| The Day of the Protestant Martyrs in Thorn |
Religious intolerance gave birth to horrible acts of retribution and persecution, and very few
monarchs were as tolerant as our Prussian 'Soldier King' Friedrich Wilhelm. At the time of the
following incident, in his response to his ministers’ recommendation to banish the Catholic religion
from Prussia in 1724 he stated: "I have a lot of Catholic Lithuanians in the Tilsit lowlands as
colonists. If I take away their church services those people will run away. This is a mistake that
Louis XIV made (banishing the Huguenots), and I will not copy him. I am populating my land, not
depopulating it."
monarchs were as tolerant as our Prussian 'Soldier King' Friedrich Wilhelm. At the time of the
following incident, in his response to his ministers’ recommendation to banish the Catholic religion
from Prussia in 1724 he stated: "I have a lot of Catholic Lithuanians in the Tilsit lowlands as
colonists. If I take away their church services those people will run away. This is a mistake that
Louis XIV made (banishing the Huguenots), and I will not copy him. I am populating my land, not
depopulating it."
The only remaining Protestant church was made Catholic again and given to Franciscan monks who
celebrated a Mass there on the day of the execution. The town council was required to be Catholic
from then on, and Lutheran possessions, including schools, a chapel and a printing-press had to be
handed over to Catholic control.
celebrated a Mass there on the day of the execution. The town council was required to be Catholic
from then on, and Lutheran possessions, including schools, a chapel and a printing-press had to be
handed over to Catholic control.
December 7, 1724, was for a long time remembered as the Day of Protestant Martyrs. In much of
Europe, the "Thorn Blood-bath" was likened to witch hunts and it not only gravely damaged Poland's
reputation, it nearly caused a European war. Countless publications reported and condemned the
event, and it was remembered even decades later. Voltaire, during the Partitions of Poland, called it
an example "of the religious intolerance of the Poles".
Europe, the "Thorn Blood-bath" was likened to witch hunts and it not only gravely damaged Poland's
reputation, it nearly caused a European war. Countless publications reported and condemned the
event, and it was remembered even decades later. Voltaire, during the Partitions of Poland, called it
an example "of the religious intolerance of the Poles".
Some famous Thorn citizens included Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-
1543), astronomer, Christoph Hartknoch (1644-1687), historian,
educator and famous etcher, poet Christian Wernicke (1661-1725),
Samuel Thomas von Soemmering (1755-1830), physicist and inventor,
Erwin Gillmeister (1907-1993), Olympic athlete, Werner Henke
(1909-1944), U-boat commander and Bodo Tümmler (born 1943),
middle-distance runner. With the first Partition of Poland, Danzig and
Thorun remained "free cities". In 1793, Thorn was conferred upon
Prussia by the second partition of Poland, but by the treaty of Tilsit,
Napoleon assigned it to the duchy of Warsaw in 1812; Three years
later, after the Congress of Vienna, it was returned to Prussia. It was
given to Poland in 1945.
1543), astronomer, Christoph Hartknoch (1644-1687), historian,
educator and famous etcher, poet Christian Wernicke (1661-1725),
Samuel Thomas von Soemmering (1755-1830), physicist and inventor,
Erwin Gillmeister (1907-1993), Olympic athlete, Werner Henke
(1909-1944), U-boat commander and Bodo Tümmler (born 1943),
middle-distance runner. With the first Partition of Poland, Danzig and
Thorun remained "free cities". In 1793, Thorn was conferred upon
Prussia by the second partition of Poland, but by the treaty of Tilsit,
Napoleon assigned it to the duchy of Warsaw in 1812; Three years
later, after the Congress of Vienna, it was returned to Prussia. It was
given to Poland in 1945.
On July 16th and 17th, 1724, pupils of the Jesuits started fighting with
some town Lutherans. Pupils of the Jesuits dragged a pupil of the Lutheran
Gymnasium into their monastery and a crowd gathered and demanded his
release. The president of the town council, Johann Gottfried Rößner, left,
ordered the town militia to disperse the mob, but the commander and the
citizen guards disobeyed. The King's crown guards eventually restored
calm, but only after the crowd entered and damaged the Jesuit building.
some town Lutherans. Pupils of the Jesuits dragged a pupil of the Lutheran
Gymnasium into their monastery and a crowd gathered and demanded his
release. The president of the town council, Johann Gottfried Rößner, left,
ordered the town militia to disperse the mob, but the commander and the
citizen guards disobeyed. The King's crown guards eventually restored
calm, but only after the crowd entered and damaged the Jesuit building.
On November 16, Rößner and 12
other Lutherans were sentenced
to death by decapitatation for
"neglecting their duty and
countenancing tumult" while two
others accused of "profaning the
Virgin" were to be quartered and
burned on December 7, 1724.
One, Jakob Heinrich Zerneke,
converted to Catholicism was
spared. He became Rösner's
predecessor for a short time.
other Lutherans were sentenced
to death by decapitatation for
"neglecting their duty and
countenancing tumult" while two
others accused of "profaning the
Virgin" were to be quartered and
burned on December 7, 1724.
One, Jakob Heinrich Zerneke,
converted to Catholicism was
spared. He became Rösner's
predecessor for a short time.
The first 'peace of Thorn' in 1411 marked a truce between the Poles and Teutonic Order. In 1454,
however, when the townsfolk revolted against the Order and pledged loyalty to the king of Poland, a
war resulted which ended in 1466 with the 'second peace of Thorn'. It welcomed the Reformation in
1557, and was even home to a large community of Mennonites, documented before 1600, who
sought refuge in the Vistula valley. Later, there were problems between Protestants and Catholics.
however, when the townsfolk revolted against the Order and pledged loyalty to the king of Poland, a
war resulted which ended in 1466 with the 'second peace of Thorn'. It welcomed the Reformation in
1557, and was even home to a large community of Mennonites, documented before 1600, who
sought refuge in the Vistula valley. Later, there were problems between Protestants and Catholics.
Both Jesuits and Dominicans tried to persuade Mayor Rößner and ten other leading German
Protestant citizens to convert to Catholicism, which they refused to do. Nor did they leave the city
as requested. The Jesuits sued them at the royal supreme court in Warsaw. This was during the reign
of August II the Strong of Saxony in the era of the 'Silent Sejm', a time in which the Russian Empire
dictated Polish internal policy.
Protestant citizens to convert to Catholicism, which they refused to do. Nor did they leave the city
as requested. The Jesuits sued them at the royal supreme court in Warsaw. This was during the reign
of August II the Strong of Saxony in the era of the 'Silent Sejm', a time in which the Russian Empire
dictated Polish internal policy.
One shocking case went down in the history books as the 'Thorn Blood Bath'. The German city of
Thorn was located on the right bank of the Vistula south of Danzig and was founded in 1231 by the
Teutonic order as an outpost against the Poles. It was settled and built by Germans mainly from
Westphalia and because of its strategic importance, it was strongly re-fortified in the early 19th
century. The first section of the town was built in 1231, the second in 1264 and they were united in
1454. Thorn was once a prosperous member of the Hanseatic League and a number of old buildings
dating from the 15th and 16th centuries remain intact, including the 14th Rathaus, an old Teutonic
Knights' castle ruins and the 13th and 14th centuries churches of St John of the Virgin and St James.
There was also a monument to native son, Copernicus. Thorn was always an active port and a
beautiful trading city.
Thorn was located on the right bank of the Vistula south of Danzig and was founded in 1231 by the
Teutonic order as an outpost against the Poles. It was settled and built by Germans mainly from
Westphalia and because of its strategic importance, it was strongly re-fortified in the early 19th
century. The first section of the town was built in 1231, the second in 1264 and they were united in
1454. Thorn was once a prosperous member of the Hanseatic League and a number of old buildings
dating from the 15th and 16th centuries remain intact, including the 14th Rathaus, an old Teutonic
Knights' castle ruins and the 13th and 14th centuries churches of St John of the Virgin and St James.
There was also a monument to native son, Copernicus. Thorn was always an active port and a
beautiful trading city.
