Smolajny

History

The village was founded in 1290 by Bishop of Warmia Heinrich Fleming. From 1350 it served as the summer residence of the prince-bishops of Warmia. It was destroyed by war in 1414, 1454, 1519–21 and 1709 and was rebuilt each time. In 1454, it was incorporated to Poland by King Casimir IV Jagiellon upon the request of the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation, and confirmed as part of Poland in 1466. It was the favourite summer residence of leading Polish Enlightenment poet Ignacy Krasicki. It was annexed by Prussia in the First Partition of Poland in 1772, and from 1871 it also formed part of Germany. In 1945, after the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, Smolajny became again part of Poland. In 1975–98 Smolajny belonged administratively to Olsztyn Voivodeship.