Second Treaty of Thorn - Definition and Overview

The Second Treaty of Toruń was a peace treaty concluded in Torun on October 19, 1466 between the Polish king, the Prussian cities, and duke of Pomerania on one side, and the Teutonic Order on the other. It ended the Thirteen Years War or "War of the Cities", between Poland and Teutonic Knights and which had begun with the revolt (February 1454) of the Prussian Confederation led by the cities of Gdansk, Elblag, Chelmno and Torun and the gentry against the rule of the Teutonic Knights.

As a result of the treaty the defeated Teutonic Order had to give back the unlawfully occupied territories of Gdansk Pomerania (with Gdansk City); Chelmno Land (with Chelmno and Torun) and also Vistula Mouth (with Elblag and Malbork). The Order acknowledged the rights of Polish crown to rule over Prussia's western half (subsequently known as Polish or Royal Prussia).

The Order retained control of eastern Prussia under the overlordship of the Polish king, but lost this territory also in 1525, when its Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg adopted Lutheranism and assumed the title of Duke as hereditary ruler under overlordship of Poland (see the Prussian Tribute), the area subsequently being known as Ducal Prussia. See also The First Treaty of Torun