Editing Prussian Confederation

{{Short description|Organization of Prussian nobles in opposition to the Teutonic Order (1440-66)}}
{{For|the confederation in the Northern Germany centred around Prussia|North German Confederation}}
[[File:AGAD Stany pruskie oddaja swe ziemie krolowi polskiemu Kazimierzowi Jagiellonczykowi i koronie polskiej.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Prussian Confederation offered to incorporate Prussia into the Kingdom of Poland, 1454, [[Polish Central Archives of Historical Records]]]]

The '''Prussian Confederation''' ({{langx|de|Preußischer Bund}}, {{langx|pl|Związek Pruski}}) was an organization formed on 21 February 1440 at Marienwerder (present-day [[Kwidzyn]]) by a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities in [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]], to oppose the arbitrariness of the [[Teutonic Knights]]. It was based on an earlier similar organization, the [[Lizard Union (medieval)|Lizard Union]] established in 1397 by the nobles of [[Chełmno Land]]. 

In 1454, the leader of the Confederation, [[Johannes von Baysen]] (Jan Bażyński), formally asked King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]], to incorporate Prussia into the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Kingdom of Poland]]. This marked the beginning of the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466)|Thirteen Years' War]] between the [[State of the Teutonic Order|Order's State]] and Poland, with the cities co-financing the military costs of the latter.

==Background==
According to the 1411 [[Peace of Thorn (1411)|First Peace of Thorn]] which followed the Teutonic Knights' defeat in the [[Battle of Grunwald]], the Teutonic Order had to pay high reparations to the Kingdom of Poland. The monastic state imposed high taxes on the cities to raise the funds as well as to re-arm for another war against Poland. In the 1420s, Grand Master [[Paul von Rusdorf]] brought stability to the Order and its relations, but fighting with Poland resumed in 1431, when the Knights' invasion into Poland during the [[Lithuanian Civil War (1431–1435)|Lithuanian Civil War]] sparked another [[Polish–Teutonic War (1431–1435)|Polish-Teutonic conflict]]. 

== Establishment ==
[[File:AGAD Akt erekcyjny Związku Pruskiego.png|thumb|left|Foundation act of the Prussian Confederation from 1440]]
After about three decades of growing discontent, the burghers, nobility and landowners from the Teutonic state (see [[Prussian estates]]) organized themselves to oppose the rule of the order more effectively. The decision to establish the organization was made at a convention held in [[Elbląg]] on February 21, 1440.{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXI}} The convention was attended by representatives of the cities of [[Chełmno]] (''Culm''), Elbląg (''Elbing''), [[Toruń]] (''Thorn''), [[Gdańsk]] (''Danzig''), [[Braniewo]] (''Braunsberg''), [[Kaliningrad|Królewiec]] (''Königsberg''), and [[Knipawa]] (''Kneiphof'') as well as nobles from various areas.{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXI}} On 14 March 1440, a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities, under the leadership of the [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] cities of [[Danzig]] (Gdańsk), [[Elbing]] (Elbląg), Thorn ([[Toruń]]) and [[Königsberg]] (Królewiec), founded the Prussian Confederation in [[Marienwerder]] (Kwidzyn). More towns joined later on (see ''Participating towns'' below). In Danzig, the new members signed a document<ref name="Leba"/> which was kept in the archives of Thorn. The official representatives of the Confederation were the city councils of Chełmno and Toruń, and the knights of Chełmno Land.{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XLI}}

[[File:Torun zamek Dybow brama.jpg|thumb|[[Dybów Castle]], place of talks between King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] and the burghers of the Confederation from 1452]]
After Grand Master [[Paul von Rusdorf]] died in 1441, his successor, [[Konrad von Erlichshausen]], continued to negotiate a compromise until his own death in 1449. The confederation lobbied for support against the Teutonic Order within the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. [[Ludwig von Erlichshausen]], Grand Master from 1450 to 1467, took a more aggressive stance towards the confederation. He filed a lawsuit at the court of Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]]. In response, the organization established a secret council to confer during the trial.{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XLII}} The secret council held talks with Poland, and organized forces to revolt against the Teutonic Knights.{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XLIV}} The verdict of the Imperial court of 1453 declared the confederation illegal, however, the verdict was not recognized by the organization nor by Poland.{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XLV}}

==Thirteen Years' War==

In February 1454, the Prussian Confederation rose against the Teutonic Order's rule. [[Gabriel von Baysen]] and [[Johannes von Baysen]], now leading the confederation with the support of [[Jan de Jani]] and [[Mikołaj Szarlejski]], both of the [[Clan of Ostoja]], requested the protection of King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]] of Poland, and the incorporation of the region to the Kingdom of Poland, to which the King agreed and signed an act of incorporation in [[Kraków]] in March 1454.{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=54}} They also asked for, and received, a guarantee of their continued city rights and privileges for the nobility. Delegates and officials of the Confederation pledged allegiance to the Polish King during the incorporation in Kraków,{{sfn|Górski|1949|pp=71–72}} and also in the following months.

[[File:2nd peace of torun.jpg|thumb|''Second Peace of Toruń'', 19th-century painting by Marian Jaroczyński]]
The resulting [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)|Thirteen Years' War]] ended in the defeat of the Teutonic Order and the 1466 [[Second Peace of Thorn (1466)|Second Peace of Thorn]]. The Order renounced any claims to the territories of [[Gdańsk Pomerania|Gdańsk/Eastern Pomerania]] and [[Chełmno Land]], which were reintegrated with Poland,{{sfn|Górski|1949|pp=88–90, 206–207}} and the region of Elbląg and Malbork, and [[Warmia]], which were also recognized as part of Poland.{{sfn|Górski|1949|pp=91–92, 209–210}} These regions formed the new Polish province of [[Royal Prussia]], with some local rights of autonomy. [[Stibor of Poniec]] of the [[Clan of Ostoja]] become Lord of tregality{{typo help inline|reason=similar to regality|date=March 2022}} of [[Malbork]]. Much of the eastern territories, in historic [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]], remained with the Teutonic Order, although as a [[fief]] and [[protectorate]] of Poland, also considered an integral part of "one and indivisible" Kingdom of Poland.{{sfn|Górski|1949|pp=96–97, 214–215}} The Prussian Confederation, with its members now practically divided, ceased to exist as such.

==Aftermath==
{{unref|section|date=February 2022}}
Both the Polish and Teutonic sides agreed to seek the confirmation of the Second Peace of Thorn from [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Frederick III]] and [[Pope Paul II]], but they also agreed that this confirmation would not be needed for validation of the treaty. Soon after, however, a dispute about the status of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia]] started a smaller conflict called the [[War of the Priests (Poland)|War of the Priests]].

==Participating towns==
{{Location map+|Poland|width=410|float=right|relief=1|caption=Location of founding towns (red), towns that joined in 1440 (orange) and towns that joined in 1441–44 (yellow) on the modern map of Poland
|places=
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.583|long=20.283|link=Olsztynek|mark=Yellow dddd00 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.433|long=20.033|link=Dąbrówno|mark=Yellow dddd00 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.233|long=20.183|link=Działdowo|mark=Yellow dddd00 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.358|long=20.425|link=Nidzica|mark=Yellow dddd00 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.648|long=20.7908|link=Pasym|mark=Yellow dddd00 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.65|long=17.367|link=Człuchów|mark=Yellow dddd00 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.433|long=20.833|link=Domnovo|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.433|long=21.044|link=Pravdinsk|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.5|long=20.433|link=Slavskoye, Russia|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.361|long=21.312|link=Zheleznodorozhny, Kaliningrad Oblast|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.833|long=20.683|link=Barczewo|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.25|long=20.8|link=Bartoszyce|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.7|long=17.55|link=Chojnice|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.9875|long=20.3958|link=Dobre Miasto|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.35|long=19.683|link=Frombork|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.836|long=18.8236|link=Gniew|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.6117|long=18.808|link=Hel, Poland|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.967|long=20.733|link=Jeziorany|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.083|long=21.383|link=Kętrzyn|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.7358|long=18.9308|link=Kwidzyn|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.55|long=17.75|link=Lębork|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.117|long=20.583|link=Lidzbark Warmiński|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.761|long=17.557|link=Łeba|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.033|long=19.033|link=Malbork|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.649|long=18.726|link=Nowe|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.778|long=20.479|link=Olsztyn|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.05|long=19.667|link=Pasłęk|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.7|long=18.4|link=Puck, Poland|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.0514|long=21.1458|link=Reszel|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.268|long=21.00|link=Sępopol|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.9217|long=19.0336|link=Sztum|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.320|long=19.527|link=Tolkmicko|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.187|long=19.729|link=Młynary|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.0875|long=18.797|link=Tczew|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.967|long=18.533|link=Starogard Gdański|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.6|long=17.85|link=Tuchola|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.917|long=19.933|link=Morąg|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54|long=20.067|link=Miłakowo|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.217|long=20.117|link=Pieniężno|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.1128|long=20.1317|link=Orneta|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.067|long=20.09|link=Bisztynek|mark=Orange ff8040 pog.svg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.4925|long=21.192|link=Druzhba, Pravdinsky District, Kaliningrad Oblast}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.383|long=19.833|link=Braniewo}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.2597|long=19.396|link=Brodnica}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.349|long=18.423|link=Chełmno}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.45|long=20.283|link=Kornevo, Kaliningrad Oblast}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.167|long=19.4|link=Elbląg}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.3475|long=18.645|link=Gdańsk}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.286|long=20.4917|link=Górowo Iławeckie}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.4875|long=18.755|link=Grudziądz}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.700|long=20.453|link=Kaliningrad}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.5|long=19.75|link=Lubawa}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.4256|long=19.5878|link=Nowe Miasto Lubawskie}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.3856|long=18.936|link=Radzyń Chełmiński}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.4639|long=19.941|link=Święta Siekierka}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=53.022|long=18.611|link=Toruń}}
{{Location map~|Poland|lat=54.617|long=21.217|link=Welawa}}
}}
Towns which founded the Prussian Confederation on 14 March 1440:<ref name="Leba">''Leba im Preußischen Bund'', {{cite web |url=http://lawrenz.homepage.t-online.de/s11-bilder/preubund.htm |title=Lawrenz - Preußischer Bund |access-date=2007-10-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205055509/http://lawrenz.homepage.t-online.de/s11-bilder/preubund.htm |archive-date=2008-02-05 |language=de}}</ref><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]]|page=608}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Name
|-
| Thorn ([[Toruń]]) including "New Town"
|-
| Culm ([[Chełmno]])
|-
| Elbing ([[Elbląg]]) including "New Town"
|-
| Danzig ([[Gdańsk]])
|-
| Braunsberg ([[Braniewo]])
|-
|[[Kaliningrad|Königsberg]] (Królewiec), including [[Kneiphof]] (Knipawa) and "Old Town"
|-
| Graudenz ([[Grudziądz]])
|-
| Strasburg ([[Brodnica]])
|-
| Neumark ([[Nowe Miasto Lubawskie]])
|-
| Löbau ([[Lubawa]])
|-
| Rehden ([[Radzyń Chełmiński]])
|-
| Wehlau (Welawa, now [[Znamensk, Kaliningrad Oblast|Znamensk]])
|-
| Allenburg (Alembork, now [[Druzhba, Pravdinsky District, Kaliningrad Oblast|Druzhba]])
|-
| Zinten (Cynty, now [[Kornevo, Kaliningrad Oblast|Kornevo]])
|-
| Heiligenbeil (Święta Siekierka, now [[Mamonovo]])
|-
| Landsberg ([[Górowo Iławeckie]])
|}

Towns which joined the Prussian Confederation in 1440:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! Name
! Date of accession
|-
| [[Starogard Gdański|Starogard]]
| 31 March 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVII}}
|-
| [[Morąg]]
|Rowspan=13|3 April 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVII}}
|-
| [[Pasłęk]]
|-
| [[Miłakowo]]
|-
| [[Tolkmicko]]
|-
| [[Młynary]]
|-
| [[Tczew]]
|-
| [[Gniew]]
|-
| ''[[Old Town (Gdańsk)|Old Town]]'' of Gdańsk
|-
|[[Nowe]]
|-
|[[Lębork]]
|-
| [[Łeba]]
|-
| [[Hel, Poland|Hel]]
|-
| [[Puck, Poland|Puck]]
|-
| [[Kwidzyn]]
| 17 April 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVII}}
|-
| [[Chojnice]]
| 1 May 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVII}}
|-
| [[Malbork]]
|Rowspan=15|5 May 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVII}}
|-
| [[Bartoszyce]]
|-
| [[Sępopol]]
|-
| [[Kętrzyn|Rastembork]] (Kętrzyn)
|-
| Friedland (Frydląd, now [[Pravdinsk]])
|-
| [[Orneta]]
|-
| [[Lidzbark Warmiński]]
|-
| [[Reszel]]
|-
| [[Dobre Miasto]]
|-
| [[Barczewo|Wartembork]] (Barczewo)
|-
| [[Jeziorany]]
|-
| [[Bisztynek]]
|-
| [[Olsztyn]]
|-
| [[Frombork]]
|-
| [[Pieniężno|Melzak]] (Pieniężno)
|-
| [[Tuchola]]
| 6 May 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVII}}
|-
| Kreuzburg (Krzyżbork, now [[Slavskoye, Russia|Slavskoye]])
|Rowspan=2|30 May 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVIII}}
|-
| Domnau (Domnowo, now [[Domnovo]])
|-
| [[Sztum]]
| 21 June 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVIII}}
|-
| Gerdauen (Gierdawy, now [[Zheleznodorozhny, Kaliningrad Oblast|Zheleznodorozhny]])
| 18 October 1440{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVIII}}
|}

Further towns joined in the following years, including [[Człuchów]], [[Pasym]], [[Nidzica]], [[Działdowo]], [[Dąbrówno]], [[Olsztynek]], [[Prabuty]], [[Chełmża]].{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=XXXVIII}}<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I|year=1880|language=pl|location=Warszawa|pages=569, 862}}</ref>

Further nobles joined following the outbreak of the Thirteen Years' War, and the towns of [[Dzierzgoń]], Łuczany (now [[Giżycko]]) and [[Nowy Staw]] also sided with Poland in the war,<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom II|year=1881|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=281}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom V|year=1884|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=113}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom VII|year=1886|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=161}}</ref> and several more also recognized Polish rule and pledged allegiance to Poland, including [[Czarne]], [[Debrzno]], [[Golub-Dobrzyń|Golub]], [[Kowalewo Pomorskie|Kowalewo]], [[Lidzbark]], [[Łasin]], [[Wąbrzeźno]].{{sfn|Górski|1949|p=76}}<ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom I|year=1880|language=pl|location=Warszawa|page=743}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom II|page=417}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite book|last=Górski|first=Karol|title=Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych|year=1949|publisher=Instytut Zachodni|location=[[Poznań]]|language=pl}}

[[Category:Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466)]]
[[Category:Politics of Prussia]]
[[Category:1440 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:Former confederations]]
[[Category:Secessionist organizations in Europe]]