The Prussian Tribute, oil on canvas, 1882, 388 x 875 cm, National Museum in Kraków. Albrecht Hohenzollern receives the Duchy of Prussia as a fief from the Polish King, Sigismundus I the Elder in 1525.

During the Reformation endemic religious upheavals and wars occurred, and on February 10, 1525, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, Albert of Prussia, a member of a cadet branch of the house of Hohenzollern, resigned his position, became a Protestant and received the title "Duke of Prussia" from Sigismund I King of Poland, Great Duke of Lithuania and imperial duke of Silesia in the act called Prussian Tribute. In a deal partially brokered by Martin Luther (under imperial ban since 1521), Ducal Prussia became the first Protestant state, along the lines of the later religious Peace of Augsburg.

Both peace agreements, the 1466 Second Treaty of Thorn and the 1525 Krakow Kuhhandel (cow trade) between Albrecht of Brandenburg-Prussia and his uncle Sigismund I were unauthorized and not recognized by either the popes nore the emperors, the supreme overlords.

Due to Albrecht's duties to the emperor and to the pope he was not allowed to broker a deal with Sigismund I at the deadline of the four year truce in early 1525. Albrecht sought legal and canonical council and was advised, that what he cannot do as a Roman Catholic grandmaster, he can however undertake as a Protestant. Just as Martin Luther at that time only wanted to reform the church, duke Albrecht also sought to obtain papal and imperial approval.

For a detailed description of the situation read William Urbans article on Prussia.

External Link

William Urban's article on Prussia http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:lqag5cL8YAAJ:department.monm.edu/history/urban/articles/State_of_the_grandmasters.htm+Casimir+IV+deutscher+orden&hl=en