The Rebellion

Those years Königsberg had been a residence of Samland’s komtur. The military operations moved in a way, different to the one, the Teutonics wanted. The Prussians didn’t want to reconcile themselves with the power of the order on their lands and they were desperately standing up to the enemy. Even before the foundation of the Königsberg fortress in 1242 a big rebellion had flared up in Sambia. People were crushing carts on roads, destroying castles, and burning monks on fires. In 1248 the Grand Master had to make peace. In fact, it was a deception, in order to gain time. The knights went on robbing the people, burning the settlements, and taking the people away to slavery. In 1260 the Prussians rose in fight again. 9 from the 11 captive duchies were involved in it. It was a great rebellion. In 1262 the rebels besieged the Königsberg fortress and burnt the first German settlement-Steindamm. The struggle was led by people’s leaders. The history has kept their names. The standard of liberty in Natangia was raised by Herkus Mantas. For a long time he had been a hostage of the Teutonic knights and he was brought up by them. Being with the knights, he had learnt the language of the enemies, the fight technique, and the ways of using weapons. Then he ran away to his people. In the region of Warnia Glappe has headed the rebels, and in Bartia the leaders were Diwanus and Bär. Also among the leaders were Glande, Klano, Aucktom and many other popular avengers. The name of the head of the rebels who had assaulted the fortress and burnt the Steindamm church was Nalube. Having lost more than a half of his army, the Grand Master Heidrugen asked for help the Pope and the Emperor to Rome in 1273. Having got the reinforcement the Teutonic knights started punishing the local people with incredible cruelty. The popular hero Herkus Mantas died of the sword stab. Diwanus and Bär died during the assault of knights’ fortress. Glappe was hanged. From 200.000 Prussians not more than 40.000 had survived.