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Prabuty
Cathedral in Prabuty (1st half of 14th century)
Coat of arms
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Pomeranian
County	Kwidzyn
Gmina	Prabuty
Town rights	1330
Government
• Mayor	Bogdan Józef Pawłowski
Area
• Total	5.92 km (2.29 sq mi)
Elevation	90 m (300 ft)
Population
• Total	8,488
• Density	1,400/km (3,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	82–550
Area code	+48 55
Car plates	GKW
Website	http://www.prabuty.pl

Prabuty (Template:Lang-de) is a town in Kwidzyn County within the Pomeranian Voivodeship of northern Poland. In the period between 1975–98 Prabuty were part of the Elbląg Voivodeship.

Geographical location

Prabuty is located approximately 18 kilometers east of Kwidzyn, 75 kilometers south-east of Gdańsk and 133 kilometers south-west of Kaliningrad.

Prabuty is an important rail junction on the Warszawa–Gdynia railway.

History

Name of town

Even though the German name Riesenburg derives from an area in Pomesania, which had been called "Reisen" or "Resia", before the castle (Burg, zamek) had been built, the name was attributed to a giant (Riese in German, olbrzym in Polish), and the coat of arms, first recorded in 1405, thus depicts a giant and a castle. In the neighbourhood of the town similar names of places are found, such as Riesenkirch and Riesenwalde. In the 18th century the Polish name of the town had been Prabutha, having the meaning of an ancient house.

State of the Teutonic Order

In 1236, the Teutonic Knights under Henry III, Margrave of Meissen, destroyed an Old Prussian fortress between the lakes Sorgensee (jez. Dzierzgon) and Schloßsee (jez. Liwieniec). The place erected by the Knights there was first mentioned in 1250 as Riesenburg. In 1276, Pomesanian bishop Albrecht of Pomesania (1259–1286) founded a castle above the lake. In 1323 the village was destroyed by Poles. The village growing around the castle received Culm law (Template:Lang-pl) city rights on 30 October 1330 from bishop Rudolf von Pomesanien (1322–1332). Following the Battle of Grunwald the town was burnt down by the army of King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland in 1410, 1414 and 1422.

The parish church of Riesenburg was built soon after 1310 and was enlarged using bricks at the same time as the dome of Kwidzyn was.

In 1451 the town council joined the Prussian Confederation that was opposing the Teutonic Order, but bishop Kaspar Linke expelled the councilors and confiscated their property. After the Battle of Konitz, in which Polish forces were defeated, the town sided with the Order again.

Dependence on Kingdom of Poland

Pomesania remained even after the Thirteen Years' War and the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) a biscopal territory of the Teutonic Order, but became part of Poland's autonomous province of Royal Prussia. Riesenburg became the capital of Pomesania during the 16th century. In 1509 Eobanus Helius Hessus became secretary to Bishop Hiob von Dobeneck. In 1527, after the Protestant Reformation and the secularization, the town became part of the Duchy of Prussia. A synod was held in Riesenburg in 1556.

Riesenburg suffered during the 17th century Polish-Swedish wars. In 1628 half of it burnt down, and in 1688 it burnt down completely. In 1710 pest broke out, and 935 inhabitants died. In 1722 fire caused great destructions. During the Third Silesian War (1756–1763) Riesenburg had to pay to the Russians an amount of 18,408 Reichstaler as war contributions and for soldier pays.

Reunification with Prussia

During the First Partition of Poland in 1772, the town was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. Administered under its German name Riesenburg, the town became part of the new Prussian province of West Prussia in 1773. In 1787 fire caused great destructions in the town.

In 1871 the town became part of the German Empire in the framework of the Prussian-led unification of Germany.

Until 1919 Riesenburg belonged to the administrative district of Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder in the Province of West Prussia.

After World War I

When after World War I the regulations of the Treaty of Versailles became effective in January 1920 and the Polish Corridor was installed on German territory not far from Riesenburg, a referendum was held concerning the future nationality of the town. In 1920 3,321 voters pleaded for Germany and solely 50 voters for Poland. From 1920 to 1939 Riesenburg belonged to the adminstrative district of Regierungsbezik Westpreußen in the Province of East Prussia and from October 26, 1939, to 1945 to the district Regierungsbezirk Marienwerder in the province of Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia.

After World War II

Riesenburg was captured by the Soviet Red Army in 1945 during World War II. In agreement with the provisional regulations of post-war Potsdam Conference, Riesenburg was placed under the administration of the People's Republic of Poland. It was then renamed to the Polish Prabuty. Most of the former East-Prussian inhabitants were expelled by the Poles, as in the whole former German territories, and replaced by Poles from regions east of the Curzon Line, in particular from the former Polish Kresy Wschodnie, where they had refused to accept a new nationality, and by settlers from central Poland. Heinz Heydrich (1905–44, suicide), brother of Reinhard Heydrich, is buried in the Soldatenfriedhof (soldiers cemetery) Riesenburg, according to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt).

Number of inhabitants by year

References

1. ^ Handbuch der historischen Stätten: Ost und Westpreußen, Kröner, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-520-31701-X, p. 190.
2. ostpreussen.net
3. ^ Johann Friedrich Goldbeck: Vollständige Topographie des Königreichs Preußen. Teil II, Marienwerder 1789, p. 6, no 2.
4. ostpreussen.net Geschichte von Prabuty – Riesenburg
5. Allgemeine preussische Staats-geschichte, Karl Friedr. Pauli, 1762
6. "History of Prabuty".
7. August Eduard Preuß: Preußische Landes- und Volkskunde. Königsberg 1835, p. 441.
8. ^ Michael Rademacher: Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte Provinz Westpreußen, Kreis Rosenberg (2006).
9. Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon, 6th edition, Vol. 16, Leipzig 1909, pp. 925–926.
10. Der Große Brockhaus, 15th edition, Vol. 15, Leipzig 1933, p. 734.

External links

• Municipal website Template:Pl icon
• Independent Municipal Website Template:Pl icon
• History and Forum City Template:Pl icon
• Futbol Team Website Template:Pl icon

v t e Gmina Prabuty
Town and seat	Prabuty
Villages	Antonin Bronowo Małe Gdakowo Gilwa Gonty Górowychy Górowychy Małe Grazymowo Grodziec Halinowo Jakubowo Julianowo Kałdowo Kamienna Kleczewo Kołodzieje Kolonia Gąski Kowale Laskowice Laskowicki Tartak Młynisko Obrzynowo Orkusz Pachutki Pałatyki Pilichowo Pólko Raniewo Rodowo Rodowo Małe Rumunki Stańkowo Stary Kamień Stary Młyn Sypanica Szramowo Trumiejki Zagaje

• Cities and towns in Pomeranian Voivodeship
• Kwidzyn County
• 1330 establishments
• Populated places established in the 1330s
• Castles of the Teutonic Knights