Peace of Thorn (1411) - Treaty Provisions

Treaty Provisions

According to the peace treaty, the borders were returned to their pre-1409 state with exception of Samogitia. The Teutonic Order relinquished its claims to Samogitia, but only temporarily – for the lifetimes of Polish King Jogaila and Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas. After their deaths, Samogitia was to return to the Knights. At the time both rulers were aged men. In the south, the Dobrzyń Land, captured by the Knights during the war, was ceded back to Poland. Thus the Knights suffered virtually no territorial losses – a great diplomatic achievement after the crushing defeat in the Battle of Grunwald. All sides agreed that any future territorial disputes or border disagreements would be resolved via international mediation. The borders were open for international trade, which was more beneficial to Prussian cities. Jogaila and Vytautas also promised to convert all remaining pagans in Lithuania, which officially converted to Christianity in 1386, and Samogitia, which was not yet officially converted.

After the Battle of Grunwald, Poland–Lithuania held some 14,000 captives. Most of the commoners and mercenaries were released shortly after the battle on condition that they report to Kraków on 11 November 1410. Only those that were expected to pay ransom were kept in captivity. Considerable ransoms were recorded; for example, the mercenary Holbracht von Loym had to pay sixty times the number of 150 Prague groschen or more than 30 kilograms of silver. The Peace of Thorn settled the ransoms en masse: the Polish King released all the captives in exchange for sixty times the number of 100,000 Prague groschen, amounting to nearly 20,000 kilograms (44,000 lb) of silver payable in four annual installments. In the case of the failure to pay one of the installments, the indemnities were to rise by an additional 720,000 Prague groschen. The ransom was equal to £850,000 – ten times the annual income of King of England.