Instytut Sztuki (Warschau) [Editor]; Państwowy Instytut Sztuki (bis 1959) [Editor]; Stowarzyszenie Historyków Sztuki [Editor]: Biuletyn Historii Sztuki (78.2016)

Z DZIEJÓW PEWNEGO ZASTAWU, CZYLI „ZAMEK" DeUTSCH-EyLAU ALIAS „DWÓr" GrOSS-WeRDER 457

From the History of a Certain Pledge, or the Deutsch-
Eylau "Castle" alias Gross-Werder "Manor"

For years numerous debates were conducted with
relation to the existence of a castle or a monastic
manor in Iława. The very location ofthe facility was
not as controversial an issue as were the building's
shape and form: whether it was merely a manor
related to an office (bailiff or prosecutor) or a castle.
To date the close vicinity of the parish church has
been suggested as the only potentially appropriate
location for the building. The relics ofthe described
manor were most likely uncovered in 1907. The
structure should be analyzed in the context ofthe e.g.
Dąbrówno, Miłaków or Nowe layouts. Mediaeval
source information on a manor operating in Iława
points to its role as an important administrative and
economic centre ofthe Order's estate. Furthermore,
the Iława manor satisfied the residential and stately
needs of a Teutonic official; it provided appropriate
premises for homages and receiving envoys, such as,
for example, the visit of the Chełmno Bishop in
1421. Undoubtedly, however, such a building had a
major military significance.
Meanwhile, in the light of narrative and document
sources, as well as two maps of the southern part of
Jeziorak Lake (Geserich-See) in the collection of the
Institute of Art of the Polish Academy of Sciences, it
has become fact that close to the location town there
used to exist yet another building, this one of a
defensive and residential character. It was raised on
the Isle of Wielkie Żuławie (Grofi Werder), while the
effigies in the collection of the Polish Academy of
Sciences allow to reconstruct its form and observe

transformations of its architecture. In 1620, the brick
structure was made up of two parallel houses of an
elongated rectangular shape, at least two-storeyed.
The final answer to the question related to its
original shape will be provided with an on-site
investigation. It seems that originally the building was
raised as a defensive structure, most likely following
the Second Peace of Thorn of 1466. Its character
might have resulted from the war experience, when
the residents of Iława had risen against the Teutonic
Order, in response to which the latter decided to
consolidate its domination over the town by raising
a fortified residence for its representative. On the
other hand, however, it cannot be excluded that the
structure was built only in the 16th century. The
building which no longer served either its military or
residential and stately purposes may have been
definitely pulled down after 1706. At that point,
following a great fire of Iława which had almost
entirely consumed the town, a special order was
issued to raise only brick buildings within the city
walls.
The above remarks clearly show that in the case
of late-mediaeval and early-modern Iława, one is to
speak not of a single, but two buildings called a
„manor" or even a „castle". Additionally, they
confirm that scholars should not only investigate the
existence of large Teutonic or bishop's castles, but
also smaller facilities, castles and manors that
mainly served administrative and residential
purposes.
Translated by Magdalena Iwińska