As surprising as it may seem, at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, one of Ventspils’ luxury export goods reaching the most distant royal courts of Europe was… hunting falcons! The few written records from that time reveal that over the course of just a few decades, several hundred trained birds of prey were sent from the Ventspils commandery to Marienburg Castle in Prussia (modern-day Malbork, Poland).
The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, residing in Marienburg, used these falcons both for his own needs and on a much larger scale — gifting them to the rulers of Germany, Hungary, England, Lithuania, and various Western European nobles.
At the time, falconry was a widely popular noble “sport,” making a trained falcon a valuable gift that helped establish strong diplomatic ties. The commanders of Ventspils recognized that the birds of prey from Northern Courland, when specially trained, could significantly boost the commandery’s treasury. To ensure proper training, the commanders hired falconers — specialized falcon caretakers responsible for capturing, training, maintaining, and transporting these birds to Marienburg.
The story of the “falcon trade” will be presented by Armands Vijups, Deputy Director and Leading Researcher of the Ventspils Museum, as part of the History Tuesday series at the Livonian Order Castle on May 20th at 17.30.
Admission – free of charge.
Ventspils Museum
