Second Peace of Thorn
Artus Court, Toruń, Poland
What happened
King Casimir IV of Poland made peace with the Teutonic Knights, a crusading order that ruled Prussia. Poland and the Teutonic Knights had fought the Thirteen Years' War since 1454, until both sides ran out of money. Talks began near Nieszawa and finished in the Artus Court in the city of Toruń. The Knights gave Gdańsk, Chełmno Land, Malbork and other lands to Poland and kept eastern Prussia as a fief of the Polish king.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It ended the longest of the wars between Poland and the Teutonic Knights. The western lands became Royal Prussia, a Polish province with its own diet and coins.
What came next
Each Grand Master had to swear loyalty to the Polish king. In 1525 the last Grand Master turned the Knights' land into the Duchy of Prussia under Polish overlordship.
Did you know?
Toruń's Old Town, where the treaty was signed, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Copernicus was reputedly born there.
Timeline
- 1454The Thirteen Years' War begins.
- 23 September 1466Peace talks begin near Nieszawa.
- 19 October 1466The Second Peace of Thorn is signed in Toruń.
- 1525The Duchy of Prussia is created.