Facts About Malbork Castle
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Malbork Castle is also one of Poland’s official national Historic Monuments, as designated on 16 September 1994. Its listing is maintained by the National Heritage Board of Poland.
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UNESCO designated the “Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork” and the Malbork Castle Museum a World Heritage Site in December 1997.
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The castle is a classic example of a medieval fortress and, on its completion in 1406, was the world’s largest brick castle.
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Malbork Castle is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork is a 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortress located near the town of Malbork, Poland.
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The castle was built by the Teutonic Order after the conquest of Old Prussia. Its main purpose was to strengthen their own control of the area following the Order’s 1274 suppression of the Great Prussian Uprising of the Baltic tribes.
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In 1945 during World War II combat in the area, more than half the castle was destroyed.
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During the Thirty Years’ War, in 1626 and 1629 Swedish forces occupied the castle. They invaded and occupied it again from 1656 to 1660 during the Deluge. Then the castle was visited by Swedish kings Gustav Adolf and Charles X Gustav.
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The Teutonic Knights named the castle Marienburg in honour of Mary, mother of Jesus.
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In 1961 a castle museum was open.
