Peace of Toruń (1466)

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The Second Treaty of Toruń or the Second Treaty of Thorn, (also Peace of Toruń 1466; German: Zweiter Friede von Thorn, Polish: Drugi Pokój Toruński) was a peace treaty signed in the Hanseatic city of Toruń (Thorn) on October 19, 1466 between the Polish king, the Prussian cities, and the duke of Pomerania on one side, and the Teutonic Knights on the other. The treaty concluded the Thirteen Years' War (1454-1466), waged between the victorious Kingdom of Poland and the defeated Teutonic Order.

The Thirteen Years' War had begun in February 1454 with the revolt of the Prussian Confederation, led by the cities of Gdańsk (Danzig), Elbląg (Elbing), Chełmno (Kulm), and Toruń, and the Prussian gentry against the rule of the Teutonic Knights.

Both sides agreed to seek confirmation from Pope Paul III and Emperor Frederick III, but the Polish side stressed (and the Teutonic side agreed) that this confirmation would not be needed for validation of the treaty. In the treaty the Teutonic Order lost the territories of Pomerelia (Eastern Pomerania) with Gdańsk, Chełmno Land with Chełmno and Toruń, the mouth of the Vistula with Elbląg and Malbork (Marienburg), and Warmia (Ermland) with Olsztyn (Allenstein). The Order also acknowledged the rights of the Polish Crown for Prussia's western half, subsequently known as Polish or Royal Prussia.

Warmia became autonomous Prince-Bishopric. Eastern Prussia, later called Duchy of Prussia remained with the Teutonic Order until 1525 and the grandmaster was supposed to swear a personal oath to the king of Poland and furnish him with military. The grand masters usually did not come to Prussia in order to not give the oath.

Western Prussia was explicitly incorporated into the kingdom of Poland, however later some disagreements arose for certain prerogatives that Royal Prussia held. While the Polish side considered it part of the kingdom, going literally with the wordings of the treaty, Royal Prussians insisted on and defended their guaranteed autonomy, while agreeing that Royal Prussia is part of the kingdom. The government differed from the Polish kingdom, such as the minting of its own coins, meetings of its own estates, own military and the administrative usage of the German language. Prussians were denied the right to name bishops in Royal Prussia and decided not to take the seats provided for them in the Sejm. This conflict eventually led to the War of the Priests (1467-79).

The Order lost eastern Prussian territory, when Hochmeister Albert of Prussia adopted Lutheranism in 1525 and assumed the title of duke as hereditary ruler under the overlordship of Poland in the Prussian Tribute. The area became known as the Duchy of Prussia, or Ducal Prussia, later East-Prussia.

The Holy Roman Empire continued to claim supreme sovereignty and granted Prussia to the next Hochmeister, Walter von Cronberg, and to all subsequent Hochmeisters and although the duke of Prussia Albert of Brandenburg was put under ban by the emperor in 1535, he continued to govern until his death in 1568.