Prussian Confederation

The Prussian Confederation (German: Preußischer Bund, Polish: Związek Pruski) was an organization formed on 21 February 1440 at Marienwerder (present-day Kwidzyn) by a group of 53 nobles and clergy and 19 cities in Prussia, to oppose the arbitrariness of the Teutonic Knights.

In 1454, the leader of the Confederation, Johannes von Baysen (Jan Bażyński), formally asked King Casimir IV Jagiellon, to incorporate Prussia into the Kingdom of Poland.

This marked the beginning of the Thirteen Years' War between the Order's State and Poland, with the cities co-financing the military costs of the latter.

After about three decades of growing discontent, the burghers, nobility and landowners from the Teutonic state (see Prussian estates) organized themselves to oppose the rule of the order more effectively.

[1] The convention was attended by representatives of the cities of Chełmno (Culm), Elbląg (Elbing), Toruń (Thorn), Gdańsk (Danzig), Braniewo (Braunsberg), Królewiec (Königsberg), and Knipawa (Kneiphof) as well as nobles from various areas.

Gabriel von Baysen and Johannes von Baysen, now leading the confederation with the support of Jan de Jani and Mikołaj Szarlejski, both of the Clan of Ostoja, requested the protection of King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland, and the incorporation of the region to the Kingdom of Poland, to which the King agreed and signed an act of incorporation in Kraków in March 1454.

[13][14] Further nobles joined following the outbreak of the Thirteen Years' War, and the towns of Dzierzgoń, Łuczany (now Giżycko) and Nowy Staw also sided with Poland in the war,[15][16][17] and several more also recognized Polish rule and pledged allegiance to Poland, including Czarne, Debrzno, Golub, Kowalewo, Lidzbark, Łasin, Wąbrzeźno.