Grunwald

[TheLastOne36]

Who's going to Grunwald this year? I finally found some time to go there! Gonna be a blast, i'll post some pics.

Grunwald is tomorow btw.

 

[Pannonius]

A little to far for me, I'm affraid. But I quite enjoyed the pics you posted last year, keep it up!

 

[holy king]

how was it and what exactly are you talking about?

 

[Squonk]

Grunwald is a village in NE Poland (Warmia i Mazury region, former East Prussia), where, in 1410, a great battle between allied polish and lithuanian forces on one side, and Teutonic Knights and their western allies and mercenaries, took place. It was a very important battle, ending the time of TK threat over Poland and Lithuania. I believe it is called the batte of Tannenburg in german language (like the battle in ww1 - the name for this XX century battle was chosen on purpouse).

Every year people dressed up in "medieval" dress and weaponry meet there and, hm, re-enact the battle or whatever.

 

[TheLastOne36]

Wow, it was a huge dissapointement. I thought it be better like the year before last year. (didn't go to last years).

100,000 people were there, you couldn't see anything... They should arrange it much better.

 

[LDeska]

I wasn't ther this year - I've posted pics last year, it was quite nice then. Of course there was a lot of people but those meadows are not totally flat, so it was possible to sit and watch from a place not too far away.
Have you seen the camps of those medieval fans? It was really impressing - they use even tents that looks like those used in 1410. The only strange thing was mobile phones in hands of Polish and Teutonic knights

 

[TheLastOne36]

I wasn't ther this year - I've posted pics last year, it was quite nice then. Of course there was a lot of people but those meadows are not totally flat, so it was possible to sit and watch from a place not too far away.
Have you seen the camps of those medieval fans? It was really impressing - they use even tents that looks like those used in 1410. The only strange thing was mobile phones in hands of Polish and Teutonic knights

Yah i sadly wasn't in taht giant hill, but at the bottom, in the field where the fight was. I to was surprised by the camps. They looked amazing,(except for the small sign that said "Made in the Czech Republic" at the back of the tents ) For some reason the Czech Republic helps alot in the preparation of Grunwald. At lunch i was sitting with one of the knights and he said that most of the knights that took part are actually from the Czech Republic.

 

[warpus]

So what exactly happens there?

Is there any LARPing?

 

[LDeska]

Hmmm strange - I know that there are people from Lithuania and Belarus, I saw people from Western Eurpoe, but haven't seen anyone from Czech Republic. Vast majority of the knights is from Poland - I'm sure of it. They prepare for this whole year. After they stage a war they start a march towards historical capitol of Teutonic Knights - Malbork. Just like it really happened in 1410 when Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth won that great battle.

 

[RalofTyr]

I thought Civil War reenacters were a special case, but apparently Europeans reenact too.

 

[LDeska]

Yes, it's quite popular in whole Europe. In two years there will be 600th anniversary of Grunwald Battle - this will be a huge event as this battle is cosidered by Poland and Lithuania as one of of greater achievements. It finally stopped those teutonic knights from pillaging Lithuania and stopped them from expanding. This Teutonic Order country (later Prussia) was a dominium of Poland for very long time. One interesting thing - their capitol castle in Malbork was never taken by force - even during WW2. Polish-Lithuanian army didn't managed to take it after Grunwald Battle - after long siege a peace treaty was signed and Polish king stepped back. But only 47 years later this castle was bought by King of Poland Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk (son of the king who besieged that castle in 1410) and since then for almost 300 years - until partitions of Poland Malbork Castle was one of residences of kings of Poland.

 

[Pokurcz]

It was a very important battle for the rest of Europe as well because it halted the expansion of germany eastwards.

Was it not some 1500 knights assembled this year?

 

[TheLastOne36]

It was a very important battle for the rest of Europe as well because it halted the expansion of germany eastwards.

Was it not some 1500 knights assembled this year?

to long ago for me to remember but it was somewhere arouund 1500-2000 knights.

 

[warpus]

So.. do they Larp or not?

 

[TheLastOne36]

^i've never heard of that, but i'm guessing no?

 

[Pokurcz]

Well they did fight so I am guessing yes!

 

[LDeska]

In my opinion they didn't. It was more like staging historic events, not playing RPG live. You know - the result was well known up front

@RalofTyr - there is a lot of such people who love to renact medieval battles or to play by pretending medieval people. For example a week ago there was such meeting in Szczecin - Slavians and Vikings met there