Gród i zamek w państwie krzyżackim – miejsce tradycji czy tradycja miejsca?

In recent years there has been a clear interest of researchers in defensive architecture and issues of formation of the defence system of the Teutonic Order state, including the oldest wooden and earthen architecture. In the past 10 years there was carried out archaeological and architectural research on Chelmno Land castles – Papowo Biskupie, Grudziądz, Radzyn Chelminski, Kowalewo Pomorskie – and the castle of bishops of Chelmno in Wąbrzeźno. One of more interesting problems associated with the formation of the state of the Teutonic Order in Old Prussia is the issue of continuation of earlier stronghold settlement (Old Prussian/Slavic), replaced first by wooden, and from the mid-13th century, and on a larger scale as late as in the 1270s mortared fortresses. In the article were presented the latest research results and discussed the location and nature of the oldest fortified, wooden and earthen settlement of the Teutonic Order. In the light of previous research results there were proposed several conclusions regarding location of the oldest pre-Teutonic and the Teutonic Order’s fortified structures in the context of irregular and regular Teutonic Order’s mortared castles.