POLSKA	POLAND
województwo: Warmińsko-Mazurskie	voivodship: Warmia and Masuria
miasto na prawach powiatu: Olsztyn	city: Olsztyn

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Olsztyn (until 1945: Allenstein) is situated at an elevation of 90 m on the river Łyna (Alle). Olsztyn is the capital of the voivodship Warmia and Masuria, seat of the Catholic archdiocese of Warmia and of the Protestant (Augsburg Confession) diocese of Masuria. The municipality has a population of about 175,000 (2014).

Allenstein castle was founded in 1346 by the chapter of the bishopric Ermland (Warmia). The town below the castle was founded by Johannes von Leysen who on 13 October 1353 had obtained a settlement privilege from the bishopric. The settlement received the privileges of a town in the same year. Allenstein was the seat of one of the administrative divisions of the Prince-Bishopric of Warmia that were subject to the bishopric chapter: Allenstein, Mehlsack (now Pieniężno) and Frauenburg (now Frombork); the chapter of the bishopric resided in Frauenburg castle while the bishop's residence since 1350 was in Heilsberg (today Lidzbark Warmiński). Canon, and famous astronomer, Nikolaus Kopernikus was administrator of the castle from 1516 until 1519; an astronomic table for the calculation of equinoxes, painted on a wall of the castle cloister still gives evidence of his work here. Following the first Partition of Poland-Lithuania in 1772 (see map) Warmia became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Together with Königsberg (now Калининград (Kaliningrad), RUS) and Gumbinnen (now Гусев/Gusew, RUS), Allenstein in 1905 became one of the three administrative divisions of East Prussia. After World War I and the Treaty of Versailles (1919), a referendum was held, which ended in 98 % of the Allenstein citizens voting for remaining part of Germany. After World War II and the Potsdam Agreement (1945), Warmia became part of Poland. Allenstein was officially renamed Olsztyn, which had been the city's Polish name since the 18th century, and became the seat of the voivodship Olsztyn. In 1999, the Olsztyn voivodship was merged with parts of the voivodships Suwałki (formerly Suwalken) and Elbląg (formerly Elbing) into the new voivodship Warmia-Masuria of which Olsztyn remained the administrative seat.

Olsztyn/Allenstein castle [right] was built between 1346 and 1353, made up of one wing to the north-east of the courtyard. The castle was surrounded by a line of fortifications and a ditch which lead to the Łyna River with a bascule bridge. The south-east wing of the castle was built in the 15th century. The tower from the 14th century, was placed in the eastern corner of the courtyard, and reconstructed in the early 16th century, giving the castle a circular look in a square formation; the tower having 40 metres in height. During the reconstruction of the tower, the castle's fortifications were raised to 12 metres in height. By this, the castle became a major bastion located on the borders of Olsztyn, securing its entrance. The castle belonged to the Bishops of Warmia (Ermland), and until 1454 was protected by the Teutonic Order. In the years of 1516 to 1521, the administrator of the castle was Nicolaus Copernicus. Over time the castle's militaristic importance diminished. In 1758, a direct entrance from Olsztyn was built, and a palace wing was built; the expansion meant that many of the fortifications were deconstructed. By the First Partition of Poland in 1772 (see map), Warmia was merged with the surrounding parts of East Prussia and annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia; the properties of the Archbishopric of Warmia were secularized by the Prussian state. In 1845, the bridge connecting the castle to the town was replaced with a levee, the ditch was removed. Between 1901 and 1911, the castle underwent various renovations; this included the change in floor levels, and arched windows in the cloister. The castle became the Museum of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in 1946; apart from various exhibitions the museum also hosts the Olsztyn Artistic Summer ('Olsztynskie Lato Artystyczne').

[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olsztyn, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olsztyn, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_von_Leysen, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fürstbistum_Ermland, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woiwodschaft_Ermland-Masuren; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olsztyn_Castle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warmia]