Barczewko

History

Barczewko was established in the 1320s by vogt Friedrich von Liebenzelle. It had an associated castle, but its location has not been established. The settlement was established on a promontory to northeast of Lake Wadag. Bounded by ditches and earthen ramparts, the site of the medieval village was roughly oval and measured along its axes. Barczewko was a planned settlement, with organised streets, a central square, a church and cemetery, and a bathhouse. The main construction material used at Barczewko was timber, with little use of stone or brick. The 14th-century chronicler Wigand von Marburg recorded that in 1354 "Kęstutis and Algirdas, along with their nobles etc., rushed to Wartenberg in the land of Gunelauken, which they destroyed in a hostile manner with fire, etc. and nobody escaped their hands". Kęstutis and Algirdas were brothers and joint Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The destruction of Barczewko and its population was typical of the conflict between the two parties. The fire may have been deliberately spread across the town as the buildings were not densely arranged. The village was later rebuilt but further to the east of the original location. The village church dates from 1582. It formed part of the Kingdom of Poland until it was annexed by Prussia in the First Partition of Poland in 1772. In the late 19th century, it had a population of 650, solely Polish by nationality. In 1920, the Germans attacked and disrupted Polish rallies held in the village.