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The Hussites

Often bloody battles were fought near Konitz. When the Hussites invaded Pomerania in 1433, the first castle they attacked was in Konitz. At that time, in the town stayed the Komtur of Balga, a the castle near Königsberg (Królewiec). The Komtur together with the chaplain who, it was a rare case on those days, distinguished himself with accurate shooting from a pistol. Hussites tried all possible means to conquer the town. In order to approach the less defended side of the town walls, they drained the north lake using deep trench. But they were too impatient, starting assault too early, when swampy bottom of the lake was not yet dried: many of the attackers drowned. Some Czech count (according to Długosz, the person was Pole, Piotr Oporowski) who was almost drowning near the wall, in despair asked the town defenders for mercy then after the rope was pull down he was rescued with the four other noblemen; next they were washed, and komtur thoughtfully gave them fresh cloths and allowed them to go back to a camp. In return for such courtesy Hussites freed 500 captives. The same day, in vain attempts, three times in different places, Hussites tried to conquer Konitz. They started to shoot at the town and dig under the town’s walls; in the attempt to destroy the town they kept it under the cross fire from the four sides. In great fear, inhabitants of the town went to the place where the icon of the Saint Mary was brought shortly before Hussites were approaching Konitz, and they prayed. Luckily, the town did not suffer under intensely fired projectiles. A chronicler wrote that one time during the artillery assault, the stone projectile of the size bigger than a bucket hit a church full of people and did not make much damage landing with spin in the middle of the church floor. When defenders were able to nail down one of the cannons belonging to attackers, Hussites started digging the underground passage, but burghers of the town interrupted the operation. The above-mentioned chaplain helped breaking the siege by shooting from the walls at places where enemies gathered in a great number killing many of them. The siege lasted 6 weeks. Even the soldiers sent by Jan Ostroróg in support of the attackers did not break barricades. Afterwards Hussites moved farther north leaving the town alone with almost one thousand of dead corpses lying near the fortress. However, the invaders killed all inhabitants from the town’s surrounding areas.