Nazi-Looted Archive with Seals of Vytautas and Jogaila Returns to Poland from Germany

Seals of Jogaila and Vytautas under the Treaty of Melno of 1422 between Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, on the one hand, and the Teutonic Order, which ended the last war between the Order and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and finally established the border between them. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

This collection, consisting of 73 parchments dated from the 13th to 15th centuries, is considered one of the most painful losses for Polish archives. The documents had been absent from the country for over 80 years and were returned in early December 2025, after which they were immediately exhibited at a special exhibition "Welcome Home" (Z powrotem w domu) at the Central Archives of Historical Records (AGAD) in Warsaw — precisely where they were taken from in 1939.

What Exactly Was Returned?

Павялічыць

Jogaila and Vytautas extend the truce with the Teutonic Order until 1419. Brześć Kujawski, 1418. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

The returned parchments are key sources for the history of Eastern Europe, concerning the relations of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with the Teutonic Order. These are documents from the former Royal Archives in Krakow.

Among the most significant artifacts:

• The Golden Bull of Emperor Frederick II (13th century), which confirmed land grants to the Order.

• The Bull of Pope Alexander V (1410), which shortly before the Battle of Grunwald called on Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen to maintain peace with King Władysław Jogaila.

• The Treaty of Melno of 1422 — a treaty between Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Teutonic Order, which finally defined borders and ended the Teutonic Knights' claims to Samogitia.

• The Treaty of Kalisz of 1343, which formally ended the prolonged war between Poland and the Order (1326—1332) and the legal disputes that followed.

Павялічыць

Seal of Vytautas under the Treaty of Brześć Kujawski of 1418. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

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Seal of Jogaila under the Treaty of Brześć Kujawski of 1418. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

Sociologist and historical memory researcher Aliaksei Lastouski, who visited the exhibition, particularly notes the seals of such powerful figures in European history as the Czech King John of Luxembourg, Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg, and the first Prussian Duke Albrecht of Brandenburg, for whom Francysk Skaryna served, as well as the marks of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Vytautas, Jogaila, and Casimir Jagiellon.

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Seal of John of Luxembourg. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

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Seal of Sigismund of Luxembourg. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

How the Archive Ended Up in Germany

The fate of these documents resembles a detective story. As early as 1525, during the secularization of the Teutonic Order and the creation of the Duchy of Prussia, Albrecht of Brandenburg transferred these archives from Königsberg to Poland.

However, at the beginning of World War II, history took a new turn. On October 7, 1939, just a few weeks after the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Dr. Erich Randt, director of the Prussian State Archives in Breslau (now Wrocław), entered the building of the Main Archives. Acting as a commissioner of the Ministry of Interior of the Third Reich, accompanied by the Gestapo, he demanded the release of documents from the Prussiae department.

Despite protests from Polish archivists, 74 parchments were confiscated. In January 1941, they were transported to Königsberg. At the end of the war, to save them from bombings, the Germans moved the archive deep into Germany — first to Goslar, then to Göttingen, and finally they ended up in the Secret State Archives of Prussian Cultural Heritage in Berlin-Dahlem. One document out of the 74 was lost forever.

Long Way Home

Poland had been seeking the return of these treasures since 1945. The first official request was submitted as early as 1949, but at that time, the British occupation authorities in Germany refused, citing the political situation and the claims of the USSR.

Павялічыць

Jogaila and Sigismund Kęstutaitis conclude a peace treaty with the Order and Švitrigaila near Jasienica. 1433. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

Павялічыць

Seal of Jogaila under the peace treaty concluded near Jasienica. Photo: Aliaksei Lastouski's Facebook

Negotiations only intensified after 2022. The return of the parchments became a symbolic act of restoring historical justice and fulfilling the provisions of the Treaty of Krakow of 1525, according to which documents concerning relations with the Order should be located in Poland.

Maciej Wróbel, Deputy Minister of Culture of Poland, called it an "absolutely historical moment" and the culmination of consistent work to return lost heritage. The documents will now be digitized and made available to scholars worldwide.

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