Braunsberg (earlier Brunsberg, Latin: Brunsbergae), a city in eastern Prussia, in the bishopric of Ermeland (Latin: Varmia, Warmia), was named after Saint (Brun) Bruno of Querfurt. It is near Frauenburg and both cities are situated half ways between Danzig and Koenigsberg at the Baltic Sea. It was taken in 1945 and is since then called Braniewo in Poland.
As it was the case with all cities and towns founded, there were previous settlements already, because of favorable locations, near water, at a trade route, etc. This was also the case with Braunsberg, which was already a settlement of Prussians, one of the earlier recorded names was Brus and it remained a settlement of Prussians. In 1249 Johannes Fleming, son of a Luebeck councilman (Ratsherr) founded Braunsberg. Bishop Anselm gave it Luebeck city charter in 1254.
The first archbishop of Prussia Albert of Sauerbeer from Cologne, became archbishop, after he was already archbishop of Armagh, Irland. The Ermland diocese included all of Old Prussian lands, Warmia, Natangen, Barten, Galindia,the northern half of Pomesania and southern half Nadrauen and Sudauen. Archbishop Albert chose Riga as his seat. Riga was in Livonia and stood under the protection of Visby. Bishop Anselm of Meissen was consecrated by papal legate in 1251. The bishop was given one third of his territory as personal property to be ruled by him as secular ruler and prince of the Holy Roman Empire. It was confirmed by emperor Charles IV. In 1260 bishop Anselm founded a chapter attached to the cathedrale of St. Andreas at Braunsberg. This chapter had the right to elect the bishop. Braunsberg was destroyed by Prussians , who fought for thirty years against take-over of their land by the papal legates. The next bishop Heinrich I (1278-1300) had to transfer the chapter from Braunsberg to Frauenburg. It remained in Frauenburg until the 20st century.
1296 a Franciscan abbey was built. 1342 a Neustadt Braunsberg was added. The bishop of Ermland , prince of the empire, Silvio de Piccolomini (Aenaus Silvius) was bishop of Ermland for one year, until he became pope Pius II.
The bishops of Ermland continued the struggle to keep their land independed , particularly during the Reformation, when Ermland remained Catholic as one of the few Prussian lands. In 1512 bishop Lucas Watzenrode obtained from pope Julius II a release of the diocese from the connection to Riga and Ermland was declared an excempt diocese. The bishop resided in Heilsberg. Bishop Watzenrode reorganized the school at Frauenberg with exellent teachers, one of them his nephew Nicolaus Koppernigk. He published the Breviary (Nuremberg 1494) and the Missal (Strasburg 1497). To keep the diocese and land from turning Protestant and secularisation the bishops held various synods to carry out the decisions of the Council of Trent and had yearly visitations. In 1565 they founded a Jesuit College at Braunsberg.
The Ermland state government for the bishopric of Ermland of September 22, 1526 (Ermland Landtsordnung des Bischoffthums Ermland) was re-recorded at Braunsberg in 1711 under :addition to the Culm Laws (Appendix zum Jus Culmense correct).
In 1571 the congragation of St.Catherine was founded in Braunsberg by Regina Protmann.
The laws of the dukedom of Prussia ,on which the land is founded and which are still current today, 1616 (Privilegia der Staende dess Hertzogthumbs Preussen darauft das Landt fundiert und biss itzo veruhen 1616, Brunsbergiae) were published in Braunsberg in 1616.
The first church songbook named heavenly sounds of the harp Himmlischer Harffenklangk was printed in Ermland in 1629 by Simon Berent, born around 1585, who had been travel companion of the Radziwill princes of the Holy Roman Empire. Berent saw to it that the Jesuit college was re-openend after the destruction by the Swedes. He also set the famous German christmas song Es ist ein Ros entsprungen to music.
In 1712 Peter Rosenbuechler ( + 1719) received the privilege to run a book printing business , patented as Bibliopola Brunsbergensis. This privilege of being the only book printing company in Braunsberg was held until in 1772 Ermland was governed by the State of Prussia.
Michael Schorn (born 1719) was the prince bishopric postmaster general of Ermland until 1772.
Next to Koenigsberg Braunsberg was the leading academic schooling center of Prussia. In 1912 the Jesuit college became the Staatliche Akademie Braunsberg.
In 1924 Rainer Barzel, later Bundestagspresident of the Bundesrepublik of Germany, was born in Braunsberg, Prussia.
Based on Georg Hermanowski, Ostpreussen
and Catholic Encyclopedia