Brandenburg Castle

Brandenburg Castle — the ruined remains of a Teutonic Order castle in the village of Ushakovo (until 1946 Brandenburg) in the Guryevsky District of the Kaliningrad Region. It is located on the shore of the Kaliningrad (Vistula) Bay at the mouth of the Prokhladnaya River. In Prussia, it was the center of a commandery, whose vast territory extended to the Great Masurian Lakes.

In 1206, Pope Innocent III issued a bull on the Christianization of the Prussians, and in 1217 Pope Honorius III declared a campaign against the Prussian pagans, which became part of the campaigns in East Prussia known as the Prussian Crusade, joined in 1226 by the Teutonic Order. In 1230, the Pope granted the Teutonic Order the right to baptize the Prussians. German crusaders, who had interests in Eastern Europe, began colonizing new territories, on which the state of the Teutonic Order soon formed. Colonization was not peaceful — a significant number of Prussian chiefs waged active war against the crusaders, while some chiefs accepted Christianity. The Teutonic Order granted certain privileges to loyal Prussians, integrating them into the feudal system of their state. During the main phase of colonization (13th–14th centuries), two major Prussian uprisings occurred — the First Prussian Uprising (1242–1249) and the Second Prussian Uprising (1249–1260).

The founding year of the castle is considered to be 1266, as recorded in the "Chronicle of the Prussian Land" by chronicler Peter of Dusburg: "In the year of the birth of Christ 1266, Margrave Otto III of Brandenburg (great-grandson of Albert the Bear), with many knights, came to the Prussian land, 'by the advice of the master and brothers built Brandenburg Castle and wished to name it so for eternal memory in honor of his margraviate'." From the late 13th century, it was rebuilt in stone and until 1499 served as the center of the commandery. The first commander of Brandenburg Castle was Friedrich von Holdenstedt, who simultaneously held the position of Grand Marshal of the Teutonic Order.

There were several reasons for building the new castle. During the First Prussian Uprising (1242–1249), it became clear that Balga Castle, the main stronghold of the Teutonic Knights in the area, could be easily blockaded. The second castle on the bay shore, Lencenburg Castle, like Balga, had no port. But at the mouth of the Frisching River on the right bank, a site favorable for castle construction was found: here it was possible to build quays to create a port, especially since the river was navigable for a whole mile upstream. This facilitated the Order's advance inland. Moreover, after the loss of Lencenburg, the new castle would serve as a link between Balga and Königsberg.

In its early years, Brandenburg fortress was subjected to constant attacks by the Prussians, being destroyed and rebuilt. Between 1275 and 1290, Brandenburg fortress was rebuilt in stone, after which until 1499 the castle became the center of the largest commandery in the Order. From 1322, a relic was kept in Brandenburg Castle: a fragment of the Holy Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. There is a legend about the Order knight Count von Massow, who desecrated the Holy Sacraments and was imprisoned in the main tower, where he died.

Brandenburg commander Günther von Hohenstein distinguished himself in diplomacy, actively engaging in negotiations with Lithuania. Emperor Charles IV in 1379 gifted him the relic of Saint Catherine, displayed in the castle chapel.

Under the protection of the fortress, a settlement soon formed, inhabited by innkeepers, craftsmen, gardeners, and fishermen. A school existed in the village as early as 1408. In 1422, the settlement had two mills, and by 1425 there were three.

During the war between the Teutonic Order and the Prussian Confederation, in 1454, Brandenburg Castle was significantly damaged during a storming but was restored in 1456. As a result of military actions in 1520, the castle burned down. After restoration, from 1525 to 1752, Brandenburg Castle housed the residence of the Amtshauptmann. In the 16th–17th centuries, Brandenburg became a fairly large settlement inhabited by fishermen, gardeners, boatmen, cabmen, and small peasants. In 1604, there were 7 inns and 50 households.

The favorable location on a busy road, by the bay and river, contributed to the settlement's development. Moreover, fairs were held there. In 1652, Brandenburg was called a "free market town." King Frederick William I intended to grant it city status, but this did not happen, although from 1716 to 1736, parts of the 12th Cuirassier Regiment were stationed in Brandenburg.

In the 19th century, Brandenburg was referred to as "Magkfeskep" — a village with the right to hold markets. In 1817, a project for a new road was developed, passing directly through a swampy meadow. Along with the road construction, a new metal bridge was built. Later, a canal was dug directly through the island formed by two branches of the Frisching River. The right branch of the river, which ran by the castle walls, was filled in, and part of the left branch was used as a small harbor for fishing vessels.

Until 1900, only flax, pottery, and horse breeding fairs remained in Brandenburg. Brandenburg lost its significance after the construction of the Eastern Railway, which passed far from it.

With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, East Prussia became a battlefield. In August 1914, Russian troops crossed its border and occupied a significant part of the territory for a short time, but Brandenburg was not occupied. The East Prussian operation (1914) ended unsuccessfully for the Russians, after which the Germans regrouped and pushed the Russian troops back.

In 1945, Brandenburg was in the zone of fierce fighting and was partially destroyed.

In the post-war years, the castle housed the first Soviet settlers. After 1945, the buildings were never repaired and were actively dismantled for bricks. At the beginning of the 21st century, Brandenburg Castle consists of wall skeletons and ruins of the outer bailey, overgrown with bushes and grass.

After 1945, the village was renamed Ushakovo. In the southeastern wing of the outer bailey, after minor repairs, several families of settlers from the USSR lived. The southwestern building of the karwan, damaged during the war, was practically unused (it was turned into several sheds). In the center of the former outer bailey courtyard, a small metal water tower was installed. Premises attached before the war to the northern defensive wall also served as sheds.

Brandenburg was renamed Ushakovo in 1946, receiving the status of a settlement. The Frisching River was renamed Prokhladnaya.

In 1964, a commission of the Central Scientific Restoration Workshops of the USSR Ministry of Culture recommended registering the castle as a protected monument, but no such work was carried out.

In the early 1980s, part of the roof of the southeastern wing became unusable. People began to be resettled, and from the early 1990s, the building was abandoned, and the local population actively dismantled it for building materials, turning the wing into ruins within a few years.

In 2007, the ruins of Brandenburg Castle were granted the status of a cultural heritage site of regional significance. In 2010, the Russian edition of Forbes magazine included Brandenburg Castle in a list of six Russian landmarks at risk of disappearance. The castle, as well as the nearby Brandenburg church, are being dismantled by local residents for bricks.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Brandenburg Castle consists of wall skeletons and ruins of the outer bailey, overgrown with bushes and grass.

Sources:

https://www.prussia39.ru/sight/index.php?sid=95

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_(castle)