The Knights Who Say...
Usually when we visit Poland, we travel straight to Iza's parents' house. The journey from our place to Luton or Stansted, the flight to Gdańsk and the hours-long drive to their house outside Olsztyn are all rather tiring and rather boring. You end up eight or so hours later, feeling you've expended a lot of effort to get from sitting at home to... sitting at a slightly different home.
So this time, Iza's sister Agata picked us up from the airport and we drove down via Malbork, where we explored the castle. I'd had no idea what an important site it was. I was told there was some castle there which had probably been held by the Templars at some point. But no. This was Ordensburg Marienburg, built by the Teutonic Knights in the late 13th century, shortly afterwards occupied as the capital of their Prussian state. At the time it was possibly the largest castle anywhere - certainly the largest Gothic castle in Europe - and it would have been one of the centres of the late mediaeval world.
It must have been quite a rush being a Teutonic Knight. They were a monastic order; they were knights; they were the wealthy rulers of an independent state. They were the warriors of God, at the pinnacle of pretty much everything that officially mattered in their world. It made me think of the phrase "masters of the universe" as applied to modern investment bankers. Perhaps if you were a member of an elite unit of Special Forces Goldman Sachs partners you would feel similar.
The Teutonic Knights were utter bastards, of course, especially if you were a pagan in Prussia when they were crusading there. The same, adjusted for history, might be said of a Goldman Sachs SAS unit.
We found this odd set of enormous, dangling metal balls, employed here in a futile attempt to crush some sense into me. I leave it as a test of the filthiness of your imagination as to what they might be:
A clue as to their likely real purpose: they are hanging on the inside wall of the main gate into the central keep (or "High Castle" as my guidebook calls it).
A view of the Outer Bailey and Middle Castle from the west, across the Nogat River. The elaborate building behind the two towers is the Palace of the Grand Masters:
Yes, that is my tongue. Lunacy aside, I rather like the shadows and grey light on me:
Iza and Agata - a much prettier photo in the same window overlooking the central courtyard of the High Castle:
It was an overcast day and I worried about the light being poor for photography. But I got some great shots of looming castle + tree silhouettes + interesting light and clouds. (To be published later, time permitting.) I swear they planted the trees for that very purpose.
I was also reminded of how much I love my little Canon Ixus 860 IS. Bought in 2008 iirc; fits into the palm of my hand; operates acceptably in a fairly wide range of conditions; and when the light is good, the colours are fantastic (yay Canon). Still the ideal travelling camera.
So this time, Iza's sister Agata picked us up from the airport and we drove down via Malbork, where we explored the castle. I'd had no idea what an important site it was. I was told there was some castle there which had probably been held by the Templars at some point. But no. This was Ordensburg Marienburg, built by the Teutonic Knights in the late 13th century, shortly afterwards occupied as the capital of their Prussian state. At the time it was possibly the largest castle anywhere - certainly the largest Gothic castle in Europe - and it would have been one of the centres of the late mediaeval world.
It must have been quite a rush being a Teutonic Knight. They were a monastic order; they were knights; they were the wealthy rulers of an independent state. They were the warriors of God, at the pinnacle of pretty much everything that officially mattered in their world. It made me think of the phrase "masters of the universe" as applied to modern investment bankers. Perhaps if you were a member of an elite unit of Special Forces Goldman Sachs partners you would feel similar.
The Teutonic Knights were utter bastards, of course, especially if you were a pagan in Prussia when they were crusading there. The same, adjusted for history, might be said of a Goldman Sachs SAS unit.
We found this odd set of enormous, dangling metal balls, employed here in a futile attempt to crush some sense into me. I leave it as a test of the filthiness of your imagination as to what they might be:
A clue as to their likely real purpose: they are hanging on the inside wall of the main gate into the central keep (or "High Castle" as my guidebook calls it).
A view of the Outer Bailey and Middle Castle from the west, across the Nogat River. The elaborate building behind the two towers is the Palace of the Grand Masters:
Yes, that is my tongue. Lunacy aside, I rather like the shadows and grey light on me:
Iza and Agata - a much prettier photo in the same window overlooking the central courtyard of the High Castle:
It was an overcast day and I worried about the light being poor for photography. But I got some great shots of looming castle + tree silhouettes + interesting light and clouds. (To be published later, time permitting.) I swear they planted the trees for that very purpose.
I was also reminded of how much I love my little Canon Ixus 860 IS. Bought in 2008 iirc; fits into the palm of my hand; operates acceptably in a fairly wide range of conditions; and when the light is good, the colours are fantastic (yay Canon). Still the ideal travelling camera.