Geographic and administrative situation:

10th-13th century  Kingdom of Poland

1231-1454 (1466) Teutonic Order

1466-1772 Kingdom of Poland, Royal Prussia, Chełmno Province

1772-1920 Prussia (Germany), Western Prussia Province

1920-1939 Poland, Pomorski Province (Pomerania), Grudziądz district

1939-1945 Germany (Third Reich), Gdańsk-West Prussia Province, Kwidzyn regency, Grudziądz district

1945-1975 Bydgoszcz Province (1945-1950 Pomorski Province)

1975-1998 Toruń Province

Since 1999 Kujawsko-Pomorskie Province, Grudziądz district

The beginnings of the fortified stronghold on the territory of present-day Grudziądz date back to the 10th century. It was first mentioned in historical sources in 1065. In 1207 the stronghold was ruled by Konrad of Mazovia who, in 1218, bestowed the Chełmno District and the stronghold to Bishop Christian. In 1231 the town was conquered by the Teutonic Knights. In 1299 construction of a castle was completed and the town was erected around it.  Master Meinhard of Querfurt granted it charter rights under the Chełmno Law on June 18, 1291. The town was partially destroyed several times during attacks by the Pomeranian Dukes (1242, 1244), the Prussians and the Lithuanians (1278-1281). The seat of the commander of the Teutonic Knights was established in Grudziądz. In the 14th century the town was surrounded by a thick, double wall with 10 towers and 4 fortified gates. Moats were dug along parts of the wall. The town became a center of grain trade because of its favorable location on the Vistula waterway.  The large granaries on the Vistula River were first mentioned in historical documents in 1365. The bourgeois were granted several privileges by leaders of the Teutonic Order, allowing them to trade wool cloth, shawls, meat, shoes and antiques.  At that time the town’s borders were expanded, baths were built, the merchants’ house was abolished, retail sale of beer was introduced at the city hall. In 1400 twenty slaughterhouses were given permission to operate. In 1386 the canal and wooden water-supply services were built. Craft also developed well. In 1440 the town councilors acceded to the Prussian Union, which was an enemy of the Teutonic Knights. In 1454, at the beginning of the Thirteen Years War, the bourgeois overtook the castle that had been occupied by a Polish squad. In 1466 Grudziądz was incorporated within the boundaries of Poland. In the 16th century the Prussian parliament and the general regional council gathered in Grudziądz and Malbork. Meetings and debates took place in St. Nicolas Church and in the city hall. 170 local general councils gathered in Grudziadz between the years 1526-1772. From 1454 the castle became the eldership’s seat. Polish kings visited the town many times, including: Kazimierz Jagiellończyk, Zygmunt August, Stefan Batory, Zygmunt III, Władysław IV, Jan III Sobieski. During the Polish-Swedish War (1655-1660) the Grudziądz castle became Charles Gustav’s headquarters. In 1711 Peter I, tsar of Russia lived there. From the 16th until the 18th century the town’s development was hindered by wars, plagues, floods, fires, as well as by competition from other developing towns nearby, in particular Torun. In 1772 Grudziądz passed under Prussian rule and soon after became a garrison town, in large part thanks to the mighty fortress built between 1776-1788. King Fredrick William III found shelter in Grudziądz after having lost the Battle of Jena against Napoleon. The town began to deteriorate with the decline of trade on the Vistula. Further destruction occurred between 1806-1807 when the town was under siege by the French for 5 months. An economic revival took place in the second half of the 19th century. The city’s boundaries were expanded. Along with its demographic development, new districts arose and were connected by bridges with the town’s old center. A port was established on the river, along with several other businesses: the Herzfeld-Victorius iron casting and enamel plant, Ventzky’s Factory of Agricultural Machines and Tools, Kuntersztyn’s brewery, Carl Genike brewery, Herman Hontzer liquor and juice factory, and the town’s first banking and credit institution. A railway connection was built to Toruń, Jabłonowo, Bydgoszcz, Tczew, Królewiec, Laskowice, and Chełmża. Between 1876-1878 a bridge over the Vistula. The local military garrison grew, as did the fortress. The town played an important cultural role, especially for the Polish minority.  Beginning in 1894 the „Grudziądz Gazette“ was published in Polish, and delivered Poles living in the bigger villages and towns within the Prussian (German) sector of partitioned Poland.  In 1920 Grudziądz fell within the administrative boundaries of Poland. The town was seen as an industrial center and an important center for military training for the Polish Army. In 1921 Poland’s first Flight School was established here. In 1927 it was transferred to Deblin. The School of Aviation Bombing was established in its place. In 1937 an aviation school was established. One Europe’s largest cavalry training centers was also created here. During World War II many residents were displaced, and some were killed. In 1944 the Nazis took hold of the town.  On March 6, 1945, after a siege that lasted a month and a half, the Russians took over the town.  Approximately 40% of the town was destroyed. Today, Grudziądz is an industrial, commercial and service center, as well as a cultural center and a seat for local administration[1.1].