The Sztum Castle, located on the Gothic Castle Trail, is one of the most important monuments of this Powisle town. From the moment it was built until the second half of the XVth century, it belonged to the Teutonic Order. In the modern period, it was the seat of Polish starosts, and in the XIXth and XXth centuries it housed a court, a prison and an orphanage.
Dispute over the dating of the stronghold's construction
Even before the town was founded in 1416, the Teutonic Knights chose Sztum as the place where they built a brick stronghold. This castle was certainly built in the XIVth century. For many years, the prevailing view was that the building was built in the years 1326-1335. However, the latest research has shown that the castle located between the Barlewickie and Zajezierskie lakes somewhat later, in the 1370s.
This is evidenced by the adopted architectural solutions, but also by the excavated archaeological artifacts and historical sources that earlier researchers misinterpreted. In turn, the original Teutonic castle was most likely located in the nearby Zajezierze.
Castle in Sztum, photo by K. Zdziennicki
Castle in Sztum, photo by K. Zdziennicki
Who "ruled" in Sztum Castle?
The castle in Sztum was initially the seat of a Teutonic official with the rank of mayor. However, due to the proximity of Malbork, this place was additionally chosen by the Grand Masters as the residence of this monastic dignitary. In addition, in the Teutonic times, a menagerie was created in Sztum near the castle.
Castle in Sztum, photo by K. Zdziennicki
After the Second Peace of Torun in 1466, Sztum, as part of Royal Prussia, became part of the Republic of Poland. During the Polish period, the castle was in the possession of local starosts. In turn, after the first partition in 1772, it became the property of the Prussian state. In the XIXth century, the castle housed a court and the first prison, the predecessor of the modern prison, which is one of the harshest penitentiary centres in Poland. At the end of the century, the Catholic Church purchased the southern wing and ran an orphanage there for several decades.
After 1945, the Polish authorities continued the judicial traditions of the building. Later, the “Powisle” Museum was located here. After the political transformation, the castle belonged to the local government. Since 2018, the castle has been managed by the Castle Museum in Malbork, and the castle is one of its branches.
Po II pokoju toruńskim z 1466 r. Sztum jako część Prus Królewskich stał się częścią Rzeczpospolitej. W okresie polskim zamek znajdował się we władaniu miejscowych starostów. Z kolei po pierwszym rozbiorze z 1772 r. stał się własnością państwa pruskiego. W XIX w. w zamku umieszczono sąd oraz pierwsze więzienie, będące poprzedniczką współczesnego zakładu karnego, który jest jednym z najcięższych ośrodków penitencjarnych w Polsce. Z kolei pod koniec stulecia kościół katolicki zakupił skrzydło południowe i przez kilka dekad prowadził w nim sierociniec.
Po 1945 r. władze polskie kontynuowały tradycje sądownicze obiektu. W późniejszym okresie zlokalizowano tu Muzeum „Powiśla”. Po transformacji ustrojowej zamek należał do samorządu gminnego. Od 2018 r. zabytkiem zarządza Muzeum Zamkowe w Malborku, a zamek jest jednym z jego oddziałów.
