Dzierzgoń

Dzierzgoń
View of Dzierzgoń
Coat of arms
Dzierzgoń
Coordinates: 53°55′24″N 19°21′5″E / 53.92333°N 19.35139°E / 53.92333; 19.35139
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Pomeranian
County	Sztum
Gmina	Dzierzgoń
Area
• Total	3.88 km2 (1.50 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Total	5,630
• Density	1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi)
Postal code	82-440
Website	http://www.dzierzgon.pl/

Dzierzgoń [ˈd͡ʑeʐɡɔɲ] (German: Christburg) is a town in the Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is located in Sztum County east of Malbork and south of Elbląg on the river Dzierzgoń. Dzierzgoń has a population of 5,800, while the city and its environs have a combined population of 10,000.

The city was originally a settlement of Old Prussian tribe of Pomesanians.

In 1247, a castle known as Neu Christburg (German for "New Castle of Christ") was founded overlooking the Sorge River (Dzierzgoń), a few kilometers away from an older fortress known as Alt Christburg (Stary Dzierzgoń) by Teutonic Knights brought to Poland by Konrad Mazowiecki. In 1249 a peace treaty was signed at the new castle between the victorious Teutonic Order and defeated local Old Prussians. In 1254, the town which had developed near the castle was first referred to as Christburg. Within the Monastic State of the Teutonic Order, Christburg was an administrative seat for the regional Komtur.

After the Second Peace of Thorn (1466), Christburg became part of the Polish province of Royal Prussia and was officially named Dzierzgoń in the documents. From 1508 the city was renamed to Kiszpork In 1772 it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the First Partition of Poland and was incorporated into the new province of West Prussia. Christburg became part of the German Empire upon its foundation in 1871 during the unification of Germany. Around 1900 Christburg had one Protestant church, two Catholic churches, a synagogue, a county court, a brewery and a dairy.