Malbork Castle, Poland

The Malbork Castle is a medieval castle located on the right bank of the river Noga in Malbork, Poland. The castle was built by the Teutonic Knights in 1274 and became the Seat of the Grand Master in 1309. The Teutonic Order several times rebuilt and enlarged the castle which they named St. Mary's Stronghold (German Marienburg).



After the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 the Teutonic Order began to decline and in 1475 was the Malbork Castle captured by the Polish army. Since then the castle served as one of the residences of the Polish Kings until 1772 when Poland was first partitioned between Austria, Russia and Prussia. The Malbork Castle passed to the Prussians and fell into decay. In the 19th and early 20th centuries was the castle restored but it was severely damaged during the World War II. After the end of World War II was the Malbork Castle once again restored and is today open to the public. In 1997 was the Malbork Castle also inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites for its historical significance and for its unique architecture of the Crusading Teutonic Order in eastern Europe.