The city's beginnings date back to 1237. The Teutonic Knights built a defense castle on the bank of the Elbląg river. A trading village grew around it. In 1246, it was given the Lubeck municipal rights. Elbląg was then the seat of the Teutonic Order's masters. In the 14th century, Elbląg was an important port town, and belonged to the Hanseatic towns' union. The richness of old Elbląg residents is evidenced by results of archeological works performed in the Old Town area. Archeologists obtain thousands of products of amber, ceramics, glass, metal, etc. They are proof for existence of intensive business contacts between residents of the old Elbląg with e.g. Germany, Scandinavia, England, and the Netherlands. The year 1440, accession to the Prussian Union, was an important date in the town's history. After the battle of Grunwald in 1410, residents of Elbląg paid a tribute to the Polish king Władysław Jagiełło, and offered him the conquered Teutonic castle. However, it was only after the Toruń peace in 1466 when Elblą joined Poland. The town received numerous privileges from Polish kings, and became an important sea port. The wars waged in the area in the 16th and 17th centuries brought plagues, robberies, and contributions.
After the 1st partition of Poland in 1772, Elbląg was incorporated in the Prussian state. The town's revitalization took place in the 19th century. Elbląg found itself on a railway trail. The Ostróda and Elbląg channel was placed in service. Plants were established, e.g. the brewery, cigar factory, locomotive and car factories. However, the shipyard established by Ferdinand Schichau was of special importance to the town. For instance, torpedo boats, submarines, and locomotives were built in Elbląg.
In 1945, the town returned to Poland. As a result of war activities, the town was destroyed in approx. 65 %. The Old Town suffered most. The monumental houses fell into pieces. Others, damaged, were dismantled. Most residents of the time left the town. Re-housed residents took up the reconstruction. New plants and housing districts were built.
Thanks to the municipal authorities' initiative, the Baltic Euroregion was established in 1998. It is one of the largest euroregions in Europe, with Elbląg as a member.

Elbląg, currently populated by 128,000 residents, is situated on the river of the same name, in the north-west of the Warmian and Mazurian province, near the Vistula Bay, on the shortest trail from western Europe to the Kaliningrad Distric and the Baltic states.
It is situated at Warsaw-Gdańsk road no. 7, at a distance of 60 km from Gdańsk, 50 km from the Russian border, and 100 km from Kaliningrad.
Elbląg is a dynamically developing district town, industrial, academic and cultural center, an attractive base of journeys for tourists. It is also a sea port.
For environment protection achievements, the city was twice honored, as the first town in Poland, with the "ecological" award of the European Union. And the Council of Europe gave the city the Flag of Europe. Elbląg is a three times' winner of the nationwide competition "Commune Friendly to the Environment" under the auspices of the Polish President Aleksander Kwaśniewski.
Elbląg also received the prize from the Union of Baltic Cities for fulfillment of the ecological education program. Major industrial plants in Elbląg include Alstom Power Sp. z o.o. (manufacturer of steam and gas turbines, toothed gears, and heavy cast iron and non-ferrous metal castings), Grupa Żywiec S.A. (beer producer), Mazurskie Meble International. There are also companies of the Elzam Holding (manufacturing of steel structures and metalworking) and other enterprises of the furniture, leather, and clothing industries.
The city is internationally active. By initiative of its authorities, the Baltic Euroregion was established in 1998, grouping sea regions of the six countries lying on the Baltic Sea coasts: Russia, Poland, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, and Denmark.
Elbląg cooperates with 13 partner towns. Those are: Kaliningrad and Baltijsk (Russia), Leer (Germany), Ronneby (Sweden), Navahrudak (Belarus), Druskininkai (Lithuania), Ternopil (Ukraine), Liepaja (Latvia), Compiegne (France), Trowbridge (England), Coquimbo (Chile), Baoji (China), Tainan (Taiwan), Nowy Sącz (Poland).
Elbląg's City Council, trying to attract Polish and foreign investors, passed the resolution on incentives for companies establishing new jobs. The future investors may also use the incentives if they decide to situate their facilities in the Elbląg sub-zone of the Warmian and Mazurian Special Economic Zone.


Elbląg in numbers

Total city area                                   7,952 ha
including:
- developed land                              1,975 ha
- forests and parks                          1,989 ha
- cultivable area                                2,726 ha
- waters                                                 102 ha
- other                                                 1,021 ha

Population                                       27,954
including:
- women                                           66,575
- men                                                61,379

Average gross salary
in the enterprise sector                   2,521.06

Number of registered vehicles    44,698
including:
- passenger cars                            29,902

Accommodation beds                      1,094
 

 Elbląg legends


Baker's journeyman

It was 1521. The war between the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Albrecht and the Polish king Zygmunt had been waged for several years. At that time, Elbląg was a frontier town, part of Poland since the Toruń peace. During that war, the luck stayed with both sides alternately. The Teutonic army conquered Braniewo, and Poles took hold of the castle in Pasłęk.
Elbląg as a rich town situated at the state frontier was an important strategic point for the Teutonic Knights. Therefore, the Grand Master decided to conquer the town. For that purpose, 2 thousand knights commanded by Kasper von Schwalbach and Moritz von Knebel set out from Konigsberg toward Elbląg on 4 March 1521.
In spite of previous warnings, the town was poorly guarded. The guards, usually alert, were napping tired of the celebration held in the town until late at night. In the morning of 8 March, as fog started to cover the fields nearby, bribed traitors attacked the guards, lowered the drawbridge, and opened the heavy oak gates. Like avalanche, the Teutonic Knights attacked the town. They were first seen by the town's blacksmith Antoni Boran. He called others, and together they tried to raise the drawbridge.
A fierce battle began. The bridge fell into the moat. However, it was no obstacle to the attacking knights. There was a large group of warriors inside the town then. Others were approaching and they should have any minute gotten inside the town's walls. A crowd appeared in the Old Town. Fast and loud steps were heard from the town's side. It was the scanty castle crew hurrying to help. Tens of townspeople climbed the tower, and from there they threw stones, beams, hot tar, and ash onto the invaders, and that was how they stopped them. But within several hundreds of meters from the gate, a column of the remaining Teutonic power in close order appeared.
In such circumstances, a baker's journeyman, unknown to anybody, turned up among the fighters. When the attacking column was tens of meters away from the gate, he started cutting with his baker's spade the thick strings on which the oak grate in the gate was hanging. The journeyman struck with the spade again and again until the strings began to break. At last, the heavy gate with clout nails moved and started falling crushing the first rows of knights who already had gotten inside the gate. The Teutonic Knights withdrew from the town walls. Those who were already inside, had to surrender after a short fight.
The journeyman's braveness was commemorated with a song, and the spade with which he cut the ropes was hanged inside the gate. Its parts were still there for over 250 years. As a sign of victory, a sign of spade was carved in the gate, and each 8 Mach until 1772 was celebrated in Elbląg as a municipal holiday. 

Amusement park

Old residents of Elbląg still have in their memory the image of the "amusement park" inside the medieval Elbląg, passed from generation to generation. That small municipal paradise was located in the Old Town between the market Gate and the Blacksmith Gate.
It was a big garden planted with different fruit trees. The garden's limits were marked by rare specimens of bushes. In the center of the park, there stood a tremendous linden whose branches gave shadow to the tables standing under it. Not far from the tree, there was a fountain having the shape of a very big fish. Water streams from the fountain supplied the basin in which Elbląg children played. Swans swam in the moat nearby.
A beerhouse was built right at the entrance to the garden where Elbląg beer and delicious honey cakes were available. Young people danced on the garden lawn during holidays. There were also rifle clubs attracting amateur archers. In years, the beautiful garden was changed into defense embankments, and its memory survived only in stories.

The wizard of Elbląg

A long, long time ago, at times when wizards, magicians, and alchemists treaded this world, near the Market Gate in Elbląg there lived a wizard named Kiliar or, according to others, Kilian.
Kiliar was known in the town for his misery and greed. He only lived on fish brought to the town by fishermen. Residents of Elbląg called him crazy because instead of having a normal job, he used to boil gold in his cellars. As a matter of fact, Kiliar aimed at obtaining gold, but unfortunately, blending different ingredients and mixtures was fruitless.
Against the odds and people's sneers, the wizard decided to get the gold at any price. He found out that one could meet the devil at the old mill and a spring in the forest outside town, now called Bażantarnia, at midnight. The desire to possess gold pushed Kiliar to act. He made a bond which he signed with his blood, and on a stormy night he went to meet his destiny. The devil came to the mill having the shape of a bear. He sat on an oak and waited for the wizard. When the wizard appeared, the bear crowed like a cock in joy, and then with human voice ordered Kiliar to put the bond under the mill-wheel. Then the order was fulfilled, and the wizard soul practically was property of the devil, the bear screamed: "And now catch the gold!", "Catch the gold!", "Catch ...!"
And gold coins started falling on Kiliar like hale. But whenever a coin touched the greedy wizard, an abscess appeared in the spot where gold touched the body. Because of great pain and fear, Kiliar lost his senses and fell on the ground. The following morning, dead Kiliar was found under the old oak, holding a few strange stones in his clenched hand.

Courage of Elbląg women

It was a very long time ago. The Teutonic Knights were converting the pagan Prussians with the cross and sword. Duke Świętopełk, known for deceit, quick wits, and shrewdness, was at that time the ruler of Pomerania. The duke could be the Teutonic Knights' big friend once, but on another occasion we was their fiercest enemy.
One day Świętopełk decided to attack Elbląg. He probably had that cunning idea while being in a forest. No matter how it was, the sure thing is that one night ...
The leather curtain, pulled with a strong hand, for a moment uncovered the inside of the tent in which the duke rested.
"What is new?" – asked Świętopełk his trusted scout and friend Wojsław.
"Important tidings, master. The castle of Elbląg is deserted. All men are fighting against Prussians. It is the only opportunity, master, to strike and conquer the town. A rich town it is indeed."
In a moment, loud sounds of horn announced the expedition against Elbląg. Columns of the enemy army started toward the castle taking several roads. Świętopełk's warriors set out readily. All of them knew already that the town was defenseless. There were only women and children left.
"Hey, there will be plunder in the castle! Duke Świętopełk knows what he is doing!" – they thought on the way. The red walls of the town, with defense towers and entrance gates glittered in sunshine. soon they were to reach the very walls.
But what was it? What was happening? Along the defense walls, on tower bridges, there appeared armors and colorful clothes of Elbląg townsfolk. The forest of javelins and pole axes grew over the walls... The invaders got scared. Lay siege to the town? Świętopełk's power was not sufficient. The duke could not decide to assault either. He went away without the fight. Was Wojsław's information false? Did Elbląg men not leave the town at all?
Yes, they did! Here the explanation comes.
People in Elbląg laughed to tears when they saw the duke's army retreat. Women strangely dressed in men's clothes and armors went down the walls and towers. The place of men was taken by their clever and brave wives who cheated the duke.

On the knight in the silver armor

It was during the resurrection against the Teutonic Knights in 1260. At that time, the town and castle were besieged by the Prussians. In spite of prevailing enemy forces, Elbląg residents defended courageously. Anzelm, the Warmian bishop, at that time staying in Elbląg, was the spiritual leader of the besieged. Bishop Anzelm prayed imploringly to Our Lady, the patroness of the Teutonic Order. Elbląg residents looked for different ways of pushing the besieging invaders away from the town walls. One night, a small Teutonic squad escaped from the siege in a way to attract attention of the Prussians. The trick worked, and the pagans struck the camp laid at the town walls and pursued the fugitives. Although the town and castle were saved, the Teutonic squad was in serious trouble.
The Prussians caught Elbląg people near the village of Ogrodniki in the Elbląg Upland. It seemed that being outnumbered by ten times, Elbląg residents were doomed to lose. However, before first blows were exchanged, an unusual thing happened. The pagan's front rows fell like thunderstruck, and the rest of the enemy forces scattered in panic. The Elbląg residents were astonished as they could not understand what really happened. They only found out about it from a Prussian taken hostage.
"It was a miracle" – told the hostage. "When the order was given to attack, there came a knight from the sky, wearing silver armor, and hit us with a sword of fire.