The castle Bezlawaki (germ
The castle Bezlawaki (germ. Baslack), which was built by the Knights of the Teutonic Order, dates to the end of the 14th century, and lay within the jurisdiction of the Procurate of Ketrzyn. The castle has a regular quadrilateral plan (52,7 x 42,1 m) with towers on each corner and half-towers in between, and an gateway to the south-east. In 1371 were granted territorial rights to the village of Bayselawke (Baslack in German) by the 'komtur' (commander) of Balga Ulryk Fricke. The complex of buildings functioned as a place of refuge, and as a base for raids into Lithuania. During the years 1402-1404 the castle hosted the Lithuanian prince Swidrygiello (lit. Svitrigaila). After the Great War of 1409-1411 the castle lost its military significance. In 1513 the manor house was converted into a church lying within the parish of Reszel, and in 1583 the church was adapted for the purposes of the Protestantism. The cellar space beneath the presbytery was converted into a crypt, and a cemetery started to function within the grounds of the church. To the east the side-wall was pierced by a gate, above which is partially preserved the text (in German) of the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians (4, 13-14). In the years 1726-1730 a four-story bell-tower was constructed. In 1884 the church was fundamentally restored, and the cemetery was extended to encompass the whole slope of the eminence on which the castle had been constructed, and at the same time ancillary buildings were added at the side of the courtyard, built against the boundary wall. The church was once again restored in 1985-1989 and in 2008 the tower was restored. During the course of archaeological excavations carried out by the Institute of Archaeology, Gdansk University, the remains of a crypt dating to the seventeenth century were uncovered, as well as individual finds dating back to the times of the Teutonic Order, the iron head of a crossbow-bolt and a bracteate coin from the first half of the 15-th century. (transl. N. Sekunda)
Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytetu Gdatislciego
http://www.castle.lv/