speakers, the very small southern towns constituted a mixed Polish and German-speaking population. The ancient [[Old Prussian language]] survived in parts of the countryside in the northern and central parts of Ducal Prussia until the early 18th century. At that time they proved to be assimilated into the mass of German-speaking villagers and farmers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t12271.htm|title=What language did East Prussians speak? - Antimoon Forum|website=www.antimoon.com|access-date=14 August 2018}}</ref> Areas that had many Polish language speakers were known as the Polish Departments.<ref>Kossert, Andreas: Masuren, p. 81</ref>

[[Image:Święta Lipka, Bazylika Nawiedzenia NMP.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Święta Lipka Sanctuary|Saint Mary's Sanctuary]] in [[Święta Lipka]] at the border of historical [[Warmia]] and Masuria was consecrated by [[Jesuits]] in 1619. It was once the site of apparitions and miracles and is one of Poland's finest examples of [[Baroque architecture]], listed as a [[List of Historic Monuments (Poland)|Historic Monument of Poland]].<ref>{{Cite Polish law|title=Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 20 kwietnia 2018 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii "Święta Lipka - sanktuarium pielgrzymkowe"|year=2018|number=961}}</ref>]]
Masuria became one of the leading centers of Polish [[Protestantism]]. In the mid-16th century [[Ełk|Lyck (Ełk)]] and [[Węgorzewo|Angerburg (Węgorzewo)]] became significant Polish printing centers.<ref>Erwin Kruk, ''Warmia i Mazury'', Wrocław 2003, p. 62 (in Polish)</ref> A renowned Polish high school, which attracted Polish students from different regions, was founded in Ełk in eastern Masuria in 1546 by [[Hieronim Malecki]], Polish translator and publisher, who contributed to the creation of the standards and patterns of the Polish literary language.<ref name=esb>{{cite magazine|last=Sukertowa-Biedrawina|first=Emilia|year=1958|title=Z zagadnień walki o szkołę polską w diecezji ełckiej w pierwszej połowie XIX wieku|magazine=Komunikaty Mazursko-Warmińskie|language=pl|issue=1|pages=63–65}}</ref> The westernmost part of Masuria, the [[Ostróda|Osterode (Ostróda)]] county, in 1633 came under the administration of one of the last dukes of the [[Piast dynasty]], [[John Christian of Brieg]].

After the death of [[Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia]] in 1618, his son-in-law [[John Sigismund, Margrave of Brandenburg]], inherited the duchy (including Masuria), combining the two territories under a single dynasty and forming [[Brandenburg-Prussia]]. In 1656, during the [[Battle of Prostki]], the forces of [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], including 2,000 [[Crimean Khanate|Tatar raiders]], beat the allied [[Swedish Empire|Swedish]] and [[Brandenburg-Prussia|Brandenburg]] army capturing [[Bogusław Radziwiłł]]. The war resulted in the destruction of most towns, 249 villages and settlements, and 37 churches were destroyed. Over 50% of the population of Masuria died within the years 1656–1657, 23,000 were killed, another 80,000 died of diseases and famine, and 3,400 people were enslaved and deported to Russia.<ref>Kossert, Andreas: Masuren, p. 74</ref><ref name="prostki">Sławomir Augusiewicz, ''Prostki 1656'', [[Bellona Publishing House|Bellona]] Publishing, [[Warsaw]] 2001. {{ISBN|978-83-11-09323-2}}<br />'''^''' Jacek Płosiński, ''Potop szwedzki na Podlasiu 1655-1657'', Inforteditions Publishing, 2006. {{ISBN|83-89943-07-7}}</ref> The [[Treaty of Wehlau]] ended the sovereignty of Poland in 1657.

[[File:Wegorzewo Hartknoch 1684.jpg|thumb|right|17th-century view of [[Węgorzewo|Węgobork]] (now Węgorzewo), a typical Masurian town]]
From 1709 to 1711, in all of Ducal Prussia between 200,000 and 245,000 out of 600,000 inhabitants died from the [[Black Death]]. In Masuria the death toll varied regionally; while 6,789 people died in the district of [[Ryn|Rhein (Ryn)]] only 677 died in Seehesten ([[Szestno]]). In Lötzen ([[Giżycko]]) 800 out of 919 people died.<ref>Kossert, Andreas: Ostpreussen, p. 96</ref><ref>Kossert, Andreas: Masuren, p. 85</ref> Losses in population were compensated by migration of Protestant settlers or refugees from [[Scotland]], [[Salzburg]] ([[Salzburg#Religious conflict|expulsion of Protestants 1731]]), [[France]] ([[Huguenot]] refugees after the [[Edict of Fontainebleau]] in 1685), and especially from the counterreformed [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], including [[Polish brethren]] expelled from Poland in 1657. The last group of refugees to emigrate to Masuria were the [[Russia]]n [[Philipons]] (as 'Old Believers' opposed to the State Church) in 1830, when King [[Frederick William III of Prussia]] granted them asylum.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.taz.de/4/reise/europa/polen/begegnungen-am-gruenen-fluss/|title=Begegnungen am grünen Fluss|first1=Gabriele|last1=Lesser|newspaper=[[Die Tageszeitung]]|language=de|access-date=2009-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002010621/http://www.taz.de/4/reise/europa/polen/begegnungen-am-gruenen-fluss|archive-date=2009-10-02|url-status=dead}}</ref>