Middle Castle
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
Listen
Transcript
When the Grand Master moved his headquarters to Malbork in 1309, the existing convent was too small for the new political role. The former outer area developed into the Middle Castle, where the order could receive visiting knights, care for older brothers and conduct the business of government.
This was a crucial transformation. A religious military order had become the ruler of territory, towns and taxpayers. That required paperwork, hospitality and administration as much as fortification. The Middle Castle is where Malbork begins to look less like a monastery under siege and more like a capital with departments.