Poland in central Europe is one of our homeschool countries-of-the-week, so why not spend a few minutes today learning about one of Poland’s World Heritage Sites: the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork.
Malbork Castle in Poland is one of the largest medieval castles in the world:
Malbork Castle is located in the north of Poland, on the east bank of the River Nogat. It is the most complete and elaborate example of a Gothic brick-built castle complex in the characteristic and unique style of the Teutonic Order. The style exemplified here evolved independently from those which prevailed in contemporary castles in western Europe and the Near East. This spectacular fortress bears witness to the phenomenon of the Teutonic Order state in Prussia. The state was founded in the 13th century by German communities of military monks who carried out crusades against the pagan Prussians and Lithuanians living on the south Baltic coast, as well as against the Christian Kingdom of Poland. It reached its greatest influence in the 14th century. The castle-convent embodies the drama of late medieval Christianity, straining between extremes of sanctity and violence.
Since the second half of the 18th century, Malbork Castle has provided one of the major sources of fascination with European medieval history and its material remains. Its recent past also illustrates the tendency to treat history and its monuments as instruments in the service of political ideologies.
From the 19th century to the present day, Malbork Castle has been the subject of restoration work that has made an exceptional contribution to the development of research and conservation theory and practice in this part of the world. During the course of this work many forgotten medieval art and craft techniques have been rediscovered. Extensive conservation works were carried out in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Following the severe damage it incurred in the final stage of the Second World War, the castle was restored once again.
Apart from its legacy as a material remain, Malbork Castle is also deeply rooted in social consciousness as a significant and emotional symbol of the history of Central Europe. (World Heritage Centre #847)
You can find a gallery of additional photos of the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork on the World Heritage Centre’s website.
World Heritage Sites are cultural or natural landmarks of international significance, selected for recognition by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. More than 1000 such sites have been recognized in over 160 countries, and we feature one every Wednesday, drawn from one of our homeschool countries-of-the-week. You can find a complete list of World Heritage Sites online at the World Heritage Centre and in Wikipedia.
The World Heritage Centre also has a free and comprehensive World Heritage education kit for teachers, as well as a wonderful full-color wall map of World Heritage Sites, available for the cost of shipping. Why not add them both to your own homeschool library. 🗺
What world treasures have you been exploring in your homeschool this Leo Term? 😊
❡ Books in the running brooks: You can always turn to your River Houses almanac, atlas, and history encyclopedia for more information about any of our countries-of-the-week. The almanac has profiles of all the nations of the world on pages 752–859; the endpapers of the atlas are indexes that will show you where all of the individual national and regional maps may be found; the history encyclopedia includes national histories on pages 489–599; and you can find additional illustrations, flags, and other mentions through the indexes in each of these volumes. For an ideal little lesson, just write the name of the Weekly World Heritage Site on your homeschool bulletin board, find its location in your atlas, read the WHC’s brief description aloud, look at a picture or two, and you’re done. Over the course of the year, without even realizing it, your students will absorb a wealth of new historical, geographical, and cultural information. 🇵🇱
❡ The great globe itself: This is one of our regular Homeschool States & Countries posts featuring historical and natural sites of international importance. Download a copy of our River Houses World Heritage Calendar and follow along with us as we tour the planet, and add your name to our weekly mailing list to get great homeschool teaching ideas delivered right to your mailbox all through the year. 🌎 🌍 🌏
