The Knights of The Cross - Historical Background

Historical Background

The novel was written by Sienkiewicz at the time of the Partitions of Poland between Russian, Austrian and German empires, with the majority of Poles living in the Russian occupation zone named Vistula Land, formerly Congress Poland. One of Sienkiewicz's goals in writing The Knights of the Cross was to encourage and strengthen Polish national confidence against the occupying powers. In order to circumvent the Russian censorship, he placed the plot in the Middle ages, around Prussia (region) and the State of the Teutonic Order.

The history of the German Order of the Teutonic Knights serves as the backdrop for the story. From the 13th century on, the Order controlled large parts of the Baltic Sea coast, until its defeat at the 1410 Battle of Grunwald by the United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania. The novel focuses extensively on the medieval life and customs of both, the cities and the countryside of Medieval Poland.

In 1960 the novel was made into a Polish film of the same name, by director Aleksander Ford, with Emil Karewicz as King Władysław Jagiełło.