Bezledy Explained

Bezledy
Settlement Type:Village
Total Type: 
Pushpin Map:Poland
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Voivodeship
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Bartoszyce
Subdivision Type3:Gmina
Subdivision Name3:Bartoszyce
Coordinates:54.3225°N 20.7281°W
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Population Total:470
Registration Plate:NBA
Blank Name Sec2:National roads

Bezledy (German: Beisleiden)[1] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bartoszyce, within Bartoszyce County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia.[2] It lies approximately 10km (10miles) north-west of Bartoszyce and 620NaN0 north of the regional capital Olsztyn.

The village is the main border crossing point between Russia and Poland (Bezledy/Bagrationovsk).

History

An Old Prussian castle named Beselede, property of the Natangian nobleman Posdraupote, was first mentioned in a chronicle of the Teutonic Order in 1274, when the castle had been besieged by Sudovians. The village was mentioned as an Old Prussian settlement in 1338 and in 1400 as the property of Philipp von Beisleiden with a size of 20 "Hufen", a square measure of the Teutonic Knights. Throughout the Polish-Teutonic Hunger War of 1414 the settlement was destroyed by Polish troops, who killed 3 men and caused a damage of 300 Mark. In 1440, Philipp von Beisleiden, owner of the village, joined the Prussian Confederation, opposing the rule of the Teutonic Knights.[3] In 1454, King Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporated the region to the Kingdom of Poland upon the request of the Prussian Confederation.[4] After the subsequent Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), the village became a part of Poland as a fief held by Teutonic Order.[5] In 1484 the von Prömock family, a noble family of Old Prussian origin, was mentioned as owner of the village, which lasted until 1671.

From the 18th century, the village formed part of the Kingdom of Prussia, and from 1871 it was also part of Germany, within which it was administratively located in the province of East Prussia. After a time of constantly changing landlords the village was bought by Ludwig von Oldenburg in 1801, whose family owned the manor until 1945. The manor house was completely destroyed in 1945.[6]

Notable residents

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kaemmerer, Margarete. Ortsnamenverzeichnis der Ortschaften jenseits von Oder u. Neiße . 2004. 3-7921-0368-0. German.
  2. Web site: Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal) . 2008-06-01 . Polish.
  3. Book: Górski, Karol. Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych. 1949. Instytut Zachodni. Poznań. pl. XXXVII.
  4. Górski, p. 54
  5. Górski, pp. 96–97, 214–215
  6. Horst Schulz, Der Kreis Preußisch Eylau, Verden 1983 (German)