Kętrzyn

Kętrzyn (Rastenburg) was established in 1329 in the State of the Teutonic Knights and was granted town rights in 1357.

After the Battle of Grunwald (Battle of Tannenberg) in 1410, the mayor surrendered the town to Poland, however, it fell back to the Teutonic Knights in 1411. In 1440, the town joined the anti-Teutonic Prussian Confederation. King Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporated town to the Kingdom of Poland in 1454.

After the Thirteen Years’ War (1454–1466) the town was part of Poland as a fief held by the Teutonic Order's state and, from 1525 to 1701, it was part of the Duchy of Prussia.

During WWII Hitler's wartime military headquarters, the "Wolfsschanze" (Wolf's Lair), was east of Rastenburg. In 1945, the area suffered devastation from both the retreating Germans and advancing Soviets. Some ruins of the Wolfsschanze remain.