The Prussian Confederation was an organization formed in 1440 by a group of 53 gentry and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia

Prussia (region)

Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe extending from the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the Masurian Lake District. It is now divided between Poland, Russia, and Lithuania...

 to oppose the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights

Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights

The State of the Teutonic Order, , also Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or Ordensstaat , was formed in 1224 during the Northern Crusades, the Teutonic Knights' conquest of the pagan West-Baltic Old Prussians in the 13th century....

. It was based on the basis of an earlier similar organization, the Lizard Union. In 1454, the leader of the Confederation, Johannes von Baysen

Johannes von Baysen

Hans von Baysen or Jan Bażyński was a Prussian knight and statesman, leader of the Prussian Confederation and the first Polish governor of Royal Prussia.- Biography :...

 (Jan Bażyński), formally asked the King of Poland, Casimir IV Jagiellon, to incorporate Prussia into the Kingdom of Poland. This marked the beginning of the Thirteen Years' War between the Teutonic Knights and Poland, with the Prussian cities financing the military costs of the latter.

Background

According to the 1411 First Peace of Thorn which followed the Teutonic Knights' defeat in the Battle of Grunwald

Battle of Grunwald

The Battle of Grunwald or 1st Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410, during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas , decisively defeated the Teutonic Knights, led...

, the Teutonic Order had to pay high reparations to the Kingdom of Poland. The monastic state imposed high taxes on the cities to raise the funds as well as to re-arm for another war against Poland. In the 1420s, Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf

Paul von Rusdorf

Paul von Rusdorf was the 29th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1422 to 1441.The Treaty of Melno was one of von Rusdorf's first acts; it brought stability to the Order and its relations, but fighting resumed in 1431 with the Polish-Teutonic War...

 brought stability to the military order and its relations, but fighting with Poland resumed in 1431 with another Polish-Teutonic war.

Establishment

After about three decades of growing discontent, the Prussian leaders (see Prussian estates

Prussian estates

The Prussian estates were representative bodies of Prussia, first created by the Monastic state of Teutonic Prussia in the 14th century but later becoming a devolved legislature for Royal Prussia within the Kingdom of Poland...

) organized themselves to oppose the rule of the order more effectively. On 14 March 1440, a group of 53 gentry and clergy and 19 Prussian cities, under the leadership of the Hanseatic

Hanseatic League

The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...

 cities of Danzig (Gdańsk), Elbing

Elbing

Elbing is the German name of Elbląg, a city in northern Poland which until 1945 was a German city in the province of East Prussia.Elbing may also refer to:- Ships :* SMS Elbing, light cruiser of the Imperial Germany Navy...

 (Elbląg), and Thorn (Toruń

Torun

Toruń is an ancient city in northern Poland, on the Vistula River. Its population is more than 205,934 as of June 2009. Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland. The medieval old town of Toruń is the birthplace of the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus....

), founded the Prussian Confederation in Marienwerder (Kwidzyn). Several more towns joined on 3 April, although Bütow

Bütow

Bütow is a municipality in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....

 (Bytów) did not. In Danzig, the new members signed a document which was kept in the archives of Thorn.

After Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf

Paul von Rusdorf

Paul von Rusdorf was the 29th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1422 to 1441.The Treaty of Melno was one of von Rusdorf's first acts; it brought stability to the Order and its relations, but fighting resumed in 1431 with the Polish-Teutonic War...

 died in 1441, his successor, Konrad von Erlichshausen

Konrad von Erlichshausen

Konrad von Erlichshausen was the 30th Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1441 to 1449.Konrad came from Ellrichshausen in Swabia, now part of Satteldorf in Baden-Württemberg...

, continued to negotiate a compromise until his own death in 1449. The confederation lobbied for support against the Teutonic Order within the Holy Roman Empire

Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...

. Ludwig von Erlichshausen

Ludwig von Erlichshausen

Ludwig von Erlichshausen was the 31st Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1449/1450 to 1467.As did his uncle and predecessor Konrad von Erlichshausen, Ludwig came from Ellrichshausen in Swabia, now part of Satteldorf in Baden-Württemberg.Ludwig was aide to Grand Master Paul von...

, Grand Master from 1450 to 1467, took a more aggressive stance towards the confederation. He filed a lawsuit at the court of Emperor Friedrich III (Frederick III)

Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick the Peaceful KG was Duke of Austria as Frederick V from 1424, the successor of Albert II as German King as Frederick IV from 1440, and Holy Roman Emperor as Frederick III from 1452...

, whose verdict of 1453 declared the confederation illegal.

Thirteen Years' War

In February 1454, the Prussian Confederation rose against the Teutonic Order's rule. Gabriel von Baysen and Johannes von Baysen

Johannes von Baysen

Hans von Baysen or Jan Bażyński was a Prussian knight and statesman, leader of the Prussian Confederation and the first Polish governor of Royal Prussia.- Biography :...

, now leading the confederation, requested the protection of King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland. They also asked for, and received, a guarantee of their continued city rights and privileges for the gentry.

The resulting Thirteen Years' War ended in the defeat of the Teutonic Order and the 1466 Second Peace of Thorn. The Order lost control of western Prussia. As Royal Prussia

Royal Prussia

Royal Prussia was a Region of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth . Polish Prussia included Pomerelia, Chełmno Land , Malbork Voivodeship , Gdańsk , Toruń , and Elbląg . It is distinguished from Ducal Prussia...

, it became a province of Poland, with some local rights of autonomy. The Teutonic Knights retained eastern Prussia

Ducal Prussia

The Duchy of Prussia or Ducal Prussia was a duchy in the eastern part of Prussia from 1525–1701. It was the first Protestant duchy with a dominant German-speaking population, as well as Polish and Lithuanian minorities...

, but only under the overlordship of the Polish king. The Prussian Confederation, with its members now practically divided, ceased to exist as such.

Aftermath

Both the Polish and Teutonic sides agreed to seek the confirmation of the Second Peace of Thorn from Emperor Frederick III and Pope Paul II

Pope Paul II

Pope Paul II , born Pietro Barbo, was pope from 1464 until his death in 1471.- Early life :He was born in Venice, and was a nephew of Pope Eugene IV , through his mother. His adoption of the spiritual career, after having been trained as a merchant, was prompted by his uncle's election as pope...

, but they also agreed that this confirmation would not be needed for validation of the treaty. Soon after, however, a dispute about the status of the Bishopric of Warmia

Archbishopric of Warmia

The Prince-Bishopric of Warmia was a semi independent ecclesiastical state, a Prussian bishopric under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Riga that was a protectorate of the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights and a protectorate of Kingdom of Poland, later part of the Polish-Lithuanian...

 started a smaller conflict called the War of the Priests

War of the Priests

The War of the Priests was a drawn-out dispute with Poland over the independence of the Royal Prussian Prince-Bishopric of Ermland . The Second Treaty of Thorn that had been sealed in 1466 at Toruń affected also the Bishopric of Warmia, which claimed to have received Prince-Bishopric status a...

.

Participating towns

Towns which founded the Prussian Confederation on 14 March 1440:

Name
Thorn (Toruń) including "New Town"
Culm (Chełmno)
Elbing (Elbląg) including "New Town"
Danzig (Gdańsk)
Braunsberg(Braniewo)
Königsberg (Królewiec), including Kneiphof Kneiphof Kneiphof was one of three towns in the Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights that became the city of Königsberg . Kneiphof was originally Knypabe , meaning 'area flushed by water' in Old Prussian.As other members of the Prussian Confederation, Kneiphof rebelled against the Teutonic Knights in...  (Knipawa) and "Old Town"
Graudenz (Grudziądz)
Strasburg
Neumark
Löbau
Rehden
Wehlau (Znamensk)
Allenburg (Druzhba)
Zinten (Kornevo)
Heiligenbeil (Mamonovo)
Landsberg (Górowo Iławeckie)

Towns which joined the Prussian Confederation on 3 April 1440:

Name
Mewe Gniew Gniew is a town situated on the left bank of the Vistula River, in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. It is located at around .-History:The first recorded mentions of Gniew appear in written documents from the first half of the 13th century, one of which refers to the region as Terra Gymeu...  (Gniew)
Altstadt of Danzig
Neuenburg
Lauenburg
Leba (Łeba)
Hela Hel Hel may refer to:* Hel , a location in Norse mythology* Hel , ruler of Hel, the location* Hel , a Swedish Viking rock band* Hel, Poland, a town on the Polish Baltic coast* Hel Peninsula, the peninsula on which the town is situated...  (Hel)
Putzig (Puck)