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Altstadt was a quarter of central Königsberg, Prussia. During the Middle Ages it was the most powerful of the three towns that composed the city of Königsberg, the others being Löbenicht and Kneiphof. Its territory is now part of Kaliningrad, Russia.

History

Foundation

Construction of Königsberg Castle began in 1255 during the conquest of Samland by the Teutonic Knights, part of the Prussian Crusade. An initial settlement was founded north of the castle (later known as Steindamm) the following year, but this was destroyed by Sambians during the 1262 Siege of Königsberg.^[1] A new fortified settlement developed south of the castle between it and the Pregel River in 1264. Landmeister Konrad von Thierberg granted the settlement Kulm rights on 12 February^[2] or 26 February^[1] 1286. Although originally named simply Königsberg, the town became known as Altstadt (German for "old town") to differentiate it from the neighboring Neustädte (new towns) of Löbenicht (1300) and Kneiphof (1327).^[3] Each town had its own charter, market rights, church, and fortifications.

While some of the original settlers from 1256 remained to participate in the foundation of Altstadt, a greater number of burghers were brought to the region by the locator Gerko von Dobrin.^[4] Most of the newcomers were from Lübeck, Lower Saxony, and Westphalia, with others arriving from Pomerania, Mecklenburg, the Elbe basin, Silesia, and western Prussia.^[3] The majority of burghers spoke Low German (later Low Prussian), but the languages of administration were those used by the Teutonic Knights, Latin and Central German.^[3]

The oldest remaining seal of Altstadt depicted King Ottokar II of Bohemia, who had led the initial conquest of Sambia and was honored for his participation by having Königsberg named after him. Altstadt's coat of arms depicted a red crown in a white field above a white cross in a red field, with the crown honoring the Bohemian crown and the cross representing honoring the Teutonic Knights. Aside from being the colors of Bohemia, red and white also represented urban freedom.^[5] It is unknown when the coat of arms were first adopted. Two lions were added to the arms as supporters in the 17th century.^[6]

Medieval Altstadt

Altstadt, the center of medieval Königsberg, came to be bordered by Kneiphof to the south, Lomse to the southeast, Löbenicht to the east, Königsberg Castle to the north, Steindamm and Neurossgarten to the northwest, Laak to the west, and Lastadie to the southwest. Suburbs under the jurisdiction of Altstadt (Freiheiten) included Hufen, Laak, Lastadie, Lomse, Neurossgarten, and Steindamm.^[7] Altstadt's warehouses were located in Lastadie and Lomse.^[8] Outlying villages and estates controlled by Altstadt included Kosse, Puschdorf, Stablauken, Steinbeck, Kraußen, Ottenhagen, Ratshubenhof, and Adlig Neuendorf.^[9]

A wall was constructed around Altstadt from 1359 to 1370. Because of the narrowness of the town's streets, after 1700 each newly constructed building had to be shortened by two feet to expand street width.^[1] The Holzbrücke bridge, constructed by Altstadt in 1404, connected the town to Lomse. Altstadt was connected to Kneiphof by the Krämerbrücke (built 1286), the Dombrücke (built ca. 1330, destroyed 1379), and the Schmiedebrücke (built 1379). A member of the Hanseatic League by 1339, Altstadt took part in the Confederation of Cologne against King Valdemar IV of Denmark in 1367.^[10]

Thirteen Years' War

Altstadt and Kneiphof sent representatives to the Prussian Confederation in 1440, although Löbenicht did not.^[11] As members of the Confederation, the Königsberg towns rebelled against the Teutonic Knights on 4 February 1454 at the beginning of the Thirteen Years' War and allied with King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland. The rebellion in Königsberg was supported by the merchant class and led by Altstadt's Bürgermeister, Andreas Brunau of Pomerania. Based upon the example of Danzig (Gdańsk), Brunau hoped to turn Königsberg into an autonomous city with control over all Samland.^[12] On 19 June Brunau paid fealty to the Polish chancellor, Jan Taszka Koniecpolski.^[13]

However, Brunau and his mercantile allies lost the support of Altstadt and Löbenicht on 24 March 1455 due to spontaneous opposition from craftsmen and workers, with the rebels retreating to Kneiphof.^[14] Upon the approach of the forces of Komtur Heinrich Reuß von Plauen, Brunau fled to Danzig. Plauen received homage from Altstadt on 17 April, after which he reaffirmed the town's rights. Besieged from Altstadt and Haberberg, Kneiphof surrendered to Plauen on 14 July.^[15] Decorative faces mocking Kneiphof were subsequently added to Altstadt's town hall.

Modern era

Altstadt became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. In the same year the three towns resisted the efforts of Burgfreiheit to form a proposed fourth town, Friedrichsstadt. By the Rathäusliche Reglement of 13 June 1724, King Frederick William I of Prussia merged Altstadt, Löbenicht, Kneiphof, and their respective suburbs into the united city of Königsberg.^[16] Königsberg Castle and its suburbs remained separate until the Städteordnung of Stein on 19 November 1808 during the era of Prussian reforms.^[17]

Altstadt was devastated by the 1944 Bombing of Königsberg and 1945 Battle of Königsberg. Buildings which survived World War II were subsequently demolished by the Soviet Union.

Sights

The Altstadt Town Hall was located at the town's marketplace. The medieval Altstadt Church was located south of the castle, while the 19th century New Altstadt Church was built further to the north.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Albinus, p. 20
^ Mühlpfordt, p. 50
^ ^a ^b ^c Gause I, p. 27
^ Gause I, p. 25
^ The colors were used by many free imperial cities.
^ Gause I, pp. 27-28
^ Boetticher, p. 15
^ Mühlpfordt, p. 135
^ Gause II, p. 69
^ Mühlpfordt, p. 53
^ Gause, Königsberg in Preußen, p. 41
^ Manthey, p. 32
^ Gause, Königsberg in Preußen, p. 42
^ Armstedt, p. 97
^ Manthey, pp. 31-33
^ Gause II, p. 65
^ Gause II, p. 334

References

Albinus, Robert (1985). Lexikon der Stadt Königsberg Pr. und Umgebung (in German). Leer: Verlag Gerhard Rautenberg. p. 371. ISBN 3-7921-0320-6.
Armstedt, Richard (1899). Geschichte der königl. Haupt- und Residenzstadt Königsberg in Preussen (in German). Stuttgart: Hobbing & Büchle. p. 354.
Bötticher, Adolf (1897). Die Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Ostpreußen (in German). Königsberg: Rautenberg. p. 395.
Gause, Fritz (1965). Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band I: Von der Gründung der Stadt bis zum letzten Kurfürsten (in German). Köln: Böhlau Verlag. p. 571.
Gause, Fritz (1968). Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band II: Von der Königskrönung bis zum Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs (in German). Köln: Böhlau Verlag. p. 761.
Gause, Fritz (1968). Königsberg in Preußen. Die Geschichte einer europäischen Stadt (in German). München: Gräfe und Unzer. p. 244.
Manthey, Jürgen (2005). Königsberg: Geschichte eine Weltbürgerrepublik (in German). München: Carl Hanser Verlag. p. 736. ISBN 3-446-20619-1.
Mühlpfordt, Herbert Meinhard (1972). Königsberg von A bis Z (in German). München: Aufstieg-Verlag. p. 168. ISBN 3-7612-0092-7.

54°42′36″N 20°30′40″E / 54.710°N 20.511°E / 54.710; 20.511

[A20-1] Albinus, p. 20

[2] Mühlpfordt, p. 50

[G27-3] Gause I, p. 27

[4] Gause I, p. 25

[5] The colors were used by many free imperial cities.

[6] Gause I, pp. 27-28

[7] Boetticher, p. 15

[8] Mühlpfordt, p. 135

[9] Gause II, p. 69

[10] Mühlpfordt, p. 53

[11] Gause, Königsberg in Preußen, p. 41

[12] Manthey, p. 32

[13] Gause, Königsberg in Preußen, p. 42

[A97-14] Armstedt, p. 97

[15] Manthey, pp. 31-33

[16] Gause II, p. 65

[17] Gause II, p. 334

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 [[image:ID004013 B443 AltstaedtMarkt.jpg|thumb|Altstadt's marketplace]]
 [[Image:Älteste Königsberger Siegel.JPG|thumb|Oldest remaining seals of (from top) Altstadt (1360), Löbenicht (1413), and Kneiphof (1383). The original seal of Altstadt depicted King [[Ottokar II of Bohemia]].]]
-[[image:Coat of Arms of Kaliningrad of Altstadt (Koenigsberg).png|thumb|Coat of arms of Altstadt]]
+[[image:Coat-of-Arms-of-Kaliningrad-of-Altstadt-(Koenigsberg).svg|thumb|Coat of arms of Altstadt]]
-'''Altstadt''' ({{lang-lt|Senamiestis}}; {{lang-pl|Stare Miasto}}) was a [[quarter (urban subdivision)|quarter]] of central [[Königsberg]], [[Germany]]. During the [[Middle Ages]] it was the most powerful of the three [[town]]s that composed the city of Königsberg, the others being [[Löbenicht]] and [[Kneiphof]]. Its territory is now part of [[Kaliningrad]], [[Russia]].
+'''Altstadt''' was a [[quarter (urban subdivision)|quarter]] of central [[Königsberg]], [[Prussia]]. During the [[Middle Ages]] it was the most powerful of the three [[town]]s that composed the city of Königsberg, the others being [[Löbenicht]] and [[Kneiphof]]. Its territory is now part of [[Kaliningrad]], [[Russia]].
 ==History==
@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ===Foundation===
-Construction of [[Königsberg Castle]] began in 1255 during the conquest of [[Sambia Peninsula|Samland]] by the [[Teutonic Knights]], part of the [[Prussian Crusade]]. An initial settlement was founded north of the castle (later known as [[Steindamm (Königsberg)|Steindamm]]) the following year, but this was destroyed by [[Sambians]] during the 1262 [[Siege of Königsberg]].<ref name="A20">Albinus, p. 20</ref> A new fortified settlement developed south of the castle between it and the [[Pregel]] River in 1264. Landmeister [[Konrad von Thierberg]] granted the settlement [[Kulm rights]] on 12 February<ref>Mühlpfordt, p. 50</ref> or 26 February<ref name="A20"/> 1286. Although originally named simply ''Königsberg'', the town became known as ''Altstadt'' ([[German language|German]] for "[[Altstadt|old town]]") to differentiate it from the neighboring ''Neustädte'' (new towns) of Löbenicht (1300) and Kneiphof (1327).<ref name="G27">Gause I, p. 27</ref> Each town had its own charter, market rights, church, and fortifications.
+Construction of [[Königsberg Castle]] began in 1255 during the conquest of [[Sambia Peninsula|Samland]] by the [[Teutonic Knights]], part of the [[Prussian Crusade]]. An initial settlement was founded north of the castle (later known as [[Steindamm (Königsberg)|Steindamm]]) the following year, but this was destroyed by [[Sambians]] during the 1262 [[Siege of Königsberg]].<ref name="A20">Albinus, p. 20</ref> A new fortified settlement developed south of the castle between it and the [[Pregolya|Pregel]] River in 1264. Landmeister [[Konrad von Thierberg]] granted the settlement [[Kulm rights]] on 12 February<ref>Mühlpfordt, p. 50</ref> or 26 February<ref name="A20"/> 1286. Although originally named simply ''Königsberg'', the town became known as ''Altstadt'' ([[German language|German]] for "[[Altstadt|old town]]") to differentiate it from the neighboring ''Neustädte'' (new towns) of Löbenicht (1300) and Kneiphof (1327).<ref name="G27">Gause I, p. 27</ref> Each town had its own charter, market rights, church, and fortifications.
 While some of the original settlers from 1256 remained to participate in the foundation of Altstadt, a greater number of burghers were brought to the region by the locator Gerko von Dobrin.<ref>Gause I, p. 25</ref> Most of the newcomers were from [[Free City of Lübeck|Lübeck]], [[Duchy of Saxony|Lower Saxony]], and [[Duchy of Westphalia|Westphalia]], with others arriving from [[Duchy of Pomerania|Pomerania]], [[Mecklenburg]], the [[Elbe]] basin, [[Silesia]], and western [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]].<ref name="G27"/> The majority of burghers spoke [[Low German]] (later [[Low Prussian]]), but the languages of administration were those used by the Teutonic Knights, [[Medieval Latin|Latin]] and [[Central German]].<ref name="G27"/>
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 ===Medieval Altstadt===
-Altstadt, the center of medieval Königsberg, came to be bordered by Kneiphof to the south, [[Lomse]] to the southeast, Löbenicht to the east, Königsberg Castle to the north, [[Steindamm (Königsberg)|Steindamm]] and [[Neurossgarten]] to the northwest, [[Laak (Königsberg)|Laak]] to the west, and [[Lastadie]] to the southwest. Suburbs under the jurisdiction of Altstadt (''[[Freiheit (Königsberg)|Freiheiten]]'') included [[Hufen]], Laak, Lastadie, Lomse, Neurossgarten, and Steindamm.<ref>Boetticher, p. 15</ref><ref>Weise, p. 101</ref> Altstadt's warehouses were located in Lastadie and Lomse.<ref>Mühlpfordt, p. 135</ref> Outlying villages and estates controlled by Altstadt included [[Kosse]], Puschdorf, Stablauken, Steinbeck, Kraußen, Ottenhagen, [[Ratshof|Ratshubenhof]], and [[Adlig Neuendorf]].<ref>Gause II, p. 69</ref>
+Altstadt, the center of medieval Königsberg, came to be bordered by Kneiphof to the south, [[Lomse]] to the southeast, Löbenicht to the east, Königsberg Castle to the north, [[Steindamm (Königsberg)|Steindamm]] and [[Neurossgarten]] to the northwest, [[Laak (Königsberg)|Laak]] to the west, and [[Lastadie]] to the southwest. Suburbs under the jurisdiction of Altstadt (''[[Freiheit (Königsberg)|Freiheiten]]'') included [[Hufen]], Laak, Lastadie, Lomse, Neurossgarten, and Steindamm.<ref>Boetticher, p. 15</ref> Altstadt's warehouses were located in Lastadie and Lomse.<ref>Mühlpfordt, p. 135</ref> Outlying villages and estates controlled by Altstadt included [[Kosse (Königsberg)|Kosse]], [[Puschdorf (Königsberg)|Puschdorf]], [[Stablauken (Königsberg)|Stablauken]], [[Steinbeck (Königsberg)|Steinbeck]], [[Kraußen (Königsberg)|Kraußen]], [[Ottenhagen (Königsberg)|Ottenhagen]], [[Ratshof|Ratshubenhof]], and [[Adlig Neuendorf]].<ref>Gause II, p. 69</ref>
-A wall was constructed around Altstadt from 1359-70. Because of the narrowness of the town's streets, after 1700 each newly constructed building had to be shortened by two feet to expand street width.<ref name="A20"/> The Holzbrücke bridge, constructed by Altstadt in 1404, connected the town to Lomse. Altstadt was connected to Kneiphof by the Krämerbrücke (built 1286), the Dombrücke (built ca. 1330, destroyed 1379), and the Schmiedebrücke (built 1379). A member of the [[Hanseatic League]] by 1339, Altstadt took part in the [[Confederation of Cologne]] against King [[Valdemar IV of Denmark]] in 1367.<ref>Mühlpfordt, p. 53</ref>
+A wall was constructed around Altstadt from 1359 to 1370. Because of the narrowness of the town's streets, after 1700 each newly constructed building had to be shortened by two feet to expand street width.<ref name="A20"/> The Holzbrücke bridge, constructed by Altstadt in 1404, connected the town to Lomse. Altstadt was connected to Kneiphof by the Krämerbrücke (built 1286), the Dombrücke (built ca. 1330, destroyed 1379), and the Schmiedebrücke (built 1379). A member of the [[Hanseatic League]] by 1339, Altstadt took part in the [[Confederation of Cologne]] against King [[Valdemar IV of Denmark]] in 1367.<ref>Mühlpfordt, p. 53</ref>
 ===Thirteen Years' War===
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 ===Modern era===
 Altstadt became part of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] in 1701. In the same year the three towns resisted the efforts of [[Burgfreiheit]] to form a proposed fourth town, Friedrichsstadt. By the ''Rathäusliche Reglement'' of 13 June 1724, King [[Frederick William I of Prussia]] merged Altstadt, Löbenicht, Kneiphof, and their respective suburbs into the united city of Königsberg.<ref>Gause II, p. 65</ref> Königsberg Castle and its suburbs remained separate until the ''[[Städteordnung]]'' of [[Heinrich Friedrich Karl vom und zum Stein|Stein]] on 19 November 1808 during the era of [[Prussian reforms]].<ref>Gause II, p. 334</ref>
 Altstadt was devastated by the 1944 [[Bombing of Königsberg]] and 1945 [[Battle of Königsberg]]. Buildings which survived [[World War II]] were subsequently demolished by the [[Soviet Union]].
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 ==References==
-*{{cite book|last=Albinus|first=Robert|authorlink=|title=Lexikon der Stadt Königsberg Pr. und Umgebung|year=1985|publisher=Verlag Gerhard Rautenberg|location=Leer|pages=371|isbn=3-7921-0320-6}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Albinus|first=Robert|title=Lexikon der Stadt Königsberg Pr. und Umgebung|year=1985|publisher=Verlag Gerhard Rautenberg|location=Leer|pages=371|isbn=3-7921-0320-6|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=Armstedt|first=Richard|authorlink=Richard Armstedt|title=Geschichte der königl. Haupt- und Residenzstadt Königsberg in Preussen|year=1899|publisher=Hobbing & Büchle|location=Stuttgart|pages=354|isbn=}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Armstedt|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Armstedt|title=Geschichte der königl. Haupt- und Residenzstadt Königsberg in Preussen|year=1899|publisher=Hobbing & Büchle|location=Stuttgart|pages=354|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=Bötticher|first=Adolf|authorlink=Adolf Bötticher|title=Die Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Ostpreußen|year=1897|publisher=Rautenberg|location=Königsberg|pages=395|isbn=}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Bötticher|first=Adolf|author-link=Adolf Bötticher|title=Die Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler der Provinz Ostpreußen|year=1897|publisher=Rautenberg|location=Königsberg|pages=395|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=Gause|first=Fritz|authorlink=Fritz Gause|title=Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band I: Von der Gründung der Stadt bis zum letzten Kurfürsten|year=1965|publisher=Böhlau Verlag|location=Köln|pages=571|isbn=}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Gause|first=Fritz|author-link=Fritz Gause|title=Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band I: Von der Gründung der Stadt bis zum letzten Kurfürsten|year=1965|publisher=Böhlau Verlag|location=Köln|pages=571|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=Gause|first=Fritz|authorlink=Fritz Gause|title=Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band II: Von der Königskrönung bis zum Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs|year=1968|publisher=Böhlau Verlag|location=Köln|pages=761|isbn=}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Gause|first=Fritz|author-link=Fritz Gause|title=Die Geschichte der Stadt Königsberg. Band II: Von der Königskrönung bis zum Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkriegs|year=1968|publisher=Böhlau Verlag|location=Köln|pages=761|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=Gause|first=Fritz|authorlink=Fritz Gause|title=Königsberg in Preußen. Die Geschichte einer europäischen Stadt|year=1968|publisher=Gräfe und Unzer|location=München|pages=244|isbn=}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Gause|first=Fritz|author-link=Fritz Gause|title=Königsberg in Preußen. Die Geschichte einer europäischen Stadt|year=1968|publisher=Gräfe und Unzer|location=München|pages=244|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=Manthey|first=Jürgen|authorlink=|title=Königsberg: Geschichte eine Weltbürgerrepublik|year=2005|publisher=Carl Hanser Verlag|location=München|pages=736|isbn=3-446-20619-1}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Manthey|first=Jürgen|title=Königsberg: Geschichte eine Weltbürgerrepublik|year=2005|publisher=Carl Hanser Verlag|location=München|pages=736|isbn=3-446-20619-1|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=Mühlpfordt|first=Herbert Meinhard|authorlink=Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt|title=Königsberg von A bis Z|year=1972|publisher=Aufstieg-Verlag|location=München|pages=168|isbn=3-7612-0092-7}} {{de icon}}
+*{{cite book|last=Mühlpfordt|first=Herbert Meinhard|author-link=Herbert Meinhard Mühlpfordt|title=Königsberg von A bis Z|year=1972|publisher=Aufstieg-Verlag|location=München|pages=168|isbn=3-7612-0092-7|language=de}}
-*{{cite book|last=|first=|authorlink=|editor-first=Erich|editor-last=Weise|title=Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands, Ost- und Westpreussen|year=1981|publisher=Alfred Kröner Verlag|location=Stuttgart|pages=284|isbn=3-520-31701-X}} {{de icon}}
+{{coord|54.710|20.511|display=title}}
-[[Category:1286 establishments]]
+{{DEFAULTSORT:Altstadt (Konigsberg)}}
+[[Category:1260s establishments in Europe]]
 [[Category:1945 disestablishments in Germany]]
 [[Category:Former subdivisions of Königsberg]]
 [[Category:Members of the Hanseatic League]]
-[[Category:Populated places established in the 13th century]]
+[[Category:Populated places established in the 1260s]]
-[[de:Altstadt (Königsberg)]]
-[[he:עיר עתיקה]]
-[[nl:Altstadt (Koningsbergen)]]
-[[pl:Stare Miasto (Królewiec)]]
-[[ru:Альтштадт (Кёнигсберг)]]