# Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk (1308)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1308-teutonic-takeover-of-gdansk
Location: Gdańsk
Categories: battle

The Teutonic Knights seized Gdańsk and killed many of its inhabitants, then took all of Pomerelia, cutting Poland off from the sea. Within the broader Fragmentation period: After 1138 Poland split into duchies ruled by rival Piast princes. Mongol invasions, German settlement, the growth of towns and the arrival of the Teutonic Knights reshaped the land before it was reunited. At this point in the timeline (14 November 1308), the governing authority was Władysław I the Elbow-high (King of Poland). Reunited the core Polish lands and was crowned King of Poland in Kraków in 1320, restoring the kingdom. Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk mattered because it changed the military or territorial balance and influenced the political choices that followed.

Ruler at the time: [Władysław I the Elbow-high](https://poland-history.com/rulers/wladyslaw-i-the-elbow-high)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Teutonic takeover of Danzig (Gdańsk)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teutonic_takeover_of_Danzig_(Gda%C5%84sk))
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Teutonic takeover of Gdańsk](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Teutonic+takeover+of+Gda%C5%84sk)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland during the Piast dynasty (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_during_the_Piast_dynasty#Fragmentation_of_the_realm_(1138%E2%80%931320))