Late Medieval Gdan´sk as a Bridge between Regions

In the late medieval period, Gda ńsk played a key role as an intermediary in contacts between East Central Europe (the Kingdom of Poland ¹ ), the towns of the Hanseatic League, and, finally, Western Europe. This role was enacted during the rule of the Polish king Kazimierz Jagiello ńczyk (Casimir IV Jagiellon ² ), whose reign (1447–1492) featured thirteen years (1454–1466) of war with the Teutonic Order. Its end was marked by the Second Treaty of Toru ń (Thorn), ³ concluded in 1466, which gave Kazimierz Jagiello ńczyk control of Royal Prussia, and with it authority over Gda ńsk. The privileges that Gda ńsk was granted by this monarch clearly stated that the city had the right to independence in maritime policy, and thus effectively in foreign policy. ⁴