Nicolaus Copernicus was a son of Royal Prussia (Prusy Królewskie), from the part of the former Teutonic state placed under the suzerainty of the King of Poland under the Treaty of Toruń (Thorn) of 19 October 1466 (ending a war which had lasted for nearly thirty years). 

The period of Toruń’s greatest glory had already passed when the astronomer-to-be was born. 

Relatively little is known about the family of the great astronomer. The Koperniks came from Silesia. In the older biographies of the scientist there are attempts to trace the origin of his name from a particular village – Koperniki near Otmuchów (German Köppernigk). 

In 1459 the astronomer’s grandfather, Lucas I Watzenrode received the house at St. Ann Street (today Kopernika 15) in payment of his nephew Simon Falbrecht’s debts.