The Warmian Chapter Castle in Olsztyn is the city’s oldest building and one of the most valuable examples of Gothic defensive architecture in Warmia. Built in the mid-14th century on a bend in the River Łyna, it belonged to the Warmian Chapter for over four hundred years, and its most famous resident was Nicolaus Copernicus. Since 1945, it has been the home of the Museum of Warmia and Mazury.
Genesis
Construction of the stone castle began around 1345. The work was carried out in stages, and in 1353, when Olsztyn was granted town privileges, the charter already mentioned the castle along with its outer bailey, mill and mill stream. The stronghold was built on a naturally defensive hill in a bend of the river. The town developed to its south-east, and was separated from the town by a moat fed by the waters of the Łyna.
The oldest part of the castle is the northern residential wing, probably completed around 1373, and the perimeter wall with its gate. The stronghold was owned by the Warmian Chapter, which, together with the bishop, remained under the military protection of the Teutonic Order until 1454.
The Polish-Teutonic Wars
For this reason, the castle played a part in the Polish–Teutonic Wars. In 1410, following the Battle of Grunwald, it surrendered without a fight, and in the autumn it returned to the chapter. In 1414, during the Famine War, Polish troops captured it after a siege lasting several days. During the Thirteen Years’ War (1454–1466), the stronghold changed hands several times. Following the Peace of Toruń in 1466, Warmia came under the authority of the Kingdom of Poland.
Nicolaus Copernicus at the castle
The chapter entrusted the administration of its estates to an administrator elected from among the canons. Between 1516 and 1521, with a brief interruption, this role was held by Nicolaus Copernicus. He organised the defence of Olsztyn against the Teutonic Knights during the last Polish–Teutonic War – in 1521, after a single failed assault, the attackers withdrew from the town.
An astronomical table made by Copernicus has been preserved on the wall of the cloister. It was used to observe the Sun and is the only astronomical instrument of his that has survived to this day. In the 16th century, the castle was also visited by the bishops of Warmia and the writers Jan Dantyszek and Marcin Kromer, the latter of whom consecrated the castle’s St Anne’s Chapel in 1580.
Architecture
The castle was built of brick on a stone foundation, on a quadrilateral plan. The north wing housed a chapel, a refectory and the administrator’s quarters with an office on the upper floor. The upper storeys served storage and defensive purposes, and goods were hoisted up via a shaft cut into the thickness of the wall. From the outside, the wing was adorned with two pinnacled gables. At the beginning of the 16th century, the refectory and the administrator’s chamber were fitted with ribbed vaults.
The south wing, which was under construction until around 1429, was fitted on the outside with an overhanging wooden ‘hurdycja’ – a defensive porch with a timber-framed structure. The roof trusses preserved in both wings date from around 1373 and 1429. In the western corner stands a tower which, in the early 16th century, was fitted with a cylindrical superstructure on a square base, bringing its height to around 40 metres. The castle was surrounded by a second ring of lower walls with towers and connected to the town’s fortifications.
Modern times
Over time, the Gothic wings lost their military significance and proved unsuitable for habitation. In 1758, a Baroque wing was built on the town-facing side of the palace and an access road was laid out, with part of the walls being demolished in the process. In 1779, Ignacy Krasicki, Bishop of Warmia, stayed here. Following the First Partition of Poland in 1772, Warmia was incorporated into Prussia, and the castle became the property of the Prussian state. In 1821, the tower lost its spire during a storm, and in 1845, the bridge over the moat was replaced by a causeway and the moat was drained.
The 20th century
Between 1901 and 1911, the castle served as the seat of the president of the newly established Olsztyn Province, which entailed a thorough renovation and the reconstruction of parts of the interior. In 1921, a regional museum was established there, and in 1926, after more than a hundred years, the tower was once again fitted with a spire. The castle survived the Second World War without major damage and, in 1945, became the seat of the Masurian Museum, now known as the Museum of Warmia and Masuria.
Surroundings of the castle
The moat is separated from the town by a causeway. One section of the causeway is home to the Czesław Niemen Amphitheatre, whilst at the entrance to the causeway stands a bench featuring a statue of Copernicus, dating from 2003. The courtyard features old stone figures known as ‘Prussian women’ and a boundary stone dating from the period of the plebiscite. The Podzamcze Park on the River Łyna stretches around the castle.
The castle today
From 14 September 2026, the castle and the Museum of Warmia and Mazury housed within it will be closed to visitors for three years due to renovation work funded by the FEnIKS programme. During this time, the museum invites visitors to its other branches, including the Museum of Natural History and the „Dom Gazety Olsztyńskiej” Museum in Olsztyn, the Bishop’s Castle in Lidzbark Warmiński, the Museum of Upper Prussia in Morąg, the Masurian Museum in Szczytno and the Museum in Mrągowo. The castle and its surroundings can be viewed from the outside whilst strolling through the Old Town and Podzamcze Park.
