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DANZIG  Report No. 113

Editor: John H. Bloecher, 1743 Little Creek Drive, Baltimore, MD. 21207-5230 USA

Teutonic Knights -- Master Builders of Danzig - Part One - die Marienkirche

Mistory of the builders of the Marienkirche
Who were those people responsible for designing and building this magnificent pile of bricks? Stand next to its walls, and there seems to be a force other than magnetism or gravity that is holding these bricks together But, these same bricks were first assembled in the year 1379, 126 years afierthe first wooden church of St. Mary’s was constructed by Count Swantopolk Succeeding this construction, thru a privilege given by the Commander of the Teutonic Knights, Ludolf Koenig, early in 1343 to the city of Danzig, the next phase of consuuction lasted over 159 years And that was only the beginning

To answer the first question, the builders were the Teutonic Knights, but we need more details in order to understand this group. In DR- 112, we saw that Napoleon forcibly ended the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 (see map of central Europe on page 4 in that publication.) A map of the many Germanies appeared as a crazy quilt of 314 states and 1,475 estates, some with no more than a castle and a moat. But each had its own army, bureaucracy, currency and court. Confusion reigned.

During the mid-twelfth century, the Reich was ruled by emperor Friedrich I,

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 113 - October - November - December - 2001, Page 1.