The Castle of the Pomesanian Chapter, Kwidzyn, Poland (part 2 of 2)

What distinguishes the castle in Kwidzyn from other castles is its characteristic, largest latrine in the world! The dansker, because that is what we are talking about, is a sanitary and defensive tower at the same time, it dates back to 1384 and is 25 meters high. It is connected to the rest of the castle by a pointed arch bridge supported by five brick pillars, under which a stream flowed throughout the Middle Ages, carrying everything that was needed.

The covered bridge leading from the dansker to the castle at the height of the first floor is 54 m long and houses an interesting ethnographic exhibition with material treasures of the Lower Powiśle. It tells about the Mennonites - the Dutch people who settled in Żuławy in the 16th century and were co-owners of this land until the end of World War II. Very hard-working, they contributed to the creation of a specific landscape here - architectural and cultural.

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The Castle of the Pomesanian Chapter, Kwidzyn, Poland (part 1 of 2)

Construction began at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Most of the construction work on the castle was completed in the years 1340–1350, and in the 1380s, dansker was completed.

Initially, the castle was an independent structure, and only later was it connected to the cathedral, and its south-eastern corner tower was transformed into a bell tower. The completion of the new cathedral church is dated to the period of Bishop Jan Mönch’s rule (1377–1409). At that time, a unique architectural complex was created in Kwidzyn, which included two castles (bishops’ and chapters’), the cathedral and the town. The individual sections had their own fortifications, and connected by walls, they created a defensive system perfectly integrated into the natural conditions of the area. The castle became the seat of the Pomesanian chapter, as well as a religious and political-administrative center.

Under the provisions of the Second Peace of Toruń, Kwidzyn, together with the bishop’s dominion, was granted to the Teutonic Order. In 1478, Polish troops captured Kwidzyn. The townspeople took refuge in the chapter’s castle and set fire to the town. During the war, the castle was seriously damaged – during renovation works carried out in 1487, the damaged corner towers were demolished.

In 1520, as a result of further military operations, Polish troops completely destroyed the bishop’s castle and most likely damaged the chapter castle.

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#kwidzyn #zamek #castle #gdanisko #dansker #kapitula #chapter #biskupstwo #bishopric #polska #poland #historia #history #architecture #architektura #gothicarchitecture #gothic #widok #landscape #krajobraz #krzyzacy #zakon #teutonicorder #teutonicknights #knights #rycerze #walls #wall #mury #mur