Brodnica

At the beginning of the 14th century the Teutonic Knights built a castle, which was the seat of the Brodnica commandery. Today, a 54-metre high tower overlooking the town reminds us of its existence. The Polish army fought against the Teutonic Knights for many years until their rule was finally ended by the Second Toruń Peace Treaty, concluded in 1466, which ended the Thirteen Year War. But Brodnica became Polish only after 13 years, because the town remained under the occupation of the Bohemian army waiting for the payment of outstanding pay. Polish starosts took the place of commanders. Between 1485 and 1604 the Brodnica starosty was in the hands of the Działyński family. Their seat was initially the Teutonic Knights' castle, and after the fire of the city and the castle in 1550, a palace was built in the front yard by Rafał Działyński. In 1604 King Sigismund III Vasa granted the Brodnica Starosty to his sister Anna Vasa, who created here a strong intellectual centre, boasting religious tolerance. Interested in music and literature, the princess became a patron of young artists and people with scientific passions. She was passionate about botany and herbology, grew medicinal plants and made her own medicines. She carried out her duties as a starost's wife in two centres. In 1611 she also took over the Golub starosty. Anna Vasa died on February 6, 1625 in Brodnica. Unlike her brother, King Sigismund III Vasa, a staunch Catholic, the queen was a Protestant. Because of her religion, she was not allowed to be buried in the family crypt of the Vasa family, located in the Catholic Wawel Cathedral. For 11 years her body was waiting for burial in one of the rooms of the castle in Brodnica. In 1636 Anna Vasa's nephew, King Władysław IV, gave her a funeral worthy of the royal family. Her eternal resting place was the then Protestant Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Toruń. Anna Vasa still looks at her town. The wall of the tenement house at ul. Paderewskiego 2 is now decorated with an image of the Swedish princess.