Polscy i litewscy szpiedzy w Malborku w pierwszej połowie XV wieku

ENThroughout the long lasting conflict taking place in the first half of the fifteenth century between Poles, Lithuanians and Teutonic Knights, all the parties tried to recruit or place their agents and spies as close as it was possible to the ruling courts, high ranks dignitaries, first and foremost in the capital cities. These activities were supposed to result in the acquisition of broad and reliable information on the current internal situation in the enemy's territories. They aimed also at the reconnaissance of the political and military plans of the leaders in case of the outbreak of an armed conflict. Despite fairly scanty source materials, mostly produced by the offices of the local Teutonic administrators, one can perceive to some extent the Polish-Lithuanian secret service in Malbork. It was not accidental that its activity was much more intense before the succeeding armed conflicts (1409, 1410, 1418, 1422) when the possession of extensive knowledge of enemy's military preparations was particularly significant.In most of the analysed cases it cannot be confirmed whether the Polish and Lithuanian agents, spies and informants working in Malbork were subjects to Teutonic Order or came from the outside. Certainly it varied often. For instance, Jan Surwilło was an inhabitant of the Order land while the mayor of Solec Kujawski, Kunath, despite being German by origin was the subject to the Polish king. The analysed sources from 1422 reveal a very interesting issue of counter-espionage undertaken by the Teutonic Knights, aiming at the disclosure of the person revealing information and belonging to the surrounding of the Grand Master.