ABSTRACT
Gdansk in the fourteenth century was already a serious trade centre in the international arena and during the governance of the Teutonic Order its position became even stronger. The weakness of the Teutonic Order after the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 created the opportunity for wealthy burghers to spread their influences in the city. The tendency to give more initiatives in artistic donations to guilds, confraternities and burghers was common in the Northern part of Europe. Paradoxically, the complicated political situation with the Teutonic Order made that process of change in Gdansk easier and more natural. In the artworks created here many political, social and historical references are frequently visible. In many cases, constantly changing relations between burghers, guilds, fraternities, the Main City Council, the Teutonic Order, the Hanseatic League and the Kingdom of Poland affected works of art donated to the main church in the town – St Mary's Church.
