Baths in the Teutonic Order State in Prussia

Abstract

Based on written sources, the article discusses the functioning of baths in the Teutonic Order state in Prussia, taking into consideration baths in towns as well as those located in the Order’s castles. Most towns of the area in question probably had public baths. The rules of their function-ing were specifi ed by the Order or by Prussian bishops, usually in town charters, which was connected with the rulers’ exclusive right to use waters. The costs of building baths and the shares in their usage were usually divided between the ruler (the Order or the bishop), the issuer of the charter and the town. The Teutonic Order gradually gave up its rights to baths in exchange for a general rent that towns paid for various business establishments. In this way towns were taking over such establishments, profi ting in turn from rents paid by their tenants. Only excep-tionally did the Order keep control over baths (in the Old Town of Danzig/Gdańsk and the Old Town of Elbing/Elbląg) or shares in the rent (in Tolkmicko, Młynary, Pasłęk, Miłakowo, Golub, Gniew, Hel, Lębork, Sępopol, Kętrzyn, Zalewo, Miłomłyn, Grudziądz, Skarszewy, Królewiec–Lipnik).Bath-keepers used those establishments on the basis of lease contracts with the owners (the town council or a town manager) or of a separate privilege granting them a hereditary right in accordance with the Chełm Law (similar to the practice in the case of mills and inns) in exchange for an annual rent. In the latter case the bath-keeper paid the costs of building and maintaining the bath. Bath were not free-of-charge, which made them unavailable to the poorest class of town dwellers. This problem was to some extent alleviated by pious legacies made by burghers in their last wills (Seelbäder). Financing the use of baths by the poor, also involving feeding them, had a commemorative aim and the benefi ciaries were obliged to pray for the donors. Funding baths for the poor on selected days after the testator’s death separated the benefi ciaries for other users of baths, who came from higher classes. Another solution was to build separate baths only for those who lived in town hospitals.Apart from public baths in towns there were numerous baths in castles located in the Teu-tonic Order state, frequented by convent members and castle servants.The article has an appendix listing mentions of baths in the towns of the Teutonic Order state in Prussia and an edition of a document concerning the funding of place for bath-keepers in St Elizabeth’s hospital in Gdańsk.