Malbork treaty

Malbork treaty
Grand Master Ludwig von Erlichshausen's negotiations with the commanders of the mercenary army in the Malbork fortress.
ContextThirteen Years' War, lack of funds to pay mercenary troops
Signed9 October 1454
LocationMalbork
Signatories
Parties
The 19th-century painting, rendered in subdued colors, depicts a military clash between heavily armored cavalry and peasant infantry. From the left towards the center of the painting, mounted knights charge with lances lowered, but their attack breaks against a barricade made of wooden elements and difficult, rocky terrain. Defenders in light peasant tunics armed with swords, maces, and crossbows finish off the warriors falling from their horses. In the background, the attackers attempt to reach the less numerous defenders behind the wooden barricade.
The Czech units, relying on field fortifications, repelled the attack of mounted knights – the new infantry tactics revolutionized the ways of waging wars in the 15th century.

Malbork treaty was signed on 9 October 1454, in the fortress of Marienburg (Malbork). It was between the authorities of the Teutonic Order, represented by the Grand Master Ludwig von Erlichshausen, and the commanders (rittmasters) of the mercenary troops fighting on behalf of the Order in the Thirteen Years' War, represented by Bernard von Zinnenberg (Bernard Szumborski). In exchange for obtaining a guarantee with the right to sell the most important Prussian strongholds still under the Order's control for unpaid military compensation, the mercenaries agreed to continue military operations on behalf of the Order until 19 February 1455, despite not receiving the agreed payment. This enabled the Teutonic Order to repel the Polish offensive on Malbork in January 1455, recapture Königsberg (Kaliningrad) along with Lower Prussia and Samland from the Prussian Confederation, and regain control of several fortresses from them.

The failure to meet the agreed payment deadline, as well as subsequent payment deadlines, led to the sale of the unconquered fortress in Malbork to the Kingdom of Poland by the mercenaries commanded by Oldrich (Urlich) Czerwonka and Nikolai Welfersdorf on 6 June 1457, as well as the fortresses in Tczew and Iława on 13 June 1457.