Malbork - The Largest Gothic Castle Complex in the World. Part 7 - Terraces
Malbork is the largest Teutonic stronghold in Poland, the largest Gothic castle in Europe and the largest brick castle in the world. More information in Part 1.
Malbork Castle was built between 1274 and 1457, and its establishment is associated with the Order of the Hospital of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the German House, known in Poland as the Teutonic Order. The location of the castle was not accidental - the site was chosen for its defensive qualities. It was erected on the northern end of a rather narrow peninsula, surrounded on two sides by the Nogat River and a marshy valley. Only from the south side there was a possibility to reach the gates, which was tried to limit by building a complex of moats and defensive walls.
Places mentioned in this video:
Courtyard of the High Castle
Water well; the vertical shaft of the Królewskie Pachole (The Royal Child) windmill carved from a single log.
St. Anne's Chapel
The extension of the church presbytery towards the East created a new interior in the basement under the added part of the construction. It became a tomb chapel for the grand masters bearing the name of St. Anne.
There are two entrances to the chapel, situated opposite each other: one in the northern, and the other in the southern wall. Both portals have a very rich sculpture framing, similar to taht of the Golden Gate leading to the Church.
In the crypt under the floor were deposited, starting in 1341, the mortal remains of the Order's highest dignitaries. The first to be laid to rest there was Grand Master Dietrich von Altenburg, eleven in all. Today three original stone tombstones of Dietrich von Altenburg, Heinrich Dusemer and Heinrich von Plauen are a reminder of them.
At the beginning of the 18th century, the chapel was administered for several years by Jesuits, who were buried in the crypt beneath the chapel.
In 1945, during the battle for the castle, the chapel's vault collapsed after collapsing as a result of artillery fire conducted by the Red Army on the Blessed Virgin Mary Church and the castle tower above it.
In 2014-2016, during restoration work, an 18th-century crypt was uncovered: that of the Jesuits and the Rexin family, the starosts and treasurers of Malbork.
Northern terrace – Lapidary
Lapidary, i.e. an open air exhibition of historical elements and architectural details.
The northern terrace, running along the northern elevation of the High Castle, was used to reach St. Anne's Chapel. On display are stonework specimens mainly from the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as stone cannonballs, an integral component of the castle landscape.
Eastern Terrace – Cemetery
In the Middle Ages the eastern terrace played a role of the cemetery, where the Malbork convent knights and monks were buried. According to medieval tradition, a cemetery was a garden at the same time.
Today the grave plates gathered here from different periods relate to the old function of this area. On the right, there are six original teutonic grave stones from the 14th century, coming from the old convent cenetery in the Gdańsk castle. Among other plates, undoubtedly the most interenstin one is the grave plate of Knight Wolf von der Oelsnitz from 1593, leaning against the elevation of the High Castle, brought here from the Ostrowin cemetery in 1901. On the left, it is worth to have a look at a group of Mennonite steles and epitaphs from the 2nd half of the 18th and the 1st half of the 19th century, brought from the cemeteries in Malbork surroundings, for instance from Stogi.
Southern Terrace – Garden
The southern terrace is the sunniest spot in the castle surroundings, no wonder then that in the medieval times the grand master of the Order arranged a rose garden here. A specific feature of the Teutonic fraternity in this respect was to join the castle garden (being an important element of the knightly and courtly culture) and the convent garden.
The niches of the retaining wall, like those on the other terraces, house various architectural details, coming primarily from Malbork Castle, but also from other Teutonic castles.
Western Terrace
On the right there is a massive elevation of the western wing, divided into tall blind windows, on the left - a defence wall with numerous niches and a guard porch covered with a pitched roof. At the end of the terrace, note the magnificent specimens of ivy, which for many years now have lived in a wonderful symbiosis with the brick wall of the post-Teutonic fortress. They also wrap around historic stonework, including an oval supraport from the 18th-century passage through the south wing of the High Castle, now defunct.
Malbork - Staging of the Castle Siege in 1410:
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• Staging of the Castle Siege in 1410. Malbo...
Knight's Tournament in the Malbork Castle:
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• Medieval Siege Machines / Średniowieczne m...
Music: Zmariusz666: / scothy56