EN
The origins of Christianity in Grudziądz should be sought in the baptism of Prince Mieszko I and his inner circle. Since that event, within the borders of the emerging Polish state, the church began systematic missionary activity. Probably as early as at the end of the 10th c. the missionary activity covered areas between the rivers Vistula and Drwęca that were later called Kulmerland. This was the area where the city of Grudziądz was founded. It was a Cistercian bishop, Christian (c. 1170–1245), who significantly contributed to the Christianization of the inhabitants of Prussia, the Kulmerland and Grudziądz itself. We can assume that during his lifetime Grudziądz was a site of a religious centre, probably even a parish. The bishop might have initiated its establishing. We cannot exclude that the origins of Christianity in this city were more remote, and that it was the bishop who influenced the development of Christianity in Grudziądz. The article presents the characteristics of Grudziądz parish in the view of the following issues: the invocation of the church, patronage, emoluments, reach of the parish district, vicarial, diocesan and archdiocesan belonging. In medieval Grudziądz, next to the parish church, there were also built two hospitals that chose St. George and the Holy Spirit as the patrons saint. Probably in the neighborhood of the church of the Holy Spirit, already in the Middle Ages, there was the chapel of St. Michael the Archangel. Information on it, unfortunately, can be obtained only from early modern sources. Describing the history of the Church in Grudziądz one cannot forget about the role of the order, which was connected with the city for two hundred years – namely, the Teutonic Order. It is worth stressing that the Teutonic Order is most often perceived as a knightly corporation, while its monastic character is often neglected or questioned.