Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Basementboy on 18 January 2025, 11:47:43 AM
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Hello all! I'm getting two conflicting results on the flag of Konigsberg around the time of Grunwald- one with a rose and a lion, the other with the regular teutonic cross and a lion underneath- any advice on which is the accuarate flag? Or should I just say stuff it and pick whichever looks cooler?
Thanks very much in advance :)
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Basementboy. I've found reference to a 1410 flag of Konigsberg different to both you describe. The one I have seen has a white upper half containing a red crown and a red lower half with a white cross. I also saw this flag in Malbork castle in Poland amongst a collection of reconstructions of flags apparently captured at Grunwald. I'm attaching a photo I took.
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SJWi, you are a legend. Thank you very much indeed.
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I don't know if I am a legend but it does make my holiday to Poland worthwhile. Some great museums and really harrrowing history which isn't appreciated much in Western Europe. Happy to share more photos albeit not exactly sure what period everything was.
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Basementboy. This morning I finally located my old copy of Ian Heath's "Armies of the Middle Ages vol 2" which covers this period. It includes a selection of banners taken from a 1448 book of the 52 captured banners kept in Krakow Cathedral until 1940. The one labelled (h) is the Komturei of Konigsberg. It is a silver lion on a red background under the arms of the order.
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I should have checked my photos from Malbork. The reconstruction is in this one.
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Banner with white lion on red is the banner of Komturei of Konigsberg, led by Hauskomtur (deputy to the komtur) Hanus von Haydek during Grunwald battle.
Banner with crown and cross is the banner of City of Konigsberg ( Old City of Konigsberg or banner of Kniphof. Kniphof/Knipawa was quarter of Konigsberg.) Under this banner fought welthier burghers and hired knights. Banner was propably led by Konigsberg Mayor Konrad Marscheide.
Third banner related to Konigsberg is banner of Bishopric of Sambia (bishop resided in the city) - red sword crossed with red crosier on white field. Not much info about this banner, chronicler mixed it with another bishopric banner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSj63SC72cY
Eng subs available. Visuals are a little amusing but informations are pretty solid, based on "Banderia Apud Grunwald" A. Klein, N. Sekunda , K. A.Czernielewski, it can be found on the net in english.