Outer Ward and Karwan
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
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Transcript
Start with the least romantic part of a military state: storage. The Outer Ward contained the Karwan, an armoury for cannon and war wagons, along with granaries, stables, workshops and a brewery. The Castle Museum’s own history describes this zone as the practical support system of the fortress.
That matters because a castle this large consumed enormous quantities of food, fuel, fodder and equipment. Knights could not live on heraldry. Horses needed feed; metal needed repair; guests needed beds; armies needed carts. The Outer Ward turns Malbork from a fairy-tale fortress into a logistics hub. Military power began here, in buildings designed to keep supplies moving.