Zniesienie hołdu pruskiego. Uwolnienie Prus Książęcych z podległości lennej wobec Rzeczypospolitej w latach 1657–1658

The article presents the circumstances and provisions of the legal and political abolition of the Prussian Homage, understood as the institution of political and legal character established by the Treaty of Kraków on April 8th, 1525. The liberation of Prussia from feudal subordination to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth took place during the Polish-Swedish war started in 1655. In that war Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg and the liegeman of the Polish crown fought against Poland. The Brandenburg - Polish Treaty of Wehlau was signed on 19 September 1657 with the aim on the Polish side to acquire support from the Elector in the ongoing war against Sweden. Thus, the Polish-Brandenburg alliance was the result of this treaty. Moreover, the omission in the Treaty to name the elector as a vassal and at the same time recognizing him as the side of the agreement meant de facto the abolition of the current feudal service and replacing it with the new politico-legal relationship. In this way when the new regulation entered into force the Polish sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia began coming to the end. Poland however kept numerous rights to Prussia. Only the Polish negligent in their implementation and active policy of Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg, led eventually to the end of the Polish sovereignty over the Duchy of Prussia in the following years.