Pokrzywno

Poland, Poland

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Pokrzywno is a historic village in Grudziądz County, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-central Poland.

The area has been part of Poland since the country’s formation in the 10th century and was first recorded in 1222 under the Latin name Copriven. In 1242, the Teutonic Order built a castle there on the site of an older Slavic fort, which later became a commandery between 1278 and 1416.

The castle was taken by the Polish army in 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War and granted by King Władysław II Jagiełło to Dobiesław of Oleśnica. Over the centuries, it suffered repeated damage—first by fires, then by Swedish forces during the 17th-century Deluge—but was continually rebuilt by local governors. By the late 18th century, parts of the castle had collapsed, and its stones were used as building material for nearby villages.

Today, Pokrzywno remains a small rural settlement known for its peaceful countryside and the ruins of the medieval Teutonic castle that recall its deep historical roots.