This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 156.17.122.152 (talk) at 16:06, 24 January 2009 (More recognisable name (Battle of Tannenberg (1410) is a redirect page).). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 16:06, 24 January 2009 by 156.17.122.152 (talk) (More recognisable name (Battle of Tannenberg (1410) is a redirect page).)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) See also: Prabuty, Masovian Voivodeship Place in Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland| Prabuty | |
|---|---|
 Cathedral in Prabuty | |
 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 - 1998 Prabuty were part of the Elbląg Voivodeship.
Prabuty is an important rail junction on the Warszawa - Gdynia railway.
History
Early history
In 1236, the Teutonic Knights under Markgraf Heinrich III. von 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. The village growing around the castle received Culm law (Template:Lang-pl) city rights on 30th October 1330 from bishop Rudolf von Pomesanien (1322 - 1332). Even though the name Riesenburg derives from the area having being 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. Following the Battle of Grunwald the town was burnt down by the army of King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland.
In the Kingdom of Poland
In 1451 the town council joined the Prussian Confederation that was fighting against 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. After the Thirteen Years' War, according to the Second Peace of Thorn (1466), the town became part of Poland's province of Royal Prussia, it became the capital of Pomesania during the 16th century. In 1509 Eobanus Helius Hessus became secretary to Bishop Hiob von Dobeneck. A synod was held there in 1556. The town suffered during the 17th century Polish-Swedish wars
Annexion by 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. It then became part of the German Empire in 1871 during the Prussian-led unification of Germany.
Transfer to Poland after World War II
Riesenburg was captured by the Soviet Red Army in 1945 during World War II. As a result of the European war catastrophy caused by Hitler's Germany, according to the post-war Potsdam Conference, the town was transferred from Germany to Poland and renamed to the Polish Prabuty. For the same reasons most of the former East-Prussian inhabitants were expelled, as in the whole former German territories, and replaced by Poles expelled from the former Polish Kresy Wschodnie and by settlers from the central Poland.
References
- ostpreussen.net Geschichte von Prabuty - Riesenburg
- Allgemeine preussische Staats-geschichte, Karl Friedr. Pauli, 1762
- History of Prabuty
- ostpreussen.net