Chancellery of great masters

On the ground floor of the west wing, to which a separate entrance led from the courtyard, there was the archive and the chancellery of the Order – one of the most important Teutonic offices. The chancellor of the great masters was at the head of the office. Perhaps there was also a so-called small office, i.e. the personal office of the grand master, which began operating in the second quarter of the 14th century at the time when the corporation was headed by Werner von Orseln. At the beginning of the 14th century, Malbork became the capital of the state of the Teutonic Order in Prussia. The Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, who was the head of that state, settled here, and officials were needed to manage it. And such a central administrative apparatus was created in the Malbork castle, and its most important element was the office – the place where the Teutonic documents were prepared. The exhibition “The Chancellery of the Great Masters and the Religious State in Prussia” shows how such a chancellery operated.

Here we will find out how a medieval writer (scribe) worked, how documents and letters were prepared, how the seal was created and what tools were used. We will learn not only how the Teutonic post office operated, and on a pan-European scale, but also about – it is a treat for lovers of medieval secrets – that the Teutonic Knights encrypted some of their writings. The showcases of the exhibition also include contemporary copies of the most important documents from the territory of the Teutonic Order, such as: a copy of the document of the renewed location act for Malbork (1304), the privilege for the Old Town of Toruń (1393), or finally making a great impression due to the attached dozens of seals , a copy of the founding act of the Prussian Union (1440).

Here we will find out how a medieval writer (scribe) worked, how documents and letters were prepared, how the seal was created and what tools were used. We will learn not only how the Teutonic post office operated, and on a pan-European scale, but also about – it is a treat for lovers of medieval secrets – that the Teutonic Knights encrypted some of their writings. The showcases of the exhibition also include contemporary copies of the most important documents from the territory of the Teutonic Order, such as: a copy of the document of the renewed location act for Malbork (1304), the privilege for the Old Town of Toruń ( 1393), or finally making a great impression due to the attached dozens of seals, a copy of the founding act of the Prussian Union (1440).

The exhibition presents the workshop of a medieval scribe, the materials and tools he used. You can see the methods of document authentication and stamp making. Against this general background, the organization of the chancellery of the great masters, its staff and the organization of work of one of the most important links in the Teutonic administration were presented. A separate, although related to this issue, is the functioning of the Teutonic post office, which distributed letters of great masters all over Europe. Of course, the most important letters were encrypted, and the key to the ciphers can also be found on the display. The monastic mail is a good introduction to the second part of the exhibition, which will present the functioning of the monastic state in Prussia and the Teutonic Knights themselves, not as monks (this should be done in the High Castle), but as territorial rulers. The Grand Master’s Council Hall, a place where the most important state decisions were made in a small group of Teutonic dignitaries, is an ideal place for this. There you will find the most common propaganda material of the Middle Ages – coins minted by the Teutonic Knights from the collection of the Castle Museum in Malbork. The history of the Cross worn by great masters will be presented, as well as reconstructions of costumes worn by the most important monastic dignitaries and their court. This part of the exhibition will be modified and enriched with new elements, and we will see its final version next year.