Braniewo
Braunsberg (earlier Brunsberg, today Braniewo), a city in eastern Prussia (today north eastern Poland: Warmia - Mazury voivodship), in the bishopric of Ermeland (Pol. Warmia), may have been named after Saint Bruno of Querfurt. It is near Frauenburg (Frombork) and both cities are situated half way between Gdansk (ger. Danzig) and Kaliningrad (earlier Koenigsberg or Krolewiec) at the Baltic Sea.
Braunsberg was already settled by Prussians: one of the earlier recorded names was Brus, and there is some speculation that the origins of the city name lie in "Brus-berg". In 1249, Johannes Fleming, son of a Lübeck councilman (Ratsherr) founded Braunsberg. Bishop Anselm gave it Luebeck city charter in 1254.
In 1260, bishop Anselm of Meissen (earlier Misnia) founded a chapter attached to the cathedral of St. Andreas at Braunsberg. This chapter had the right to elect the bishop. Braunsberg was destroyed by Prussians, who fought for thirty years against take-over of their land by the papal legates. The next bishop Heinrich I (1278-1300) had to transfer the chapter from Braunsberg to Frauenburg. It remained in Frauenburg until the 20th century.
In 1296, a Franciscan abbey was built in Braunsberg, and in 1342 a Neustadt or 'new city' was added.
In 1552 Regina Protmann was born in Braunsberg. She came from a Patrician family and was expected to marry. Instead she was somewhat influenced by newly arrived Jesuits and against the wishes of her parents and contrary to the customs of the times, moved out on her own. She founded the Saint Catherine Order of Sisters, who were devoted to nursing the sick within the community. Ermland, a state remaining Catholic, surrounded by Protestants, had only schools for boys. Blessed Regina founded schools for girls as well.
Next to Koenigsberg, Braunsberg was the leading academic center of Prussia. In 1912 the Jesuit college became the Staatliche Akademie Braunsberg.
In 1924 Rainer Barzel, later Bundestagspresident of the Bundesrepublik of Germany, was born in Braunsberg, Prussia.
Based on Georg Hermanowski, Ostpreussen Catholic Encyclopedia Ulrich Fuesser, Regina-Protmann-Schule