Royal Prussia
Royal Prussia (Polish: Prusy Królewskie, German: Königliches Preussen) was a Polish province formed from the western part of the Teutonic Order state territory following the Thirteen Years War or "War of the Cities".During the War, the Prussian Confederation led by the cities of Gdansk, Elblag and Torun (then Danzig, Elbing and Thorn, respectively) rose successfully (February 1454) with Polish support against the Order's rule.
The resulting Second Treaty of Thorn (October 1466) provided for the Order's cession to the Polish crown of its rights over the western half of Prussia - Gdansk Pomerania, the Elblag, Malbork (Marienburg) and Chelmno (Culm or Kulm) districts and the bishopric of Warmia (Ermeland).
The eastern part of Prussia remained under the rule of the Order and its successors, until 1660 under Polish suzerainty as a Polish fief, becoming the Duchy of Prussia in 1525 when the Order's Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg adopted Lutheranism and secularised his land as hereditary ruler.
Until the 1569 Union of Lublin, Royal Prussia enjoyed substantial autonomy in the Kingdom of Poland - it had its own Diet, treasury and monetary unit. During the First (1772) and Second (1793) Partitions of Poland the area was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia.
See also:
- Brandenburg
- Brandenburg-Prussia
- List of Kings of Prussia
- Ducal Prussia
- Masuria
- Kaliningrad
- Hohenzollern
- History of Germany
- Franco-Prussian War
- West Prussia
- East Prussia
Further reading
- Gerard Labuda (ed.), Historia Pomorza, vol. I-IV, Poznań 1969-2003 (also covers East Prussia)
- W. Odyniec, Dzieje Prus Królewskich (1454-1772). Zarys monograficzny, Warszawa 1972
- Dzieje Pomorza Nadwiślańskiego od VII wieku do 1945 roku, Gdańsk 1978
