Kilka słów o pieczęci biskupa włocławskiego Jana Pelli z Niewiesza przy dokumencie pokoju mełneńskiego z 1422 r.

Abstract

A few words on the seal of bishop of Wloclawek Jan Pella of Niewiesz on the document of Melno Peace of 1422 The purpose of the article is to present trials and tribulations with the attachment of the seal of Bishop of Wloclawek Jan Pella of Niewiesz to the main Polish document of the 1422 Melno Peace. Despite the fact that the sealed document of the treaty was handed over to the Teutonic Knights at an assembly at Wielona in April of 1423, there was no seal of Bishop Jan, who was one of the Polish guarantors of the peace. It was not until 14 April 1426 that the seal was put to the document as a result of the agreements made at a Polish-Teutonic meeting at Grodno in December 1425. The bishop’s seal was brought to Torun by a delegation made up of Jan Pella’s nephew, Piotr of Niewiesz, and a few low-ranking clergymen. The actual attachment of the seal to the document especially provided for this occasion was made by the bishop’s nephew, and the seal was described in great detail in a notary’s instrument issued for this reason. The article is supplemented by an appendix in the form of edition of two sources related to the attachment of the bishop’s seal, that is the notary’s instrument of 14 April, and a letter of Torun Commander Henryk Marschalk to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Paul von Rusdorf of 15 April 1426.