Interpretatio Polonica of the Teutonic Order. Remarks on the Teutonic Knights Theme of Gerard Labuda’s Research

This paper describes the approach of one of the greatest Polish medievalists, Gerard Labuda, to the question of the Teutonic Order and its role in the history of Poland and the whole Baltic region.

The possibilities of archaeology and its input in research on the history of the Teutonic Order. The latest research achievements

The article presents the latest archaeological research related to the Teutonic Order. The main objects of the studies are castles and the obtained materials are the basis for cultural studies. An interest has been developed in everyday life, including the funeral rite. Within the last several years, there has been a significant increase of e interest on the part of Polish archaeologists in the Teutonic Knights. This has involved frequent examination of castles both well preserved and in poor condition, or virtually invisible. The researches have studied buildings of different ranks; the range of the performed works varied. The resource materials from the field works have often served as the starting point for studies of the material culture of the Teutonic Order. The scholars focused on various every-day-life issues like the use of ceramic dishes and the preferred diet. The continuation of the research on the field where the Battle of Grunwald took place provides new materials for further studies, and the discovery of burial sites of the alleged Grand Masters in Kwidzyn gave an impulse for investigation on the funeral rite in the Order.