Malbork Castle (Ordensburg Marienburg) is a castle built on the right bank of the Nogat, erected in various stages from 1280 to the mid-15th century by the Teutonic Order. Initially the conventual seat of the commander, from 1309, after Siegfried von Feuchtwangen moved the capital of the order to Malbork, seat of the grand masters of the Teutonic Order and of the authorities of the Teutonic Order until 1457. In 1457 it was the residence of the Polish kings, from 1466 the seat of the Royal Prussian authorities, from 1568 the seat of the Maritime Commission, in 1772 it was occupied by the administration of the Kingdom of Prussia and devastated in the years 1773–1804; rebuilt in the years 1817–1842 and 1882–1944, destroyed in 1945, rebuilt again since 1947; in 1949 registered in the register of monuments, in 1994 recognized as a historical monument, in 1997 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List; since 1961 it has been the seat of the Castle Museum in Malbork.
Preparations for construction began in the year 1278, when felling and gathering of building materials (bricks, wood, foundation stones) began. The beginning of the first stage of the castle's construction can be dated to at least 1280 (from the beginning of construction to the transfer of the convent from nearby Zantyr). The fortress that was built at this stage was a commander's castle. Until 1300 a perimeter wall was built in the High Castle, and the vault of the north wing, where the most important rooms were later placed: the chapel, the chapter house and the bedrooms (bedrooms), then the west wing was partially raised, which it housed the commander's chamber and the refectory. The southern and eastern parts were closed off with wooden buildings that housed warehouses, workshops and stables. Construction of the outer court was also started on the north side (now the Middle Castle). Another important element of the castle was the defensive tower, which was connected to the castle to the south-west, called Gdansk. It was to play the role of a sanitary tower and defense end point. It was also an observation point towards the parallel city of Malbork. The second, built at the end of the 13th century, known as the "tick", was built on the opposite corner from Gdansk. Originally it had a defensive importance, after the extension of the castle it lost importance. The entire building is surrounded by a perimeter wall and a moat.
