Wielbark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship
| Wielbark | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
 Wielbark
|
|
| Coordinates: 53°23′52″N 20°56′46″E / 53.39778°N 20.94611°E | |
| Country |
 Poland
|
| Voivodeship | Warmian-Masurian |
| County | Szczytno |
| Gmina | Wielbark |
| Population | 2,943 |
Wielbark [ˈvjɛlbark] (German: 
Willenberg ) is a village in Szczytno County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Wielbark. It lies approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) south of Szczytno and 52 km (32 mi) south-east of the regional capital Olsztyn.
The official site of the county of Wielbark gmina states that the first signs of human settlement date before the arrival of the Teutonic Knights, and that the first named settlement mentioned in the area is called Bartniki. This location along with the settlement located near castle-called Karczmarska Wioska, gave birth to Wielbark according to the county's site. The German name of the settlement, “Wildhaus” ("wild game house"), is first mentioned in 1361 of the Teutonic Order at the southern border of the Teutonic Order State Willenberg (Wildenberg) consisted only of a few buildings when it was founded by komtur Frederic von Willenberg. It remained within the Teutonic Order state after the Second Peace of Thorn (1466) and became a part of the Crown of Poland fief of Ducal Prussia with the adoption of the Lutheran faith by Albert of Prussia in 1525. A Protestant church was mentioned in 1557 and the settlement was called a small town in 1647. In 1656, throughout the Second Northern War, Willenberg, like many towns in Masuria, was destroyed by Polish Lipka Tatars.
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