Battle of Grunwald - 600 years ago

[lightfire]

Tomorrow is the anniversary of one of the biggest medieval battles.

At 1410 United army of Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeated the Teutonic order.


There will be celebrations on the field of Grunwald (Žalgiris in Lithuanian) and a sihtload of pics - reenactment etc.

Major links here:

http://grunwald2010.warmia.mazury.pl/uk,89 (in English)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grunwald

Miniature figures representing the battle:

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7236/file34488529474154c3def.jpg

More here:
http://www.delfi.lt/news/daily/lithuania/vilniuje-pristatomas-zalgirio-musio-maketas.d?id=34487731 (scroll down)

[hastati]

Great and important anniversary!
This battle was the turning point of Central/Eastern Europe history and decided about political structure of this part of continent for next ~350 years. After it German Teutonic Order never regained it former power which helped to win next major war(1454-1466) and next - liquidate TO by turning it into small Prussian state depended from Polish-Lithuanian state.

Promo video of reconstruction of the battle. Almost 2000 "knights" will participate!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRqcbZsKVII

[Antey]

Most importantly, the entire Jagiełło reign was very important - it's astonishing how many difficult and yet very successful decisions he has taken.
He broke down Teutonic Threat, yet left remnants to keep new and fragile Union intact. Later, he skilfully maintained more of less neutral attitude during Hussite Wars - avoiding another skirmishes and another conflict with either Czechs or rest of Europe.

Crossing Vistula River was also technical and organizational masterpiece...

[Astaran]

My team and I planned to visit Grunwald and participate in the tournament and the reenactment battle there this year. But unfortunately we can't go due to some internal reasons. :(

[lightfire]

Morning preparations before the battle. Lithuanian and Polish soldiers stand together AGAIN in the field of Grunwald :)

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/2756/69518833.jpg

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/2092/37594307.jpg

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/6523/96685094.jpg

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/8682/27686092.jpg

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/4631/93293628.jpg


Video:

http://www.kam.lt/lt/naujienos_874/video_galerija/video_2_kalbomis/videoshow/252.html#view

[BLUE THOR]

Just looked through some awesome photos! thanks for the link lads!

I'd probably be one of the crazies in armour with a big red beard and an Axe if I lived in Europe.
brilliant. sounds like alot of fun over a few good days.

[Domen]

Some fragments from the "Chronicle of the Conflict of Władysław Polish King against the Teutons in Anno Domini 1410" (only the shortened duplicate of the original chronicle survived, written in 16th century as a basis of the homily celebrated on each anniversary of the battle. The original was written in 1411):

"(...) On the right wing duke Witold moved forward to the battle with his own [Lithuanian] people, with [Polish] St. George's banner and with the frontal vanguard's banner. And for a brief moment, just before the start of the battle, light and warm rain took place, which washed off the dust from horses' hoofs. And at the very beginning of that rain guns of our enemies, as they had got numerous guns, fired two volleys of stone missiles, but they could not do any harm to our formations by this fire...

They [the Teutons versus the Poles] met with great tumult and immense momentum of horses in a certain valley in such a way, that the opposite side down the hill and our side also down the hill started to strike each other with mutual blows...

Another part of enemy forces out of those elite Teutonic men, clashed with duke Witold's [Lithuanian] men with the greatest impetus and shout and after almost one hour of mutual fight many from both sides fell, so that men of duke Witold were forced to retreat...

People of duke Witold were forced to retreat. Then enemies chasing them, thinking that they already achieved victory, deviated in dispersal from their own banners and from their own units, so that they in turn started to retreat before those who had been forced to retreat by them before. Soon, when they tried to return, separated from their own men and banners by men of the [Polish] King, who cut their banners in half straight from the wings, they were captured or eradicated by swords... Whereas those who stayed alive, came back to their men... and once again mutually clashed with the great banner of the Castellan of Cracow, with banners of the voivode of Sandomir, of the Wielun Land, of the Halicz Land and many other lands...

Gathering his forces..., the Grand Master... - after gathering 15 or more banners... desired to turn his units against the majesty of the [Polish] King. The king, at the time when the Teutons, preparing their formations, stood against him, wanted to grab his long lance and with the greatest courage turn his horse against them, but was stopped against his will and with the greatest difficulty by his notables and he couldn't satisfy his desires. Therefore some well-armed knight of the Teutonic Order, wanting to singly turn his horse against the King, rode up closer to him. And the King, grabbing his long lance, mortally wounded him in his face and soon after that [the German], thrown from his horse by the others, fell on the ground dead...

Master's units from the place where they stood, starting to charge against the King, encountered our Great Banner and with great bravery clashed mutually with use of long lances. And in the first clash, the Grand Master, the Order's Marschall and other notables of the Order fell. After that, turning back and retreating, they fell back as far as to their, previously spread, caravans...

Whereas in their camps numerous enemies realizing, that by escaping they could by no means avoid death, creating a kind of embankment from their wagons, started to defend themselves, but being quickly defeated, all of them died in the jaws of the sword. At that place more fallen were found than on the entire rest of the battlefield...

The Teutons, realizing that there were still many King's units which hadn't yet entered the battle, and realizing, that their commander fell dead, now shed to a real escape and in dispersion started to flee... (...)"

[omghihi]

http://www.postimees.ee/?g=1741&art=284930#62361

pictures of celebrations in Lithuania from last week. nice armor. try IE if it doesn't work in firefox.

[lightfire]

More pics from Todays events

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5143/gr2o.jpg



POLAND Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Bruno Platter delivers a speech as Poland's President Bronislaw Komorowski, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite and Poland's Speaker of Parliament Grzegorz Schetyna listen during a celebration to mark the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald in Grunwald, northern Poland July 15, 2010. The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania. *******/Kacper Pempel


http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6524/gr3x.jpg


POLAND Delegates pay respect by laying wreath by the Monument of Grunwald's Victory during a celebration to mark the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald in Grunwald, northern Poland July 15, 2010. The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania. *******/Kacper Pempel


http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/1309/gr4y.jpg


POLAND Men acting as Knights of the Teutonic Order drink water during a celebration to mark the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald in Grunwald, northern Poland July 15, 2010. The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/5751/gr5.jpg

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/8837/gr6u.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/6669/gr7s.jpg


POLAND Men acting as knights re-enact during a celebration to mark the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald in Grunwald, northern Poland July 15, 2010. The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania

http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/3808/gr8.jpg


POLAND Grand Duke Vytautas the Great of Lithuania drinks water during a celebration to mark the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald in Grunwald, northern Poland July 15, 2010. The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania


http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/5931/gr9g.jpg



POLAND A woman pulling a horse carrying a man acting as a knight parades during celebration to mark the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald in Grunwald, northern Poland July 15, 2010. The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/3888/gr10x.jpg




POLAND A man acting as a knight parades during a celebration to mark the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Grunwald in Grunwald, northern Poland July 15, 2010. The battle was one of the largest battles in Medieval Europe and the most important victory in the history of Poland and Lithuania

[intrinsic]

My father visited the battle field at Tannenberg in the 1938, he said that there was a large monument stone inscribed with the words 'Here lays slain the last Deustch Hochmeister Ulrich von Jungingen' does anyone know if it still exists?

intrinsic