Barten

Barten takes its name from the Bartians, an Old Prussian people whose stronghold stood in this region. The Teutonic Knights conquered the district and erected a castle in 1325, later rebuilding it in masonry from 1377. After the Thirteen Years' War, the land remained under the Order as a fief of the Polish Crown, and later formed part of ducal Prussia. In 1628 Barten received town rights based on Chełmno law. The castle remained a reminder of the conquest that had transformed the region.