Royal Prussia
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Royal Prussia (also Polish Prussia[1]) (Polish: Prusy Królewskie; Prusy Polskie;[2] Latin: Prussia Regalis) was a region of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1772). Polish Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land (Kulmerland), Malbork Voivodeship (Marienburg), Gdańsk (Danzig), Toruń (Thorn), and Elbląg (Elbing). It is distinguished from Ducal Prussia. Ducal Prussia was under Polish suzerainty as a Polish fief, (until 1657, when it passed outright to the Electors of Brandenburg, having been in personal union with Brandenburg since 1618).
In old texts (until the 16th/17th c.) and in Latin the term Prut(h)enia refers to Royal Prussia, its eastern neighbour Ducal Prussia and their common predecessor Teutonic Prussia alike. The pertaining contemporary adjective is Prut(h)enic. Administratively Royal Prussia was part of the Greater Poland Province together with Greater Poland proper, Masovia, and Łęczyca and Sieradz Voivodeships, with the Province capital being Poznań.
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[edit] History
Prior to the Teutonic Knights' invasion in the early 14th century, the region included Pomerelia and southwestern portions of Prussia.
[edit] Thirteen Years' War
During the Thirteen Years' War ("War of the Cities"), in February 1454, the Prussian Confederation, led by the cities of Gdańsk (Danzig), Elbląg (Elbing), and Toruń (Thorn), as well as gentry from Chełmno Land (Kulmerland) sent a delegation with Johannes von Baysen to ask the Polish king for support against the Teutonic Order's rule and for incorporation of Prussia into the Polish kingdom. King Sigismund II Augustus appointed Baysen as the first war-time governor of Royal Prussia.
The rebellion also included major cities from the eastern part of the Order's lands, such as Kneiphof, later a part of Königsberg. The war ended in October 1466 with the Second Peace of Thorn, which provided for the Order's cession to the Polish Crown of its rights over the western half of Prussia, including Pomerelia and the districts of Elbing, Malbork (Marienburg), and Chełmno (Culm).
[edit] Kingdom of Poland
Royal Prussia enjoyed substantial autonomy as part of the Crown of Poland, it had its own treasury and monetary unit and armies.[citation needed] It was governed by a council, subordinate to the Polish king, whose members were chosen from local lords and wealthy citizens. Prussians had also seats provided for them in Polish Diet, but they chose not to use this right until the Union of Lublin.
The Bishopric of Warmia had claimed the title of imperial Prince-Bishopric status, supposedly given by Emperor Charles IV. Although this claim seems unsupported by any document, it was in wide use in the 17th century. The bishopric continued defending this status until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
The eastern part of Prussia remained under the rule of the Teutonic Knights and its successors, becoming the Ducal Prussia in 1525 when the Order's last Grand Master Albert von Hohenzollern adopted Lutheranism and secularized the land as its hereditary ruler. In 1618 the duchy was inherited by John Sigismund von Hohenzollern. It remained under Polish (and briefly Swedish) suzerainty and the rulers of Brandenburg had to swear - in the role as Prussian duke - formal allegiance to the Polish Crown. The dukes, in personal union electors of Brandenburg (vassals to the Holy Roman Emperor), achieved sovereignty for the duchy in the Treaty of Wehlau (1657).
[edit] The Commonwealth
  History of Brandenburg and Prussia |
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| Northern March pre-12th century |
Old Prussians pre-13th century |
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| Margraviate of Brandenburg 1157–1618 (1806) |
Ordensstaat 1224–1525 |
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| Duchy of Prussia 1525–1618 |
Royal (Polish) Prussia 1466–1772 |
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| Brandenburg-Prussia 1618–1701 |
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| Kingdom in Prussia 1701–1772 |
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| Kingdom of Prussia 1772–1918 |
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| Free State of Prussia 1918–1947 |
Klaipėda Region (Lithuania) 1920-39 / 1945-present |
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| Brandenburg (Germany) 1947–1952 / 1990–present |
Recovered Territories (Poland) 1918/45-present |
Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia) 1945-present |
As a result of the Union of Lublin in 1569, Royal Prussia's autonomy was abolished and the region was united with the Polish Crown. Prussian electors became senators and representatives to the Polish parliament, the Sejm.[1]
After the incorporation to the Crown of the Polish Kingdom, local diets (Sejmik) were organised for:
- Chełmno Voivodeship with seat in Radzyń,
- Malbork Voivodeship with seat in Sztum and
- for following powiats of Pomeranian Voivodship:
- Powiat Człuchów with seat in Człuchów or Chojnice,
- Powiat Mirachowo with seat in Mirachowo,
- Powiat Puck with seat in Puck,
- Powiat Świecie with seat in Świecie,
- Powiat Tczew and Powiat Gdańsk with seat in Starogard Gdański,
- Powiat Tuchola with seat in Tuchola.
The main task of the Sejmiks was the election of MPs for the Sejm of Poland. Royal Prussia was allocated 10 MPs (167 total).
[edit] The Partitions
During the First (1772) and Second (1793) Partitions of Poland, Royal Prussia was gradually annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia. Its territory largely made up the Province of West Prussia created in 1773.
[edit] Governors
- 1454–1459: Johannes von Baysen, war-time governor
- 1459–1480: Stibor (Tiburcius) von Baysen/Ścibor Bażyński[3]
- 1480: Mikołaj Bażyński/Niklas von Baysen, only elected, he refused to swear allegiance to the king, also voivode of Malbork Voivodeship
- …
In 1510, after several attempts to install another governor, the office was abolished.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Polnisch-Preußen - State Constitution of Polish-Prussia (see: Excerpt in the publication of 1764, p. 581)
- ^ (Polish) Zygmunt Gloger (1900). "Volume 325". In Harvard Slavic humanities preservation microfilm project. Geografia historyczna ziem dawnej polski (Historical Geography of the former Polish lands). Wydawnictwo Polska. pp. 82, 144. http://books.google.pl/books?id=4PIKAAAAIAAJ&q=Prusy+polskie&dq=Prusy+polskie&hl=en&ei=vgBiTZzYNMX3sgawk5i2CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA.
- ^ Acten der Ständetage Preussens unter der Herrschaft des Deutschen Ordens: 5 vols., Max Toeppen (ed.), Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, 1874–1886; reprint Aalen: Scientia, 1968–1974, vol. 5: 'Die Jahre 1458–1525', (1974) p. 90. ISBN 3-511-02940-6.
[edit] Further reading
- Karin Friedrich, The Other Prussia: Royal Prussia, Poland and Liberty, 1569-1772, Cambridge University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-521-58335-7 on Google Books
- Gerard Labuda (ed.), Historia Pomorza, vol. I–IV, Poznań 1969–2003 (also covers East Prussia) (Polish)
- W. Odyniec, Dzieje Prus Królewskich (1454–1772). Zarys monograficzny, Warszawa 1972 (Polish)
- Dzieje Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego od VII wieku do 1945 roku, Gdańsk 1978 (Polish)
[edit] External links
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