26/11/2025
A hundred new letters from the Teutonic epistles database are now available online, primarily from the period 1410–1422. There is no need to introduce the Prussian state of the Teutonic Order here, nor their rivalry and coexistence with Poland and Lithuania. People on both sides of the border exchanged letters about various matters, providing insights into the politics, society and culture of medieval Europe.
Editing and publishing these sources often involves detective work. For example, in the letter preserved in GPSK, XX. HA, OBA, nr 28994, Maciej of Łabiszyn and Janusz Kościelecki of Skępe petitioned the Grand Master for the release of their 'frater', Michał Koziemiński, from Teutonic captivity. However, bear in mind that in medieval Polish Latin, 'brother' could refer to a member of a knightly clan (pol. ród rycerski), a social structure based on blood ties and characterised by extended networks of solidarity, shared coats of arms, and a belief in common ancestry — not necessarily to an actual close relative. In the case of our protagonists, this was only true of Michał and Maciej, who belonged to the 'Laska' coat of arms. Janusz, however, used the 'Ogon' coat of arms. Yet he was the husband of Maciej's niece, which explains his involvement. A separate investigation was needed to establish the date on which the epistle was issued, as it was only mentioned as the Tuesday after Corpus Christi. Meticulous examination of the text mentioning the Polish–Teutonic negotiations 'ante Thorun in litus Wysle' revealed that the letter was sent in 1415. This letter is also an interesting case in sigillography: the only surviving seal was reinforced with hair. There are hundreds more exciting new stories in the database. Follow the link in the comments to explore them for yourself.
