Development of medieval settlements in the area of Pasłęk

Medieval settlements in the area of Pasłęk should be considered in a wider perspective of the settlement policy of the Order of the Teutonic Knights.

Settlers began to populate territories lying east and west of the Lower Vistula River earlier than the Knights of the Order. Slavic peoples, e.g. Pomeranians – the forefathers of Kashubians - lived west of the Lower Vistula River. In the thirteenth century they had their own rulers and defended their independence from the powerful neighbours: Poland and Denmark.

Prussians settled east of the Lower Vistula River. They did not possess their own state structures and were linguistically related to the Baltic peoples. They did not accept Christianity and were frequently invaded by military and Christianising missions undertaken by their Christian neighbours.

Since 1230 the Order began systematic conquests of the land of Prussians, north of the Chełmno Land, further down the Vistula River and the Baltic Sea. In 1237 the Knights took hold of the territories lying east of the Lower Vistula River, establishing the castle and the town of Elbląg. This was of enormous significance, also for the settlements in the area of Pasłęk.

The backbone of the town of Elbląg, extending to the Chełmno Land in the south, was inhabited by Pomezanians, and in the east and south-east by Pogezans.

Prussians were the first settlers in the area. Their settlements around Pasłęk were organised into two districts. Burdajny was the northern district consisting of 20 villages and 55 farms of the free Prussians. The earliest sources confirming the existence of the district date back to 1267. The smaller district with around 14  villages and 50 farms of the free Prussians was located in the south of the Pasłęk area.

At the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the Order invited Dutch and northern German peoples to settle down around Pasłęk. New settlers were subject to the Chełmno Law. They would receive two Flemish virgates of land (one Flemish virgate was an equivalent of 16.8 hectares) while the chief settler and a later head of the village would be offered 6 Flemish hides of land. Heads of villages were exempted from tax on the land used but would have to provide military and judicial services. Newly located villages was relived from any obligations to their owner – the Order – for the period of 10 to 20 years.

The origins of Pasłęk date back to around 1288. The location privilege was granted in 1297. In the first half of 15th century the lease books indicate 28 villages existed in the area of Pasłęk.

Bernhart Jähnig