This film was a Polish submission
to the 33rd Academy Awards.
It was released on 15 July 1960,
the 550th anniversary of the
battle of Grunwald

Director:
Aleksander Ford

Script:
Based on historical novel written by the eminent Polish Positivist writer and the 1905 Nobel laureate, Henryk Sienkiewicz

Screenwriter:
Jerzy Stefan Stawiński
Aleksander Ford

Production:
Zespół Filmowy Studio

Cinematography:
Mieczysław Jahoda

Cast:
Urszula Modrzyńska, Grażyna
Staniszewska, Andrzej Szalawski,
Henryk Borowski, Aleksander Fogiel, Mieczysław Kalenik, Emil Karewicz,
Tadeusz Kosudarski, Lucyna Winnicka,
Tadeusz Białoszczyński, Mieczysław
Voit, Janusz Strachocki, Stanisław
Jasiukiewicz, Leon Niemczyk, Zbigniew Skowroński, Mieczysław Stoor

Poland 1960
Duration: 166 minutes

"Knights of the Teutonic order" is an extraordinary project which - after remastering and digital reconstruction - aims to bringing one of the most exquisite masterpieces of Polish cinematography to a contemporary audience.

In the early 15th century, the Teutonic Knights of Germany invade Poland under the guise of converting the pagan population to Christianity. As vindication for Jurand's successful defense against the invaders, the Teutons kill his wife. Shortly thereafter, Jurand's only daughter, Danusia, visits the court of Mazovia, where Zbyszko, a young member of the duchess's entourage, swears to avenge the death of Danusia's mother. When Zbyszko assaults a Teutonic emissary, the Polish king is forced to sentence him to death; in accordance with custom, however, Danusia covers Zbyszko's head with her veil at the last minute, and he is saved. Zbyszko and Danusia become engaged, but she is kidnaped by the Teutonic Knights, and Jurand is seized at the Szczytno castle, where he is tortured. After the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights dies, his successor declares war on Poland and her other allies, including Russia and Lithuania. Meanwhile, Zbyszko conducts an extensive search for Danusia, but when at last he finds her, she has lost her sanity and dies a short time later. At the Battle of Grünwald in 1410, the Teutonic Knights' eastward expansion is finally thwarted in
a major defeat, and Zbyszko returns home to Jagienka, his childhood girl friend who is now in love with him.

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