Despite rainy weather—unlike the sweltering conditions in which the original battle was fought more than six centuries ago—the annual spectacle featured choreographed sword fights, cavalry charges, archery displays and cannon fire as performers recreated the decisive victory of the Polish-Lithuanian alliance over the Teutonic Knights.
The reenactment included scenes recorded by 15th-century chronicler Jan Długosz, such as the presentation of two unsheathed swords to King Władysław Jagiełło by Teutonic envoys, and the death of Teutonic Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen.
This year's event, the 28th edition of the modern reenactment, attracted more participants than in recent years. The reenactors marched onto the battlefield from a nearby medieval camp shared with around 3,500 history enthusiasts dressed in period costume as part of the five-day Grunwald Days festival.
Organisers describe the Grunwald reenactment as Europe's largest historical reconstruction of a medieval battle and possibly the world's biggest of its kind.
Held annually since the early 1990s, it has become one of Poland's leading historical events, drawing between 60,000 and 80,000 spectators each year, while the wider Grunwald Days festival attracts up to 200,000 visitors with medieval tournaments, demonstrations and concerts.
The original Battle of Grunwald, also known as the (First) Battle of Tannenberg, fought on July 15, 1410, ended in a decisive victory for the allied Polish and Lithuanian forces over the Teutonic Order. Although it did not immediately end the conflict between the two sides, it became a defining symbol of Polish statehood and military tradition, and remains one of the country's most important historical anniversaries.
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Source: PAP