‘THE VASAS IN MALBORK’ – Temporary Exhibition

‘THE VASAS IN MALBORK’

Historical Exhibition in the Plaza of the 60th Anniversary of the Castle Museum
6 November – 31 December 2023

NEW HISTORICAL EXHIBITION – opens November in Malbork Castle

On 6 November, a new historical board exhibition becomes available in the Plaza of the 60th Anniversary of the Malbork Castle Museum, documenting the visit of King Sigismund III and his family to Royal Prussia and Malbork. The exhibition was crafted by Dr Rafał Panfil, a curator at the Malbork Castle Museum, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the king’s visit.

Malbork Castle was used by Polish monarchs for more than 300 years, and played host to various other rulers, hundreds of courtiers, officials and guests from nearly all parts of Early Modern Europe. The idea behind the exhibition is to present the little-known story of the Vasa dynasty’s stay at the castle. The anniversary itself and the exhibition that celebrates it are also accompanied by the publication of a scholarly analysis of a source documenting the royal visit. Originally written in German by an anonymous scribe, the source survived as part of the collection of the State Archive in Gdańsk.

‘The exhibition includes reproductions of royal family portraits, as well as boards containing descriptions of the visit, replete with images of plans, maps, documents, coins and vistas from the period. The exhibition will be available in the square in front of the ticket offices,’ adds Dr Rafał Panfil.

The king arrived in Malbork in the summer of 1623, bringing with him his wife Constance of Austria, his eldest son, Prince Ladislaus Sigismund (future King Ladislaus IV) and daughter Anna Catherine Constance. The visit lasted from May to June 1623, which makes 2023 the 400th anniversary of the event. The royal family stayed at the royal quarters, which from the second half of the 15th century onwards were located on the first floor of the old seat of power of the Teutonic Order.

‘We decided to open the exhibition in November due to our annual participation in the national programme “Free November at Royal Residences”, during which tickets are free for those who visit Malbork Castle (as well as the museum’s branches in Kwidzyn and Sztum). In addition, we have prepared an educational presentation centred around the Vasa family’s stay in Malbork (title: “The Diary of King Sigismund III’s Visit to Malbork. An Analysis and Presentation of Source Fragments”). The presentation takes place at the Karwan Conference Centre on 25 November, at 12:00 PM. Admissions are also free. More information regarding the Free November programme is available on our website at www.zamek.malbork.pl. Make sure to visit us and experience everything our exhibitions have to offer,’ said Iwona Orszulak, Head of the Promotion Department of the Malbork Castle Museum.

More on King Sigismund III’s stay

An essay

Four hundred years ago, on 31 May 1623, King Sigismund III arrived in Malbork between four and five o’clock, accompanied by his family: his wife Constance, Prince Władysław and four-year-old daughter Anna Catherine Constance. The king was officially greeted by the highest officials in Royal Prussia and the city authorities. He stayed at his quarters within the castle, and spent the next several days visiting the city, receiving emissaries from Elbląg and Gdańsk and hosting banquets open to all burghers at the Great Room (Summer Refectory).

On 8 June, the king, his son and all courtiers travelled to Elbląg. Sigismund III also spent a total of 12 days travelling to other parts of Royal Prussia and the Duchy of Prussia, including Pasłęk, where he met with an emissary of the duke. During that time, Prince Władysław stayed in Braniewo and Królewiec.

The king returned to Malbork on 20 June, and in the morning of 22 June, on the Octave of Corpus Christi, the king, queen and prince attended Mass at the local parish church and the traditional procession that accompanied the feast. The following day, the king rode to the nearby Mątowy Wielkie manor, which was part of the Malbork economic area, to witness first-hand the damage wrought by a broken embankment and the state of its repairs.

On 25 June 1623, the king and queen attended the wedding of lady-in-waiting Zofia Konstancja Sobieska and courtier Zygmunt Ferdynand Szczepański, which took place at the castle church of the Assumption of Mary. The ceremony was followed by a several-day-long reception, which was also attended by the royals and numerous state officials. King Sigismund III left Malbork for Gdańsk on 30 June.