Czy w badaniach nad historią średniowiecznego budownictwa zamkowego w państwie krzyżackim w Prusach niczym nieskrępowaną wyobraźnią można zastępować niedostatki źródłowe?

A critical reassessment of Christofer Herrmann’s 2023 thesis on the medieval castle builder 'Master Jan' challenges its validity, arguing that his claims about Master Jan’s work at Malbork Castle (1395–1398) are unsupported by scholarly rigor. The study asserts that while Master Jan likely contributed to the construction of the grand masters’ palace in the western wing of Malbork’s inner bailey, any further attribution is speculative and lacks credible source evidence. The authors emphasize the need for historical research to adhere to rigorous methodological standards, rejecting Herrmann’s conclusions as unfounded. This work underscores the importance of cautious interpretation when primary sources are scarce, setting a precedent for future studies on medieval castle architecture in the Teutonic Knights’ State.

Jóźwiak, S., & Trupinda, J. (2025). In research into the history of medieval castle construction in the Teutonic Knights’ State in Prussia, can unfettered imagination replace deficiencies in the sources? Studia Z Dziejów Średniowiecza, (28), 138–155. https://doi.org/10.26881/sds.2025.28.05