page_title: Royal Prussia
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Royal Prussia / Geography
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Karte von Preußen, gedruckt von Willem Blaeu im Jahre 1645, nach den 1576 in Elbing gedruckten Holzschnitten von Caspar Henneberg von Erlich (* 1529, † 1600).Blaeus Druck von 1645 hat farbige Konturbänder aber keine Flächenfarbe. Auffälligkeiten: Die beiden Teile Preußens sind farblich nicht unterschieden, obwohl 1569 der westliche Teil Preußens unter Schirmherrschaft der polnischen Krone gekommen war, und der östliche Teil, das Herzogtum, lehensabhängig war, beide Teile Preußens jedoch per Vertrag eine gemeinsame Grenze gegen die Nachbarländer behielten. Die Nachbargebiete sind in unterschiedlichen Farben umrahmt, obwohl sie zur Rzeczpospolita gehörten. Schließlich ist Pommerellen nicht als Teil Preußens dargestellt, sondern als Teil Großpolens oder Kujawiens. Einige Namen sind zweisprachig angegeben, so "Bramberg / Bedgosky" (Bromberg / Bydgoszcz), oder als Kompromiss wie "Dantzk". English: Map of Prussia before it gave its name to the state of Prussia, printed by Willem Blaeu in 1645. The original woodcuts were printed in Elbląg (at that time Elbing) in 1576 by Caspar Henneberg von Erlich (1529 - 1600).Blaeu's 1645 print has colored outlines but no area coloration. Interesting details: The two fractions of Prussia have the same coloration, though the western (royal Polish Prussia) fractions was in 1569 declared (and contested) as part of the Polish-Lithuanian Rzeczpospolita, while the eastern (ducal) part was only a vassal of the crown (king) of Poland. Both parts of Prussia retained by contracts one common border against neighboring countries. The neighboring territories, all of them parts of the Rzeczpospolita, are marked by different colors. Last not least Pomerella is not shown as a part of Prussia, but as a part of Greater Poland (which was one of the Polish provinces). A few names are noted bilingually, such as "Bramberg / Bedgosky" (Bromberg / Bydgoszcz), or as a compromise like "Dantzk".
context_page_description: Royal Prussia or Polish Prussia was a break-away territory of the Teutonic Order that in 1466 won autonomy as a dependency of the King of Poland. Subsequently, in 1569 Royal Prussia was fully merged into the Kingdom of Poland.
  Royal Prussia was established after the Second Peace of Thorn, from territory in western Prussia which seceded from the despotic State of the Teutonic Order seeking protection as a dependency of the King of Poland. As a dependency, its political status was similar to the Bailiwick of Jersey, reflected in the title "Royal Prussia" or the King's Prussia. Royal Prussia retained autonomy, governing itself and maintaining its indigenous laws, customs, and rights. As a royal dependency, it could participate in the election of its titular monarch, however it could not participate in the Sejm, the Polish parliament.
  In 1772, the former territories of Royal Prussia were annexed by Prussia.
context_section_description: The area consisted of the following districts: 
  Pomerelia and Danzig,
  Kulmerland and Michelauer Land and Thorn,
  the mouth of the Vistula with Elbing and Marienburg,
  the Bishopric of Warmia (Ermland) with Allenstein which were forcibly ceded from the Teutonic Order in the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) to the Kingdom of Poland.
  From the 14th century, in old texts (until the 16th or 17th century) and in Latin, the terms Prut(h)enia and Prut(h)enic refer not only to the original settlement area of the now extinct Old Prussians along the Baltic coast east of the Vistula River, but also to the adjacent lands of the former Samboride dukes of Pomerelia, which territory the Teutonic Knights had acquired from the king of Poland in the 1343 Treaty of Kalisz and incorporated into the Order's State. 
  .
  Pomerelia Lauenburg and Bütow Land to the west was ruled by the Pomeranian dukes, enfeoffed to the king of Poland.
  Royal Prussia is distinguished from later Ducal Prussia, the remaining (eastern) parts of Prussia around Königsberg, founded and governend by the Teutonic Knights. After secularisation in 1525, it succeeded to the Protestant dukes of the Hohenzollern dynasty. From 1618 this area was in personal union by the Electors of Brandenburg (Brandenburg-Prussia). In 1657 the titular monarchy devolved by the Treaty of Wehlau.
caption: 1576 map of Prussia by Caspar Henneberg, Royal Prussia (without southern Pomerelia) appears in white
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