MILESTONES OF BALTIC PRUSSIAN HISTORY

This is the history of Prussia, from it's first known mention to it's last days of existence as a state. This outline takes no side and favors neither German nor Polish nor Lithuanian historiography. Our concern is the Prussian people. Be it Herkus Monte, Nicolaus Coppernicus or Immanuel Kant, his achievements will be noted accordingly.

ca. 98 B.C.

name of the West Baltic tribes Aestiorum gentes mentioned for the first time by Cornelius Tacitus in his GERMANIA, XLV (the name Hesti(s), Aesti/ Aisti, Êstum being mentioned afterwards ca. 524 by Cassiodorus, ca. 550 by Jordanes, ca. 831 by Einhardt, ca. 890 by Wulfstan)

ca. 180 A.D.

names of the West Baltic tribes Galindians (Galindai) and Soudovians (Soudinoi) mentioned for the first time by Claudius Ptolemaeus

ca. 5th-9th c.

the Prussians develop trade (mostly with their amber and its products) down the "Amber Way" up to Pannonia; Truso (Drûsô) - the main center of the Prussian trade in the North

6th c.

religious and legal patriarchal reforms in Prussia by Widewuto (Wîdewutis) and Brudeno (Prutenis)

ca. 523

The Ostrogoth king Theodoric addresses the Aestian (West Baltic) people in a letter, thanking them for gifts of amber and establishing further trade.

9th-10th c.

Swedish and Danish vikings in Prussia - trade and military centers in Truso (Drûsô), Wiskiauten (Wiskjautâi), Russ; Prussian warriors in vikings' military marches forming Novgorod Rus (Russia - the Prussian Street in Novgorod from 1185)

9th c.

the name Bruzzi 'Prussians' mentioned for the first time by a Bavarian Geographer

965

the name 'Prussians' (Burûs) for the second time mentioned in Arabic by Ibrâhîm ibn-Ya'qûb, Jewish traveller from Spain

997

the Prussians kill Adalbert of Prague, the first Christian missionary, not because of his preaching but because of his having profaned Prussian forest sanctuary

11th-13th c.

Prussian-Polish wars

ca. 1075

Adam of Bremen names the Prussian Samlandians homines humanissimi "a most humane people" ("History of the Bishops of Hamburg"; IV) and mentions their trade by sea with Sweden

12th c.

misfortunes of the Poles in their wars against the Prussians

1201, 1202

founding of Riga and of the Order of Brothers of the Sword in Livonia (Latvia); beginning of German conquering of Latvians, Livians (Livonians) and Estonians

1215

the Pope Innocentus III names Christian the Monk the first bishop of Prussia

1225

Konrad, the Polish Duke of Mazovia invites the Teutonic Order of St. Mary to fight against Prussians

1230

the Pope Gregorius IX charges the Order with the Crusade and conquest of Prussia; Konrad the Duke presents the Polonized Prussian land of Kulm to the Order thus predestining centuries of disaster for Polish, Prussian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and other Central European nations

1231

founding of Thorn in the land of Kulm by the Germans under the Great Master Hermann von Salza

1236, 11.22

the defeat at Saule (Šiauliai) of the Brothers of the Sword in their attempt to raid the Lithuanian lowlands (Samogithia); hereinafter the Lithuanians prevent uniting of the Brothers of the Sword with the Teutonic Order, thus saving the Baltics from total Germanization

1236, 1237

the German knights conquer the Prussian lands of Pomesania (Pamedê) and Pogesania (Pagudê) with the towns of Truso (Drûsô) and Elbing (newly founded as German)

1237

unification of the Brothers of the Sword in the North and the Teutonic Order in the South into one common Teutonic Order

1240

the Germans conquer Varmia (Warmê) and attack Notangia (Nôtangô) and Bartha (Bartô)

1241

Prussian parrying of an attack by Mongols at Liegnitz

1242

help of the Southern branch of the Teutonic Order to its Northern branch and defeat of the Brothers on the Ice of the Lake Peipus (Estonia) in the battle against Orthodox Russian Duke Alexandre of Neva

1242-1249

as a result, the first revolt of the subdued Prussians

1249

the peace of Christburg, Notangia and Bartha become German

1251

in order to escape the German-Catholic aggression, Mendocus (Mindaugas, Mendog), the Grand Duke of Lithuania, accepts the Catholic faith

1252

the Germans, while attacking Lithuanian Samogithia from Livonia, fortify on the Curonian sea coast by founding the fortress of Mümmel (future Memel) near the Curonian site Klaipêda

1253

Mindaugas is crowned the King of Lithuania and acknowledges vassalage to the Roman Pope; for the sake of peace he presents part of ethnic Lithuanian lands, Scalovia and Nadrovia (future parts of the Duchy of Prussia) and the Samogithian lowlands to the Germans.

1255

violating the peace of Christburg, the German knights attack Samlandia where Königsberg is founded in the name of the Bohemian king Ottokar near the Prussian fortress of Twanxta over the river Pregel (Preigara)

1257

the Germans conquer Samlandia and attack Nadrovia

1260, 07.13

the first battle between the Lithuanians and the Germans of the Southern branch of the Teutonic Order together with their Northern "Brothers" at Durbe near Libau (Liepâja in Latvia); historical defeat of the Germans and crash of the German dream to unite geographically the Northern and the Southern branches of the Teutonic Order by conquering all Samogithia and thus to enslave Lithuania and subdue all the Baltics; the future for the state of Lithuania, as well as even for the new states of Estonia and Latvia in far 1918, becomes ensured.

1260-1274

the great Prussian revolt under Henricus (Herkus) Monte (Montemin) of Notangia, Glande of Samlandia, Glappus of Varmia, Auctume of Pogesania, Diwanus of Bartha against the Teutonic Order as a result of the defeat of the Germans at Durbe; all Prussia liberated except main German fortresses

1261

seeing that his baptism has not stopped the German aggression, Mindaugas the King of Lithuania abandons Christianity and returns to Baltic paganism

1262

siege of Königsberg by Herkus Monte

1263

murder of Mindaugas by conspirators; the Pope organizes a Crusade from all over Europe against the Prussians; all-European war against the Prussians begins

1273

Herkus Monte falls in Nadrovia

1274

defeat of the Prussians; the internationalized Teutonic Order attack Nadrovia, Scalovia and Soudovia (the central land of the Western Balts Yatvingians)

1276

the Lithuanian Grand Duke Traidenis (Troiden) accepts Prussian and Barthan refugees from Prussia, and settles them in Southern Lithuania around the areas of Grodno (Gardinas), Slonim, and Volkovijsk (all of the above now part of Belarus), and the Pelesa river valley; princes of the Volhynian Rus try to stop this settlement unsuccessfully. Other Prussian refugees settle in Central Lithuania.

1283

the Germans conquer the last Western Balts Yatvingians in Soudovia and deport 1600 of them into so named "Soudovian Corner" in North-Western Samlandia; the last Yatvingian chief Scurdo escapes to Lithuania together with his soldiers

1283-1525

theocratic Catholic state of the Teutonic Order, Prussia - an independent Baltic state

1295

the last unsuccessful Prussian revolt

13/14 c.

thematic vocabulary of 802 Prussian words, known as Elbing Vocabulary, appears

1308-1309

Pomerelle ("West Prussia") becomes part of Prussia

1309-1457

Marienburg is the capital of Prussia

1309

the Grand Master bans Order's officers to speak to people in Prussian

1370, 02.17

the Lithuanians, led by the Grand Duke Kinstut (Kestutis) and the Grand Duke Olgierd (Algirdas) are crushed at Rudau, the Order Marshal Henning Schindekop, 2 Comturs, 23 knights and 200 soldiers being killed at the Order's side

1386

Jagiello (Jogaila), the Grand Duke of Lithuania, accepts Catholic faith and baptizes Lithuania; he marries Hedwig, the Queen of Poland and becomes Wladislaw II, King of Poland

1390

peace and trade treaty between the Order and the Samogithians is signed in Königsberg

1409-1411

war between Prussia and Poland

1410, 07.15

defeat of the Order in the battle against united Polish-Lithuanian army under Jagiello (Jogaila), the King of Poland, and his cousin Witold (Vytautas), the Grand Duke of Lithuania, at Tannenberg/ Grunwald and the subsequent siege of Marienburg; collapse of the Order state begins; free Prussians flee to German towns to escape being sold together with their land into serfdom to hired military leaders for Order's debts - beginning of their linguistic assimilation in towns and of the loss of their Prussian language; mass migration of cheap Polish peasants from Mazovia - beginning of the formation on their basis of the Polish-speaking ethnic group of Prussian Mazurs with Prussian, German and Lithuanian elements

1411

the first peace treaty between Prussia and Poland is signed in Thorn

1422

peace treaty between Prussia and Lithuania is signed near the lake of Melno; the Grand Duke Vytautas waives Lithuanian claims to possess the region of Memel while the Order abandons its policy to conquer Lithuania

1440

an anti-theocratic Prussian Union is set up by Prussian secular nobility (53 nobles and 19 towns united)

1454

revolt of Prussian nobility against the Order, the Prussian Union declares the Polish king Sigismund the King of Prussia

1454-1466

the Thirteen-Years War between the Order and Poland

1457

the Grand Master flees from Marienburg to Königsberg, Marienburg goes under the Polish crown

1466

the second peace treaty between Prussia and Poland is signed in Thorn

1473-1543

life of the great Prussian Nicolaus Coppernicus (Niklas Kapperniks)

1485-1548

life of Dantiscus/Dantyszek, poet and patron of the arts; was granted a doctorate degree and a title of nobility and by Emperor Maximilian I for his literary work; in 1530 he took the position of bishop in Kulm, and in 1537 - of Varmia.

1491

Coppernicus immatriculates himself at the University of Krakow as a Prusso

1511

margrave Albrecht Hohenzollern of Brandenburg-Ansbach becomes the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Order

1517

Reformation starts in Wittenberg

1520-1521

the last unsuccessful war of the Order (Northern Prussia) against Poland

1523, 09.27

the first Lutheran sermon at the Cathedral of Königsberg

1525

peace treaty between the Order and Poland; Albrecht Hohenzollern abandons Catholicism and becomes a Lutheran Grand Duke of secularized Lutheran Duchy of Prussia, a vassal state of the King of Poland; the rest of Prussia remains in the possession of the Polish king under the name Royal Prussia; remnants of the Teutonic Order are expelled from Prussia; the district of Lithuania (Lithuania Minor) is formed in the Duchy of Prussia

1525-1568

immigration of Dutchmen into the liberal Duchy of Prussia

1525-1528

peasants' uprising in the Duchy of Prussia

1529

the epidemic of "English Sweat" carries off 25000 lives in the Duchy

1544, 08.17

on the initiative of the Duke Albrecht the university of Königsberg (future Albertina) is inaugurated, the Lutheran staff having been invited from Germany and Lithuania Proper

1545

two versions (first - with linguistic and dogmatic Arianic mistakes) of the Catechismus in Prussian appear

1547

the first Lithuanian book is published in Königsberg

1549-1550

a plague epidemic carries off 15000 lives in the Duchy of Prussia

1552

first translation of the New Testament into Polish is published in Königsberg; Andreas Osiander, one of the first Lutheran sectarians, dies during a theological debate in Königsberg

1557

the Valak laws, instituted by Sigismund Augustus, the King of Poland ensure Barthan freedom from serfdom; the descendants of the Prussian Barthan refugees in South and Central Lithuania are given various legal privileges because of their skill as bridge-builders.

1561

the 3rd Prussian Catechismus - translation of Martin Luther's "Enchiridion" by Abel Will and Paul Megott - is published in Königsberg

1566

struggle between believers of Melanchthonian Lutheranism and the followers of Osiander gains political character, persecution of the Osiandrismus begins

1568

flight of the Duke Albrecht from Königsberg and his death in Tapiau; his insane son Albrecht Friedrich becomes the second Duke of Prussia

1569

in accordance to the Union at Lublin, Poland, Lithuania and Royal Prussia are united into one state under the Polish crown; the Duchy of Prussia declares the law of succession of the ruling over it of Hohenzollerns of Brandenburg

1577

the Regent Georg Friedrich removes Albrecht Friedrich and becomes Duke of Prussia

1603-1618

return of Duke Albrecht Friedrich as the ruler of Prussia

1605-1659

life of the great Prussian poet Simon Dach

1618

the Elector Johann Sigismund of Brandenburg becomes the Duke of Prussia; personal Union between the German Duchy of Brandenburg is established

1618-1648

the Thirty-Years war in the "Holy Roman Empire" and the intervention of the Swedes; Prussia declares its neutrality which becomes partly recognized by the Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus

1619-1640

the Elector of Brandenburg, Georg Wilhelm as Duke of Prussia (died in Königsberg)

1626-1629

Gustavus Adolphus occupies the harbor of Pillau in Prussia

1629

Gustavus Adolphus declares an armistice with Poland in order to attack Germany

1635

defeat of the Swedes at Nördlingen in Germany

1640-1688

the Great Elector, Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg, as Duke of Prussia

1655-1660

Karl X Gustavus, the King of Sweden, attacks Poland and Lithuania, occupying near all the territory of the common state

1656, 01

the Great Elector concludes a treaty of Prussian neutrality with Sweden, in accordance to which Sweden would help Prussia to abolish vassalage from Poland and to regain the Varmian bishopric from it

1657

the Swedes undergoing misfortune, the Great Elector allies with Germany and seeks peace with Poland

1657, 09.29

the treaty of Wehlau: the Prussian vassalage from Poland is abolished but the Varmian bishopric remains Polish

1660

peace treaty of Oliva between Sweden, Poland and Prussia acknowledges the sovereignty of Brandenburg in Prussia

1663

homage of the Prussian nobility to the Great Elector: peace with the nobility as a start point on the way toward the absolutism

1678, 11

the Swedes attack Prussia from their occupied Livonia

1679

in a winter battle the Prussian army under the Great Elector drives the Swedes out from Prussia

1685

Prussia begins to admit refugees Huguenots from France

1688-1701

Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg as the last Duke of Prussia

1700-1721

the Northern War of Sweden against Denmark, Saxony, Poland and Russia (later also against Prussia and Hannover)

1701, 01.18

Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg, the Duke of Prussia, in return for helping the Habsburgs in the War of Spanish succession, is crowned by the Holy Roman Emperor as Friedrich I, the "King in Prussia" (died in 1713); crowned in Königsberg, the title of king acknowledged because Prussia lies outside geographical Germany, outside the Holy Roman Emperor's domain; the Duchy of Prussia together with the Duchy of Brandenburg becomes the first Lutheran kingdom: the Kingdom of Prussia; hereinafter all kings of Prussia become crowned in Königsberg and buried in Potsdam in Brandenburg while the name Prussia begins to be finally associated with Germany

1709-1711

starvation and the most devastating plague yet carries off about half of the inhabitants (mostly peasants) in the Baltic part of Prussia; last serfs, who still spoke Prussian, dye off - end of the Old Prussian ethnicity in Prussia; hereinafter only the name, old Baltic traditions and folklore continue the Baltic Prussian ethnicity merging with Prussian Lithuanian, Prussian Mazur, Prussian German and other country elements into a local New Prussian ethnicity dispersed only after 1945

1713-1740

King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia

1714

the Retablissement reforms start in the devastated land

1714-1780

life of the first secular Lithuanian poet Christian Donelaitis (Doneleitis, Donalitius), classic of the Lithuanian literature, pastor of Tolmingkehmen (Tolminkiemis) in Nadrovia

1723-1818

Königsberg as center of the Department of East Prussia

1724-1804

life of the great Königsbergian Immanuel Kant, founder of the German classical philosophy

1732

first wave of the Swiss colonists, refugees from Salzburg; foundation of the famous stud-farm in Trakehnen (Trakênai)

1736-1815

Gumbinnen (Gumbinê) as center of the Department of Lithuania (Lithuania Minor in Prussia)

1740-1786

King Friedrich II the Great, period of the French "Elegance"

1758-1762

first Russian occupation of Baltic Prussia during the Seven-Years War (1756-1763)

1772

the first partition of Poland (Polish-Lithuanian state) between Prussia and Austria: the Varmian Bishopric together with "West Prussia" are ceded to Prussia; the Baltic part of the state geographically unites with Brandenburg again after 1457 (Prussia also gets Western Poland with Gniezno and Poznan; Russia gets Livonia, i.e. Estonia and Eastern part of Latvia up to the gulf with the port of Riga; Austria gets the so-called "West Ukraine" with Lemberg/ Lwow/ Lviv)

1776-1822

life of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, classic of world literature (born in Königsberg, died in Berlin)

1786-1797

King Friedrich Wilhelm II

1793

the second partition of Poland between Prussia and Russia: Prussia gets Central Poland with Plotsk and Kalish, Russia gets Central Belarus, Central and Eastern Ukraine

1795

the third partition of Poland between Prussia and Russia: Prussia gets all remaining part of Poland, Russia gets Courland and Lithuania Proper

1797-1840

King Friedrich Wilhelm III

1807, II

defeat of Prussia and Russia in the battle at Preußisch Eylau by Napoleon; King Friedrich Wilhelm III flees to Memel (Klaipêda)

1807, 09.07

peace at Tilsit between France and Russia; Prussia is forced to accede to this treaty, giving Central Poland to Russia.

1807-1809

anti-feudal reforms of Heinrich Fr. K. vom-und-zum-Stein in Prussia, abolishment of the serfdom

1808-1809

Court of the King and Government of the Kingdom of Prussia in Königsberg

1808

humanization reform in the Prussian army by Generals Gerhard von Scharnhorst and Karl W.G. von Grolman, Field Marshals Neidhart von Gneisenau and Leopold L.H. von Boyen

1809, 04-10

Wilhelm von Humboldt, as Prussian Minister of culture, invites famous astronomer Friedrich Bessel to Königsberg from Germany

1812, 12

the army of Napoleon begins its flight from Russia

1812, 12.30

the so-called Conference at Tauroggen (Tauragê) at the mill of Pozerûnai: Prussian General Johann D.L. von Jork, without an approbation of the King, promises to Russian General Diebitsch to keep neutrality and to let Russian troops pass to Prussia to pursue Napoleon's army

1813, 01.8

General von Jork is met as a hero in Königsberg

1813, 02.5-7

Count Alexandre Fr. von Dohna having gathered representatives of Prussian estates in Königsberg, a bill is adopted to create Land Guards of 20000 soldiers and 10000 reservists on the initiative of General von Jork. The Kingdom of Prussia begins to organize liberation of Germany from Napoleon thus insuring its future role in uniting of German states into one common German Empire

1815

at the Congress of Vienna, the victorious countries in wars against Napoleon introduce new order in Europe; Russia reestablishes the Kingdom of Poland as a Russian protectorate (until 1830) on the territory of Central and North-Eastern Poland as well as of Southern part of Central Lithuania

1815

the name Department of Lithuania is substituted with the name Administrative District of Gumbinnen without the word "Lithuania"

1825

in Königsberg Ludvicus Rhesa publishes his "Dainos, or Lithuanian Folksongs" in Lithuanian and German, reviewed by J.W.Goethe and J.Grimm

1829

setting up of the Province of Prussia in the Kingdom of Prussia; historical East and West Prussia are united in this province together

1838-1918

life of Woiciech Ketrzynski (Adalbert Winkler), patron of Mazurian culture; Prussian historian and ethnographer.

1840-1861

King Friedrich Wilhelm IV

1841

J.C.Wutzke publishes one of the last geographical maps of the Kingdom of Prussia with the territory of Memel, Scalovia and Nadrovia still bearing their traditional several hundred year old name, Lithuania

1844

setting up of the Association for the Antiquity "Prussia"

1845

"Old Prussian Language", a study by Georg H.F. Nesselmann, is published in Berlin; the term 'Baltic languages' for akin Indoeuropean languages Old Prussian, Lithuanian and Latvian is introduced in this book for the first time

1848

German revolution, East and West Prussia send their representatives to German National Assembly in Frankfurt

1849-1860

building of the Ostbahn railway

1851

the first academic Lithuanian Dictionary is published in Königsberg by G.H.F. Nesselmann

1861-1888

King Wilhelm I (German Kaiser from 1871)

1862, 07.20

inauguration of the new building of Albertina, the university of Königsberg, created by Friedrich Stüler in the style of renaissance

1862, 08

Otto von Bismarck becomes Prime Minister of Prussia; as an ideologist of the leveling of minorities, he creates a secret foundation of 160 million DM to buy up the land from non-Germans

1865

the first decree by the Minister of Education to remove teaching Lithuanian in Prussian schools

1868-1953

life of Wilhelm Vydûnas-Storost , leader of Lithuanian national rebirth in Lithuania Minor, a philosopher, writer, poet and playwright, propagator of Baltic cultural identity, antiquity and pagan traditions.

1870-1871

war between Germany and France, German victory

1871, 01.18

Wilhelm I, the King of Prussia, is proclaimed Kaiser in Versailles; O. von Bismarck becomes Chancellor of the Empire

1871-1919

the 2nd German Empire

1872, 1873

complete ban of Lithuanian in Prussian schools

1874

Adalbert Bezzenberger, professor of Albertina, publishes in Goettingen the first monuments of Lithuanian literature

1877

G.H.F. Nesselmann publishes the first academic "Thesaurus of the Prussian Language" in Berlin

1878

the Province Prussia is divided into two provinces: East Prussia and West Prussia; Königsberg becomes capital of the Province East Prussia

1879-1964

life of the famous Königsbergian poetess Agnes Miegel

1879

petition of 16400 Prussian Lithuanians to the German Kaiser to bring back Lithuanian to Prussian schools

1881

Lithuanian language is allowed in two initial classes only

1882

petition of 19000 Prussian Lithuanians to the German Kaiser to bring Lithuanian to Prussian schools; A. Bezzenberger publishes in Berlin the first academic study of Prussian Lithuanian dialects

1888-1919

Wilhelm II, Kaiser of the German Empire, the King of Prussia

1901

building of the Sea Canal in Königsberg

1905

setting up of the Administrative District of Allenstein

1909

creating of the "Native Land Museum" in the North-Eastern part of the Königsberg Zoo in Hufen on the initiative of A.Bezzenberger and R.Dethlefsen; this museum with many original Lithuanian and Mazurian farmhouses and other exhibits is transferred to Hohenstein (Olsztynek) in 1935 thus becoming saved from the Soviet barbarians for times after 1945

1909-1999

life of Sigrid von Perbandt, ideologist of the rebirth of Old Prussian tradition.

1914-1919

the first World War, defeat of Germany

1914, 08-09

the revenge of 1410: Field Marshal von Hindenburg routs the Russian army at Tannenberg

1914, 09.11

the Russian army, led by General Samsonov is defeated in Mazurland

1918

saving their power, the Soviet bolsheviks sign up a peace treaty with Germany at Brest Litovsk thus opening way for the liberation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania from the Russian yoke

1920, 01.10

the Treaty of Versailles of June 28, 1919, comes into force: the German Empire gives its place to Weimar Republic, Prussia becomes a Free State, the Memel/ Klaipêda region being separated and ruled by French directorate

1920, 07.11

historical plebiscite in the Southern part of East Prussia and in the district of Marienwerder to recognize the self-determination of the Prussian Mazurs in respect to German or Polish citizenship; absolute loss of the Polish party (the single Soldau in the extreme South goes to Poland)

1923

the Republic of Lithuania annexes the Memel/ Klaipêda region in a putsch against the French directorate

1924-1939

autonomy of the Klaipêda region in Lithuania according to the Statute of Memel/ Klaipêda; loss of Lithuanian inner policy in the region

1932

the German State Chancellor von Pappen abolishes the existence of the Prussian state

1933-1945

rule of the Nazis in Germany: the so-called 3rd German Empire under Adolf Hitler

1938

the Nazis substitute almost all Lithuanian (1183) and a lot of Polish historical geographical names in Prussia with artificial German; the central synagogue in Königsberg, a masterpiece of architecture, is destroyed by the Nazis

1939

Lithuania by "free will" returns the Memel/ Klaipêda region to Germany after a German ultimatum; the monument to S.Dach "Anke von Tharau" in front of the Theatre in Memel/ Klaipêda is removed to make place to greet A.Hitler coming in Memel

1939-1945

the second World War

1944, 08.17

Albertina celebrates its 400th anniversary

1944, 08, 29-30

British aircraft demolishes the whole historical center of Königsberg with phosphoric bombs

1944, autumn

attacks of the Soviet army in East Prussia, Soviet military crimes and genocide of the civilian population

1945, 04.09

the Soviets capture Königsberg, murder of civilians

1945-1948

the Soviet terror and genocide in Prussia (120000 victims in Königsberg alone)

1946

division of East Prussia into a Russian part in the North and a Polish part in the South; beginning of the destruction of monuments of history and culture in the northern part

1946, 07.04

Königsberg is renamed to Kaliningrad in honor of a deceased criminal Stalinist statesman Kalinin who had never been to Königsberg; the region of Kaliningrad becomes part of Soviet Russia, the Southern part of former East Prussia becoming part of Poland

1947

the Soviets substitute almost all geographical names in the region of Kaliningrad with artificial Soviet Russian names.

1948

deportation to Germany of all remaining former inhabitants from the region of Kaliningrad and beginning of deportation of most part of remaining former inhabitants from Varmia-Mazurland

1948, 10.03

founding of the Countrymanship "East Prussia" in West Germany

1965

communist authorities decide to blow up the "fascist" castle of Königsberg; persecution of Russian intellectuals who protested against this

1969

demolition of rest of the castle of Königsberg

1974

Dr. Olga Krupina becomes director of Kant's museum at the university of Kaliningrad (in the deformed building of Fr. Stüler)

1979

moving of Königsberg State Archives, evacuated to Germany at the end of the war, from Goettingen to Berlin

1981

founding of TOLKEMITA, Association of Germans of the Old Prussian origin, by Ruth Kauffmann-Tolkmitt and Gerd Kauffmann in Duisburg

1983

manifest by Letas Palmaitis and Vladimir Toporov on the revival of the Old Prussian language as modern New Prussian

1988

founding of the first PRÛSA club in Lithuania

1990, 04.06

founding of the Brotherhood PRÛSA, international association of PRÛSA clubs and groups in various countries

1991

collapse of the Soviet Union; the Baltic states gain independence; Russia opens Kaliningrad to foreigners