Castels od the chelmian region –A tour guide

CASTLES OF THE CHELMIAN REGION – A TOUR GUIDE

All the information in this guide has been gathered and edited by 1st grade students of the lower-secondary school in Grębocin and 1st grade students of Tadeusz Kościuszko 4th Secondary School in Toruń. The project was made under the auspices of Polish / American Freedom Foundation and aimed at integration of different social communities, especially children from rural areas and their peers from the city. The young were assigned the task of editing a professional tour guide, making an educational film and creating a website about the castles of the region they live in. The execution of the far-reaching plan was thoroughly scheduled and organized by teachers from both participant schools, including history, geography and foreign language teachers. The project involved numerous visits in Grębocin and Toruń as well as plentiful tours to all the featured castles.
The Chelmian region is very rich in castles. Some of them royal, others built by the Teutons, they all date back into the13th and 14th century and are currently in a state of disrepair. It is to be hoped that many of these historical buildings, most of which are presented below, will be reconstructed in future and will regain their former splendour.
One of the last castles to have been built is the castle of Dybów, erected by King Władysław Jagiełło in 1422-1425 as a threat to the Teutons. Located on the left bank of the Vistula river, it is now considered one of Toruń’s tourist attractions and has been at the core of archeologists’ interests ever since. Its former rival, the 13th century Teutonic castle in Toruń, has been included in the list of cultural inheritance of UNESCO. However, not much of the castle has been preserved.
Another historical building worth mentioning is breathtaking and very well maintained Golub-Dobrzyń castle, widely considered pride of the region. The castle, situated on the right bank of the Vistula, was designed on a square-plan with a bailey, and included such places as a larder, cellars with dungeon, a chapel, a hospital, housing for the friars, and a warehouse. Rebuilt several times, the edifice has considerably changed its original shape. In the 14th century, the castle was in its prime. Princess Anna Wazówna, whose ghost is said to have been haunting the castle, gave it its present impressive shape. She also founded Italian gardens. Today the place is often used as a picturesque background for shooting historical movies or holding other outdoor events.
Impressive as the castles were in the past, many of them have not managed to retain their former splendour. These include: the castle in Kowalewo Pomorskie, first the property of the Teutonic Order and then of Władysław Jagiełło, which was demolished in the 18th century; the castle in Pokrzywno, completely demolished by the Prussians; 12th - century Starogród castle, doomed for demolition in 1777 by German governors; the 14th – century gothic castle in Wąbrzeźno, erected by Herman von Prinz and later demolished by the Prussians; and Unisław castle, built in 1260-1270, of which only a ruined courtyard has been left. As regards the latest, there is an old legend associated with it, according to which a maid under a mysterious magical spell goes out from the castle with a bucket in her hand and heads towards the well, totally indifferent to people gazing at her.
Unisław castle is not the only castle with a legend attached to it. There is an anecdote associated also with a Teutonic monastery in Papowo Biskupie, erected between 1280 and 1300: the leaders of villages Papowo and Lipienko, after a fierce argument made a vow not to speak to each other until the end of their life. When the anger was gone, they dug an underground tunnel where they could meet secretly, without a blot on their reputation.
In Złotoria one can find a real gem - a royal castle. Situated on the Drwęca River, the castle was built as a fortified city in 1228 by Dobrzyń Friars. According to the chronicle by Jan of Czarnków, in 1375 Polish King Władysław Biały assumed the possession of the castle by means of a cunning trick: he sent his spies to the castle and made the enemy drunk, thus taking control of the castle. Later, the brick from the castle was used to build the Church of St John in Toruń.
In Brodnica the stronghold of the Mazovians was built. Later, in this castle, the sister of Polish King Zymund III Waza, Princess Anna Wazówna lived. In the 18th century the castle was demolished by the Prussians, who left an octagonal tower exclusively. Also to be mentioned is the well-preserved castle in Bierzgłowo, built around 1232. Destroyed by Lithuanians on numerous occasions, and later by King Kazimierz Jagiellończyk, it regained its former shape in 1933. Now the castle belongs to the Church and features a hotel and a restaurant.
One should not forget also the ruins of an old Teutonic garrison in Grudziądz, which was once frequently visited by such kings as Sigmund August, Władysław IV, Carl Gustav and Jan III Sobieski, and which collapsed as a result of frequent flooding. Another castle, a stronghold in Radzyń Chełmiński, built in place of a wooden city, seemed to play a key role in the Teutonic country as it included bakeries, breweries and granaries.
The project “History Chiseled in Brick Walls – Castles of Our Region” has been successfully completed. The project involving thorough research on historical buildings, apart from the joy it created, had a significant impact on increasing students’ historical and cultural awareness. It has revealed the wealth of our cultural heritage and demonstrated how much is yet to be done to preserve it. For this reason, we recommend reading the guide first, and then visiting each of the aforementioned castles, which, we hope, you will enjoy.