The battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) in 1410
The Poles, with the help of Lithuanian detachments, decisively defeat the German Knights of the Cross. These Teutonic warriors were brought to Poland by Polish rulers and allowed to settle on a territory leased to them. After some years they grew strong and started a war, the purpose of which was the conquest of Poland. In the decisive battle of Grunwald the Great Master and almost all his Knights perish. From the remains of their organisation rises the Prussian State.

Prussian Elector pays homage to the Polish King in 1525
Albrecht Hohenzollern, the last Grand Master of the German Knights of the Cross, receives from the Polish King, Sigismundus I, East Prussia as a feudal possession and the title of the Prussian Elector. His descendants broke away from the authority of Poland. This was the origin of the Prussian State. In 1871, the Prussian King achieved the supremacy of Prussia over Germany and proclaimed himself Emperor of Germany.

Mikolaj Kopernik (Copernicus)
Polish Scientist born in Torun in 1473. Studied mathematics at the University of Cracow. He was first to abolish Ptolemy's geocentrical system by discovering and proving that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Kopernik described his discoveries in a book which he called "De revolutionibus orbium coelestium".

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