# Teutonic capital moves to Malbork (1309)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1309-teutonic-capital-moves-to-malbork
Location: Malbork

The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order moved his seat to Marienburg (Malbork), which became the largest brick castle in the world. 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 (1309), 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 capital moves to Malbork mattered because it left a lasting monument of Poland's cultural and political history. 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 capital moves to Malbork mattered because it left a lasting monument of Poland's cultural and political history.

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

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Malbork Castle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malbork_Castle)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Teutonic capital moves to Malbork](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Teutonic+capital+moves+to+Malbork)
- [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))