Today, July 15, 2014, marks 604 years since the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. It was at this battle that the combined forces of the Kingdom Poland and the Duchy of Lithuania once and for all decisively defeated the German Teutonic Knights. Their crushing defeat resulting in the Peace of Toruń (1411) and finally the Peace of Melno (1422), but this battle effectively “broke the backs” of these unwelcome “visitors” and it marked the rise of the Polish–Lithuanian union as the dominant political and military force in central and Eastern Europe.
Though long gone from Poland, the Teutonic Knights left behind a “wonder” of Poland that is not to be missed, Malbork Castle, the largest brick castle in Europe. I was fortunate to visit Malbork on my first tour of Poland, and I posted some of my photos from that tour. It is a fascinating place.
But never forget the events of 604 years ago when Poland emerged as a dominant power in Central/Eastern Europe.
