The Teutonic Knights (novel)

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The Teutonic Knights (Polish: Krzyżacy) is a 1900 historical novel written by Polish writer and Nobel laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz.

The novel was written during the partitions of Poland, with Poles living under one of three empires: the German Empire; the Russian Empire; and Austria-Hungary. One of Sienkiewicz's goals in writing The Teutonic Knights was to encourage and strengthen Polish national confidence against the occupying powers.

The history of the actual German Order of the Teutonic Knights, which since the 13th century had controlled parts of the Baltic Sea coast, and its defeat in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald by Poles and Lithuanians serves as the backdrop for the story. The novel also focuses extensively medieval life and customs in both the cities and the country in medieval Poland.

The Tygodnik Illustrowany serialized the book from 1897-1899 before a first complete printed edition appeared in 1900. It has since been translated into 25 languages, and was also the first book to be printed in Poland after the Second World War ended in 1945.

In 1960 the novel was made into a film of the same name by director Aleksander Ford.

The book was originally translated into English by Jeremiah Curtin in 1900, a contemporary of Henryk Sienkiewicz.^[1]

[edit] Plot summary

Krzyżacy tells the story of the young poor nobleman Zbyszko of Bogdaniec, who with his uncle Maćko of Bogdaniec is returning from a war against the order of the Teutonic Knights ("Knights of the Cross") in Lithuania. In a tavern inn he falls in love with the lovely Danusia, who is traveling with the court of the Duchess Anna. He swears to her his knight's oath and promises to bring her "three trophies" from the Teutonic Knights.

However, on his way to the royal city of Cracow, Zbyszko attacks Kuno von Liechteinstein, who is an offical diplomatic delegate of the Teutonic Knights. The penalty is death. Yet on the gallows Danuśka saves him when she jumps onto the platform in full view of the crowd and promises to marry him, covering his head with a handkerchief (an old Polish tradition that carries with it a stay of execution if the couple wed). Then Zbyszko and Maćko return home to their estate, where they rebuild their mansion. After some time Zbyszek returns to Danuśka and marries her.

But she is soon treacherously kidnapped by four Teutonic Knights, for they want to their revenge - her father Jurand is a killer of Germans. Jurand himself is eventually imprisoned in their keep, and cruelly tortured.

Zbyszko's quest to find and save the kidnapped Danuta continues until he at long last rescues her. But it is too late. Danuta has been driven insane because of her treatment at the hands of her captors, and eventually dies.

The long awaited war begins. The combined forces of Poland and Lithuania under the command of Polish King Ladislaus Jagiello destroys the Teutonic Order in the monumental 1410 Battle of Grunwald. This battle signals the true terminal decline of the Teutonic Order.

[edit] Characters in "The Teutonic Knights"

Teutonic Knights and thei Grand Master Urlich von Jungingen before the Battle of Grunwald, screenshot from the Polish film Krzyżacy.

• Zbyszko of Bogdaniec - a young poor nobleman, protagonist
• Maćko of Bogdaniec - his uncle
• Jurand of Spychów - anti-Teutonic rebel noble and Danuśka's father
• Fulko de Lorche -a rich knight from Lotharingia who becomes close friends with Zbyszko.
• King Władysław Jagiełło - a historic person, king of the Kingdom of Poland between 1381 and 1434.
• Siegfried de Löwe - the komtur of Szczytno and mastermind of the evil plan to kidnap Danuśka.
• Duchess Anna - the Duchess of Mazovia.
• Janusz I - the Duke of Mazovia.
• Danusia - Jurand's daughter and courtier to the Duchess of Mazovia.
• Kuno von Liechtenstein - the Order's delegate to the King of Poland, attacked by Zbyszko.
• Jagienka of Zgorzelice - a young girl that falls in love with Zbyszko.

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• (German) German Recension
  
• The Knights of the Cross

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