History Gvardeysk

14th century teutonic order castle

peter of dusburg wrote of settlement known tapiow, first documented in 1254, , neighboring fort surgurbi built 1265. old prussian names derived words tape, teplu, toplu, tapi, meaning warm , , sur garbis, meaning around mountain . during 13th century prussian crusade, area conquered teutonic knights. protect samland nadruvians , scalvians, crusaders built wooden fort between deime , pregel rivers in 1283–1290. replaced tapiau castle, stone ordensburg, in 1351.

the settlement gradually became known german crusaders tapiau. vytautas, later grand duke of lithuania, baptized in tapiau in 1385. after transfer of grand master s seat marienburg königsberg, tapiau became site of order s archives , library 1469 1722.

16th century depiction of tapiau

tapiau became part of duchy of prussia in 1525. tapiau castle used second residence of prussian dukes; albert of prussia died there in 1568. became part of kingdom of prussia in 1701, receiving town privileges king frederick william of prussia in 1722. part of prussian province of east prussia , administered in landkreis wehlau (1818–1945). tapiau became part of german empire during unification of germany in 1871.

unlike other towns in northern east prussia, tapiau largely undamaged during world war ii. following war s end in 1945, annexed soviet union , renamed gvardeysk ( guard town ) in 1946. of town s german population of more 9,000, had not fled or been killed in final months of war expelled , gradually replaced soviet settlers.