History
The castle in Pokrzywno (Engelsburg) was one of the oldest Teutonic Knights strongholds in the Chełmno Land, erected on the site of a settlement and a Slavic hillfort from the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries. The castle hill towered over the road leading from Radzyń to Grudziądz, so it was situated in a place of strategic importance. The construction of a temporary wooden watchtower was started by the Teutonic Knights in 1231. In 1279, information about the first commander, Henry Brabantius, was recorded, which was probably related to the commencement of the construction of a brick castle.
Pokrzywno served as the commandry until 1416, i.e. until the death of the last commander, Frederick von Zollern. After that date, the castle and the farm were incorporated into the vogt office in Rogóźno. A little earlier, in 1411, on the initiative of the Grand Master, Henry von Plauen, the Teutonic Knights began to modernize the castle’s defense system. It was renovated, and the walls were raised and equipped with more arrowslits. Henry von Plauen himself was degraded after the coup and transferred to the commandry in Pokrzywno, where he stayed in the years 1413-1414.
The castle remained the property of the Order until the outbreak of the Thirteen Years War in 1454, when it was captured by the rebellious forces of the Prussian Union. Under the agreements of the Second Peace of Toruń, in 1466, Pokrzywno along with the entire Chełmno land was incorporated into Poland and until the first partition in 1772 it was the seat of Polish starosts. The castle burnt down in 1611, and in 1657 it was destroyed by the Swedes. Despite partial reconstruction, it has not regained its original value. At the end of the 18th century the buildings were sold to a private person and disassembled.
Architecture
The castle was built on a promontory of a hill in the forks of two streams. In the late Middle Ages, the fully formed complex consisted of the oldest upper ward on the edge of the headland, the first bailey (middle ward) on the north-eastern side, and separated by a ditch, the youngest, second bailey (lower ward), occupying the area even further in the north – east.
Built in several phases until the end of the thirteenth century, the upper ward consisted of two wings on the plan of the letter L. As the oldest northern building was extended after some time to the southwest, and a new wing was added from the east, in the older part some windows had to be bricked up and transform the basement’s entrance by adding a neck with stairs. The basements had vaults, but the above-ground rooms were initially covered only with flat, wooden ceilings supported by granite corbels. In the first half of the fourteenth century, the flat ceilings located in the chambers on the first floor were replaced by a rib vault. The northern part of the upper ward probably housed the castle church, and the other rooms of the first floor representative chambers, e.g. a refectory. At the ground floor, like in other Teutonic castles, you can find the kitchen and bakery. Communication between rooms was probably provided by a cloister, but it is not known whether it was brick or timber.
From the south-east, a gatehouse with a foregate adjoined the building, which size and thin walls indicate a slight height. On its floor there was a 5.4×2.6 meter room, without a fireplace, and thus not having residential functions. A castle chapel could be located there, as evidenced by the preserved decorative elements, e.g. chalice capitals or a trefoil crowned window. The remaining buildings of the courtyard are unknown, it is not known whether the castle had a tower, and the hypotheses about the existence of the southwestern wing of the dormitory are not confirmed. The upper part of the castle from the outer bailey (middle ward) was not separated by a ditch, and the road leading to the gate was paved.
The middle ward consisted of buildings adjacent to the bent perimeter walls, reinforced with only one corner turret on the west side. In the northern part there was the so-called a granary, which was actually rather a brewery or malt house. Its decorative elements indicate that after the transfer of economic buildings in the fourteenth century to the lower ward, it also served as residential functions. In addition, other economic buildings stood at the inner faces of the perimeter walls. Probably stables were located in the eastern part. The entrance to the middle ward was located near the northern corner and was located in the gatehouse. A ditch was dug in front of the gate between two outer wards. On its other side, when building the entrance gate to the bridge, a decoration made of zendrówka bricks was used and gate was crowned with decorative triangular gables.
The lower ward had economic buildings, including a barn decorated with rhombic patterns made of zendrówka bricks. Traces of buildings added to the walls can also be seen in the south-eastern part. An unusual feature of the lower ward was its through nature, because throughout its length from east to west led the road.
Current state
Currently, the gate of the upper ward, the granary on the middle ward and the gate and barn of the outer bailey are the best preserved. In addition, fragments of the walls of the main building and defensive walls have survived. Neglected and falling apart ruin is in private hands.
bibliography:
Die Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Westpreußen, der Kreis Graudenz, red. J.Heise, Danzig 1894.
Leksykon zamków w Polsce, red. L.Kajzer, Warszawa 2003.
Sypek A., Sypek R., Zamki i obiekty warowne od Malborka do Torunia, Warszawa 2004.
Torbus T., Zamki konwentualne państwa krzyżackiego w Prusach, Gdańsk 2014.
Wasik B., Budownictwo zamkowe na ziemi chełmińskiej od XIII do XV wieku, Toruń 2016.