Prussian estates

The Prussian estates were representative bodies of Prussia, created by the Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century (around 1370s).Daniel Stone, "A History of Central Europe", University of Washington Press, 2001, ISBN 0295980931, [http://books.google.com/books?id=LFgB_l4SdHAC&pg=PA18&dq=%22Prussian+estates%22&sig=ACfU3U09S0rqg4o3WUuk2R7I7mhTAFW_cg Google Print, p.18-19] ] They were at first composed of officials of six big cities of the region (Braunsberg/Braniewo, Chełmno/Culm, Elbląg/Elbing, Gdańsk/Danzig, Konigsberg/Królewiec and Toruń/Thorn). Later, representatives of other towns as well as nobility was included as well.Karin Friedrich, "The Other Prussia: Royal Prussia, Poland and Liberty, 1569-1772", Cambridge University Press, 2006, ISBN 0521027756, [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kpulHjDt8UEC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=%22Prussian+estates%22&ots=zDDwX-j_Jb&sig=dS04WCP9crfZjgIE4ppI0iEcgFQ#PPA21,M1 Google Print, p.21-24] ] The estates met on average four times per year, and discussed issues such as commerce and foreign relations.

The Order created the Estate to appease the local citizens, but over time the relations between the Order and the Estates grew strained, as the Order of knights treated local population with contempt. As Prussia would be increasingly tied economically with Poland, and the wars would be devastating to borderlands of both countries, and the policies and attitude of the king of Poland more liberal towards the Prussian burghers and nobility, the rift between the Order and their subjects widened, and the Estates drifted towards Kingdom of Poland in their political alignment. Norman Housley noted that "The alienation of the Prussian Estates represented a massive political failure on the part of the Order".Norman Housley, "The Later Crusades, 1274-1580: From Lyons to Alcazar", Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0198221363, [http://books.google.com/books?id=JQP2F2q9xDkC&pg=PA369&dq=%22Prussian+estates%22+failure&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U3UVeccihxLTRm0zlw6Lsw35toE6w Google Print, p.339] ] At first, the estates opposed Order more passively, by denying requests for additional taxes and support in Order wars with Poland; by 1440s Prussian estates would act openly, rebelling against the Order and siding with Poland militarily (see Lizard Union, Prussian Confederation and the Thirteen Years' War).

The estates would eventually see themselves governed by Kingdom of Poland (first the western Prussia, which became known as the Royal Prussia after the Second Peace of Thorn ended the Thirteen Years' War in 1466, later the eastern lands, known as the Duchy of Prussia, after the Prussian Homage in 1525) and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (after the Union of Lublin in 1569).Hajo Holborn, "A History of Modern Germany: 1648-1840", Princeton University Press, 1982, ISBN 0691007969, [http://books.google.com/books?id=yeXYMV3CZ0IC&pg=PA58&vq=Prussian+estates&dq=%22Prussian+estates%22&lr=&as_brr=3&source=gbs_search_s&sig=ACfU3U3gEc_KDJFTf8dpMnps84ZxNLdlHQ Google Print, p.58] ] Under Poland sovereignty, Prussians, particularly those from the Royal Prussia, saw their liberties confirmed and expanded; local cities would prosper economically (Danzig would become the largest and richest city in the Commonwealth), and local nobility would fully participate in the benefits of Golden Liberty, such as the right to elect the king. Royal Prussia, as a direct part of the Kingdom of Poland (and later Commonwealth) had more influence on Polish (Commonwealth) politic and more privileges than the Duchy of Prussia, which remained a fief (for example, while nobles from the Royal Prussia had their own sejmiks, Sejm and Senate representatives, those from the Duchy did not. Royal Prussia had also its own parliament, the Prussian "Landesrat", although it was partially incorporated into the Commonwealth Sejm after the Union of Lublin, it remained a distinct feature of Royal Prussia.Karin Friedrich, "The Other Prussia: Royal Prussia, Poland and Liberty, 1569-1772", Cambridge University Press, 2006, ISBN 0521027756, [http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kpulHjDt8UEC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=%22Prussian+estates%22&ots=zDDwX-j_Jb&sig=dS04WCP9crfZjgIE4ppI0iEcgFQ#PPA31,M1 Google Print, p.31] ]

With the waning power of the Commonwealth from mid-17th century they'd drift under the influence of German Kingdom of Prussia (first the Duchy of Prussia, after Treaty of Oliwa in 1660, then the Royal Prussia, after the First Partition of Poland in 1772), under whose absolutist rule their power would be increasingly limited. [F. L. Carsten, "The New Cambridge Modern History: volume V: the ascendancy of France 1648-88", CUP Archive, 1961, ISBN 0521045444, [http://books.google.com/books?id=FzQ9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA549&vq=Kalckstein&dq=Christian+von+Kalckstein&lr=&as_brr=3&source=gbs_search_s&cad=1&sig=ACfU3U0T62R8SYXVaCy3Bnf7WcvgmWH8MQ Google Print, p.549] ] [Margaret Shennan, "The Rise of Brandenburg-Prussia", Routledge, 1995, ISBN 0415129389, [http://books.google.com/books?id=OaWtEBCFLIwC&pg=PA34&dq=Christian+von+Kalckstein&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U2zjeWXcmSpoV7M-5Dq5AwUMGZOIg Google Print, p.34] ]

ee also

*parliament of Prussia
*sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

References

Further reading

* Karol Górski, "Royal Prussian Estates in the Second Half of the Fifteenth Century and Their Relation to the Crown of Poland." Acta Poloniae Historica 10 (1964), 49-64
* Mallek, J., "A Political Triangle: Ducal Prussian Estates, Prussian Rulers and Poland; The Policy of the City of Koenigsberg versus Poland, 1525-1701", PARLIAMENTS ESTATES AND REPRESENTATION, 1995, VOL 15; NUMBER COM, pages 25-36
* Mallek, J., "The Royal Prussian estates and the Kingdom of Poland in the years 1454/1466-1569. Centralism and particularism in reciprocity", PARLIAMENTS ESTATES AND REPRESENTATION, 2007, VOL 27, pages 111-128
* Mallek, J., "The Prussian estates and the question of religious toleration, 1500-1800", PARLIAMENTS ESTATES AND REPRESENTATION, 1999, VOL 19, pages 65-72