The Teutonic Order, like other spiritual knightly orders, was created to fight against Muslims and pagans. By the end of the 12th century, when the Teutonic Order arose, the pagans in Eastern Europe were the Baltic and Finno-Ugric tribes on the territory of modern Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, the Kaliningrad region of Russia, partly Poland and Belarus.

Prussian Crusade (to the Baltics)

Restoration of the order

The Teutonic Order was reinstated in 1834. In the first half of the 20th century, under pressure from the Nazis, the order was virtually liquidated. After World War II, the Teutonic Order was restored and is still in effect today.

All power in the Teutonic Order belonged to the "brothers" - hundreds of the most powerful and famous knights.

Capital of the Order

Although the Teutonic knights-kings were active in Europe almost from the very time of the foundation of the order, their official residence remained in Palestine for a long time. It was Montfort Castle, built in the late 1220s in the north of the modern State of Israel. But in 1271, Montfort was taken by the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, Baybars, and the residence of the Teutons was transferred to Venice. Since 1309, the fortress city of Marienburg (the modern Polish city of Malbork) has become the capital of the Teutonic knights.

Pictures (photos, drawings)

• Teutons

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  Jan Matejko. Crusaders and monks

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  Jan Matejko. Polish chivalry

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  From left to right: King of Poland Casimir III the Great, Queen of Poland Jadwiga, King of Poland Vladislav II Jagiello. Drawing by Jan Matejko

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  Jan Matejko. Polish and Lithuanian warriors

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  Jan Matejko. Warriors of Poland and ON

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  Jan Matejko. Tycoons

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  Medieval Eastern Europe

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  Jagiello's ascent to the Polish throne (1387). A fragment of the painting of the Cathedral in Krakow. XV century

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  Battle of the Crusaders with the Litvin. Fragment of a painting of the 16th century

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  Union of Kreva in 1385

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  Monument to Andrey Polotsky in Polotsk

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from lat. teutonicus - German) is a religious order founded at the end of the 12th century.

The motto of the Teutonic Order:

"It. Helfen - Wehren - Heilen "(" Help - Protect - Treat ")

Foundation of the order

First version

The new institution with the status of a spiritual order was approved by one of the German knightly leaders, Prince Friedrich von Schwaben (F? Rst Friedrich von Schwaben) on November 19, 1190, and after the capture of the fortress of Acre, the founders of the hospital found it a permanent place in the city.

Second version

During the 3rd Crusade, when Acre was besieged by the knights, merchants from Lubeck and Bremen founded a field hospital. Duke Friedrich of Swabia transformed the hospital into a spiritual Order, headed by Chaplain Konrad. The order was subordinate to the local bishop and was a branch of the Order of the Johannites.

Pope Clement III approved the Order as "fratrum Theutonicorum ecclesiae S. Mariae Hiersolymitanae" (Brotherhood of the Teutonic Church of St. Mary of Jerusalem) with his papal bull on February 6, 1191.

On March 5, 1196, the ceremony of reorganization of the Order into a spiritual-knightly Order took place in the Temple of Acre. The ceremony was attended by the masters of the Hospitallers and Templars, as well as the secular and clergy of Jerusalem. Pope Innocent III confirmed this event with a bull dated February 19, 1199, and determined the tasks of the Order: the protection of the German knights, the treatment of the sick, the fight against the enemies of the Catholic Church. The order was subject to the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.

Order name

The order was officially named in Latin:

* Fratrum Theutonicorum ecclesiae S. Mariae Hiersolymitanae

* Ordo domus Sanctae Mariae Teutonicorum in Jerusalem (second name)

In German, two variants were also used:

* full name - Br? der und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus Sankt Mariens in Jerusalem

* and abbreviated - Der Deutsche Orden

In Russian historiography, the Order received the name Teutonic Order or German Order.

Order structure

Grand Master

The supreme power in the Order was vested in the Grand Masters (Hochmeister). The charter of the Teutonic Order (in contrast to the charter of the Benedictine Order, to which it ascends) does not transfer unlimited power into the hands of the Grand Master. His power was always limited to the General Chapter. In carrying out his duties, the Grand Master depended on the assembly of all the brothers of the order. However, with the expansion of the Order, the power of the Grand Master is greatly enhanced, due to the impossibility of collecting the General Chapter often. In fact, the relationship between the Master and the Chapter was determined more by legal custom. The intervention of the Chapter was necessary in crisis situations, which sometimes led to the resignation of the Grand Masters from office.

Landmeister

Landmeister (German Landmeister) - the next position in the structure of the order. The Landmeister was the Deputy Grand Master and was in charge of the smaller administrative units - the balleys. In total, there were three types of landmasters in the Teutonic Order:

* German Landmeister (German Deutschmeister) - for the first time German Landmeisters appeared in 1218. On December 11, 1381, their power began to extend to the Italian possessions of the order. In 1494, Emperor Charles V granted the German Landmasters the status of imperial princes.

* Landmeister in Prussia (German: Landmeister von Preu? En) - the position was established in 1229 with the beginning of the conquest of the Order of Prussia. The first landmaster was Hermann von Balk, making a significant contribution to the conquest of Prussia. Through his efforts, several castles were founded, many campaigns were carried out on the Prussian lands. Throughout the 13th century, the main task of the landmasters was to suppress the constant uprisings of the Prussians and the war with the Lithuanians. In the XIV century, the “duty” to lead the constant campaigns in Lithuania was completely transferred to the Order's Marshals. The position existed until 1324. After the transfer of the capital of the Order to Marienburg in 1309, the need for a special “deputy” of the Grand Master in Prussia disappeared. From 1309 to 1317, the post remained vacant. From 1317 to 1324, Friedrich von Wildenberg became the last landmaster.

* Landmaster in Livonia

Landkomtur

Literally translated as "earth commander". He was in charge of the Order's ballet.

The lowest official unit in the structure of the Order. Komtur led the komturstvo together in the Convention - a meeting of the knights of this komturstvo. The knights subordinate to the Komtur were called trustees (German Pfleger) or vogt (German V? Gte) and could have different "specializations" and in accordance with them were called, for example: fischmasters (German Fischmeister) or foresters (German Waldmeister) ...

Chief Officers of the Order

In addition, there were five officials in the Order with whom the Grand Master was supposed to consult:

Great Comtur

The Great Comtur (German Grosskomture) - was the deputy of the Grand Master, represented the Order during his absence (due to illness, in case of resignation, premature death), carried out other assignments of the Grand Master.

Marshal of the Order (German: Marschalle or German Oberstmarschall) - his main responsibilities were to lead the military operations of the Order. He spent most of his time either on military campaigns or in Konigsberg, which was the base for gathering the brothers of the Order on campaigns against Lithuania. He was the second person of the Order in battles after the Grand Master.

Supreme Hospitaller

The Supreme Hospitaller (German: Spitler) - in the first years after the creation of the Order, he directed the hospitals and hospitals of the Order. After the conquest of Prussia, his residence was in Elbing.

Supreme Quartermaster

Supreme Quartermaster (German Trapiere) - his functions included supplying the brothers of the Order with everything necessary in a peaceful life: clothing, food and other household items. After the conquest of Prussia, his residence was at the Christburg castle.

Chief Treasurer

Chief Treasurer (German Trapiere) - supervised the financial operations of the Order, was in charge of the monetary resources of the Order.

Other positions

* Kommandeur. In Russian, the term "commander" is used, although the essence of this word means "commander", "commander".

* Capitularies. It is not translated into Russian, it is transcribed as "capitulair". The essence of the title is the head of the chapter (meetings, conferences, commissions).

* Rathsgebietiger. Can be translated as "member of the Council".

* Deutschherrenmeister. It is not translated into Russian. Means roughly "Master Master of Germany".

* Balleimeister. It can be translated into Russian as "master of property (possession)".

History of the Order

Beginning of approval in Eastern Europe

By that time, the influence and wealth of the Teutonic Order was noticed by many powers, wishing to deal with the opposing groups under the banner of the "fight against the pagans". The then head of the Teutons, Herman von Salza (1209-1239), who had significant possessions and became a prominent mediator of the Pope, had a great influence. In 1211, the king of Hungary, Andrew II (Andras), invited the knights to help in the fight against the militant Huns (Pechenegs). The Teutons settled on the border of Transylvania, while gaining considerable autonomy. However, excessive demands for greater independence led the king in 1225 to demand that the knights leave his land.

Struggle against the Prussian pagans

In the meantime (1217), Pope Honorius III announced a campaign against the Prussian pagans who had seized the lands of the Polish prince Konrad I of Mazovia. In 1225, the prince asked for help from the Teutonic knights, promising them possession of the cities of Kulm and Dobryn, as well as the preservation of the occupied territories. The Teutonic Knights arrived in Poland in 1232, based on the right bank of the Vistula River. The first fort was built here, which gave birth to the city of Torun. Moving northward, the cities of Chelmno and Kwidzyn were founded. The tactics of the knights were the same: after the suppression of the local pagan head, the population forcibly converted to Christianity. A castle was built on this place, around which the Germans began to actively use the land.

Expanding influence

Despite the active actions of the Order in Europe, its official residence (together with the Grand Master) was in the Levant. In 1220, the Order redeems part of the land in the Upper Galilee and builds the Starkenberg fortress (Montfort). The Order's archive and treasury were located here. Only in 1271, after the capture of the fortress by Baybars, the leader of the Mamluks, the residence of the Order moved to Venice. In 1309, the capital of the Teutonic Knights was the city of Marienburg (German: "Mary's Castle"; Polish name - Malbork). Gradually, all of Prussia fell under the authority of the Teutonic Order. In 1237, the Teutonic Order merged with the remnants of the military brotherhood of the Knights of the Sword (Knights of Christ), thereby gaining power in Livonia. During the invasion campaign to Gdansk (1308) under the slogan "Jesu Christo Salvator Mundi" (Jesus Christ the Savior of the World), almost the entire Polish population (about 10,000 local residents) was destroyed, and German settlers arrived in the occupied lands. The acquisition of Eastern Pomerania dates back to the same time, which was of great importance: the seizure no longer pursued religious goals. Thus, by the end of the 13th century, the order actually becomes a state. By the middle of the 13th century, the church split, and the order launched an active offensive to the east, in support of the old German idea of ​​ousting the Slavs [source?] [Neutrality?] Drang nach Osten. Over time, two more similar organizations of knights arose in the Baltic States - the Order of the Swordsmen and the Livonian Order.

Relations with Russian principalities and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

The conquest of the Estonians led to a clash between the order and Novgorod. The first conflict took place in 1210, and in 1224 the Teutons captured the strategically important point of the Novgorodians - the city of Tartu (Yuryev, Dorpat). The confrontation went over spheres of influence, but by the 1240s. there was a real threat of a coordinated attack by all Western forces against the Russian lands proper, weakened by the Mongol invasion. At the end of August 1240, the order, having gathered the German crusaders of the Baltic states, Danish knights from Revel and enlisting the support of the papal curia, invaded the Pskov lands and captured Izborsk. An attempt by the Pskov militia to recapture the fortress ended in failure. The knights besieged Pskov itself and soon took it, taking advantage of the betrayal among the besieged. Two German vogts were planted in the city. Further, the knights invaded the Novgorod principality and built a fortress in Koporye. Alexander Nevsky arrived in Novgorod, and in 1241 he liberated Koporye with a swift raid. After that he returned to Novgorod, where he spent the winter, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements from Vladimir. In March, the united army liberated Pskov. The decisive battle took place on April 5, 1242 on Lake Peipsi. It ended in a crushing defeat for the knights. The order was forced to conclude a peace, according to which the crusaders renounced their claim to Russian lands.

Galicia-Volynskoe became another Russian principality that collided with the order. In 1236, Prince Daniil Romanovich, in the battle of Drohochin, stopped the expansion of the knights to Southeastern Russia. The object of the dispute in this region was the Yatvyazi lands. In 1254, the vice-master of the Teutonic Order in Prussia, Burchard von Hornhausen, Daniel and the Mazovian prince Zemovit entered into a tripartite alliance in Rachenz to conquer the Yatvingians.

The most massive onslaught of the order was the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Russian lands (mainly the Belarusian principalities), which became part of it. The fight against the order was started by a contemporary of Alexander Nevsky, the Lithuanian prince Mindovg. He inflicted two crushing defeats on the knights at the Battle of Saul (Shauliai) in 1236 and at the Battle of Lake Durba (1260). Under the successors of Mindaugas, the princes Gediminas and Olgerd, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Russia became the largest state in Europe, but continued to be subjected to fierce attacks.

In the XIV century, the Order made over a hundred campaigns to Lithuania. The situation began to improve only in 1386, when the Lithuanian prince Jagiello converted to Catholicism and became engaged to the heiress to the Polish throne. This marked the beginning of the rapprochement between Lithuania and Poland (the so-called "personal union" - both states had one ruler).

Decline of the Order

The Order began to experience difficulties since 1410, when the combined Polish-Lithuanian troops (with the participation of Russian regiments) inflicted a crushing defeat on the Order's army at the Battle of Grunwald. More than two hundred knights and their head were killed. The Teutonic Order lost its reputation as an invincible army. The Slavic army was commanded by the Polish king Jagiello and his cousin, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitovt. The army also included the Czechs (it was here that Jan ižka lost his first eye) and the Tatar guard of the Lithuanian prince.

In 1411, after a two-month, unsuccessful siege of Marienburg, the Order paid an indemnity to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. A peace treaty was signed, but minor skirmishes did occur from time to time. For the purpose of reform, the League of Prussian States was organized by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick III. This provoked a further thirteen-year war, from which Poland emerged victorious. In 1466 the Teutonic Order was forced to recognize itself as a vassal of the Polish king.

The final loss of power took place in 1525, when the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, the "Great Elector" of Brandenburg, Albrecht Hohenzollern, converted to Protestantism, resigned as Grand Master and announced the secularization of the Prussian lands - the main territory belonging to the Teutonic Order. Such a step became possible with the consent of the Polish king and with the mediation of Martin Luther, the author of this plan. The newly formed Duchy of Prussia became the first Protestant state in Europe, but continued to remain in vassal dependence on Catholic Poland. The order was dissolved in 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars. The possessions and territories remaining under the rule of the Order were ceded to the vassals and allies of Napoleon. It was only possible to reorganize the Teutonic Order during the First World War.

Claimants to the Order's legacy

Order and Prussia

Prussia, despite the fact that it was a Protestant state, claimed to be the spiritual heir to the Order, especially in terms of military traditions.

In 1813, the Order of the Iron Cross was established in Prussia, the appearance of which reflected the symbol of the Order. The history of the Order was taught in Prussian schools.

Order and Nazis

The Nazis considered themselves to be the successors of the Order, especially in the field of geopolitics. The doctrine of the Order of the "Onslaught on the East" was fully assimilated by the leadership.

The Nazis also claimed the material property of the Order. After the Anschluss of Austria on September 6, 1938, the remaining possessions of the Order were nationalized in favor of Germany. The same thing happened after the capture of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Only the Order's hospitals and buildings in Yugoslavia and southern Tyrol retained their independence.

An attempt was also made, inspired by Heinrich Himmler, to create a "Teutonic Order" of its own in order to revive the German military elite. This "order" consisted of ten people, headed by Reinhard Heydrich.

At the same time, the Nazis persecuted the priests of the present Order, as well as the descendants of those Prussian families whose roots went back to the knights of the Order. Some of these descendants, such as von der Schulenburg, joined the anti-Hitler opposition.

Restoration of the Order. Order today

The restoration of the order took place in 1834 with the assistance of the Austrian emperor Franz I. The new Order was deprived of political and military ambitions and focused its efforts on charity, helping the sick, etc.

During the period of the Nazi persecution of the Order, its activities were virtually curtailed.

After the end of the war, the Austrian possessions annexed by the Nazis were returned to the Order.

In 1947, the decree on the liquidation of the Order was formally annulled.

The order was not reestablished in socialist Czechoslovakia, but revived in Austria and Germany. After the collapse of the Soviet bloc, branches of the Order appeared in the Czech Republic (in Moravia and Bohemia), Slovenia and some other European countries. There is also a small (less than twenty people) community of Order members in the United States.

The residence of the Grand Master is still in Vienna. There is also a treasury of the order and a library that stores historical archives, about 1000 old seals, and other documents. The order is ruled by the abbot-hochmeister, although the order itself consists mainly of sisters.

The order is divided into three dominions - Germany, Austria and South Tyrol, and two commanders - Rome and Altenbisen (Belgium).

The order fully serves with its nuns one hospital in Friesach in Carinthia (Austria) and one private sanatorium in Cologne. The Sisters of the Order also work in other hospitals and nursing homes in Bad Mergengem, Regensburg and Nuremberg.

Modern symbols of the Order

The symbol of the Order is a Latin cross of black enamel with a white enamel border, covered (for the Knights of Honor) with a helmet with black and white feathers or (for members of St. Mary's society) with a simple circular decoration made of black and white order ribbon.

Sources of information

* Hartmut Bockmann, "The German Order: Twelve Chapters from Its History" Per. with him. V.I. Matuzova. M .: Ladomir, 2004 ISBN 5-86218-450-3 ISBN 978-5-86218-450-1

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

The Teutonic Order was established during the Third Crusade (1189-1192). Its full Latin name is Ordo domus Sanctae Mariae Teutonicorum (Order of the House of St. Mary of Teutonic).
Members of this German Catholic spiritual-knightly order were considered both monks and knights and took three traditional monastic vows: chastity, poverty and obedience. At that time, the members of the order were completely dependent on the Pope, being his powerful weapon and not submitting to the authority of those sovereigns on whose territory their possessions were located.

The goal of monastic deed, Christian theologians emphasize, is the achievement by the action of God's grace of spiritual purity, blamelessness and complete surrender to the will of God through an ascetic deed, performed every day throughout life.
However, even during the formation of the Teutonic military-monastic order, rarely did anyone take seriously the fact that a monk should deprive himself of the joys of earthly life in order to overcome the temptations of the flesh and the devil and attain the grace of the Holy Spirit.
In 1198, the order was established by Pope Innocent III, and in 1221, Pope Honorius III extended to the Teutons all those privileges, immunities and indulgences that were enjoyed by the older orders: the Johannites and Templars.

The Teutonic Order played a sinister role in the conquest of the Baltic States and Prussia. Since about 1215, on the initiative of Pope Innocent III, German feudal lords have forced their penetration to the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea under the pretext of Christianizing the pagan Prussians. Back in 1201, Bishop Albert founded the city of Riga and, with the blessing of the same Innocent III, established the Spiritual Knightly Order of the Swordsmen, or the Livonian Order. Since then, knights from all over Europe began to flock to the Baltic States. Bloody operations were launched to convert the local population (tribes of Kuros, Prussians, Livs, Estonians) to Christianity.

In 1226, under the agreement of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Hermann von Salz with the Polish appanage prince Konrad Mazowiecki "to protect Mazovia from the Prussians and Lithuanians", the order received the Helminsky land and, transferring its activities to Eastern Europe, began the conquest of the Prussians - a group of tribes that had inhabited the southern coast since ancient times Baltic Sea between the lower course of the Vistula and Neman rivers.
German writer August Kotzebue, a well-known monarchist who cannot be accused of sympathizing with the Slavs, wrote about the Teutonic knights: “One cannot read without a shudder the descriptions of all the atrocities that the crusaders committed against the unfortunate people. Let's give just one example. At the end of the XIV century, when Prussia was completely subjugated and pacified, the Grand Master of the Order of the Crusaders Konrad Wallenrod, angry with the Cumerland bishop, ordered to cut off the right hands of all the peasants of his bishopric "(Kotzebue A Ancient history of Prussia. Riga, 1808).

In less than 50 years, the Teutonic Order conquered all the Prussian lands in the course of wars of destruction. Not only the Helminska land was cut off from Poland, but also the Eastern Pomerania. The Dobzha land and even Kuyavia (an early feudal state formation of the East Slavic tribes of the Middle Dnieper region) became permanent objects of the expansion of the Teutons. The crusaders also posed a great threat to Lithuania and the northwestern Russian lands. The western part of the Lithuanian Samogitia (Zhmudi) was also under constant pressure from the order.
In 1261, after the defeat of the Teutonic knights in a battle with the Lithuanians, the Prussians revolted against the crusaders. The performances of the Prussians swept across the Baltic States, and only in 1283 the order managed to finally conquer this proud and freedom-loving tribe.

To maintain dominance over the Baltic states, the Teutons continued to mercilessly exterminate all who tried to offer them the slightest resistance. For example, as the Chronicle of Livonia describes the campaign of the crusader conquerors: “And the army divided along all the roads and villages, and they killed many people everywhere, and pursued enemies in the neighboring regions, and captured women and children from them, and, finally came together at the castle. The next and the third day, going around everything, they ravaged and burned what they found, and stole horses and countless cattle with them ... Many pagans who escaped into the woods or onto the sea ice died frozen from the cold ”(Henry of Latvia. Chronicle of Livonia. 2nd ed. I. - L., 1938, p. 124-125).

In 1236, a large army of Teutons invaded the Livonian lands, consuming them with fire and iron. But the knights were overturned by the soldiers of the united Lithuanian state.
A year after this event, the Teutonic Order merged with the Livonian Order. The Master of the Teutons (who received the title of Grand Master - Grand Master) was submitted to the Master of the Livonian Order (who later became known as the Landmeister). Having thus united their forces, the German knights began to prepare for a new "Drang nach Osten" ("Onslaught to the East").
The Teutonic Order had powerful patrons: the Pope and the German Emperor, who always supported the crusaders in all their clashes not only with the recent pagan Lithuania, but also with the long-Christianized Poland.
Having entered into an alliance with the Swedish feudal lords, the Teutonic Order began to threaten Pskov and Novgorod. "Let's reproach the Slovenian language" - this, according to the chronicler, was the slogan of the Teutons. Popes have long strived for world domination, and they were especially attracted by Russia with its innumerable riches. Having enslaved the Livs, Estonians and Prussians by the hands of the Teutons, the Catholic Church extended its tentacles to Russia.

In July 1240, a Swedish flotilla suddenly appeared in the Gulf of Finland, which, passing along the Neva, stood at the mouth of the Izhora. On the morning of July 15, the Russian army under the leadership of the Novgorod prince Alexander Yaroslavich attacked the Swedes and defeated them with a lightning strike. In this famous battle, for the victory in which Alexander was named "Nevsky", the Russian prince, as the chronicle says, "put a seal on the king's face with your sharp sword."

The fight against the Swedish invaders was, however, only an integral part of the defense of Russia. The Teutonic knights in 1240, with the help of Danish feudal lords, captured the city of Izborsk, and then Pskov, after which they appeared near Novgorod. Alexander Nevsky defeated the knights near Pskov, invaded their possessions, "the land of the order is burnt and war-fought, and is full of many, taking away, and cutting out others." And on April 5, 1242, a historic battle against the Teutons took place on Lake Peipsi, called the Battle of the Ice, during which 500 knights were killed and 50 Teutons were taken prisoner. "And that cross section of evil is great, and the crackle from the spears of breaking and the sound from the cross section ... and you don't see ice, everything is covered with blood."
The victory over the Teutons on Lake Peipsi was of great importance for the further history of both the Russian and other peoples of Eastern Europe. Thanks to the Battle on the Ice, a limit was put on the predatory advance of the Teutons to the East.
The end of the XIV-beginning of the 15th century was the heyday of the military power of the Teutonic Order, which received great help from Western European feudal lords and the Pope. In the struggle against this formidable force, the Polish, Russian and Lithuanian troops united. In 1409, between the Teutonic Order, on the one hand, and Poland and Lithuania, on the other, a war broke out again, which was called the Great. The decisive role between the army of the Teutonic Order and the Polish-Lithuanian-Russian troops took place on July 15, 1410 near Grunwald (the Lithuanians call this place Zalgiris, and the Germans call Tannenberg).

Under the leadership of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vitau-tas, the main forces of the Teutons were defeated. This put an end to the expansion of the German feudal lords and crusaders to the East, which lasted 200 years. The epochal significance of the battle in which Grandmaster Ul-Rich von Jungingen and almost all members of the military leadership of the order died, lies in the fact that the military and political power of the Teutons was broken, their plans for domination in Eastern Europe were dispelled. The Teutonic Order could no longer recover from the defeat inflicted on it. In vain he sought help from the Pope and from the Ecumenical Councils, which at that time were trying to strengthen the shaken authority of the Catholic Church. Under the combined blows of Poland and the rebellious cities, the Teutonic Order was forced to admit that it was defeated and renounce its political independence.

According to the Peace of Torun in 1466, Poland received back the Pomor lands with Gdansk, the Kulm land and part of Prussia. The rest of the lands remaining for the order became the vassal possessions of Poland. The Grandmaster of the Teutons undertook to take an oath to the Polish king and was deprived of the right to independently conclude alliances and declare war.

In the first quarter of the 16th century, interesting events unfolded in the history of the Teutonic Order. On April 2, 1525, the Grandmaster of the Teutons Albrecht Hohenzollern entered Krakow, the capital of Poland, wearing a white cloak of the "sacred army" decorated with a black order cross, and on April 8 he signed peace with Poland not as a Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, but as the Duke of Prussia, which was in vassal dependence from the Polish king Sigismund. Under this treaty, all the old privileges enjoyed by the Teutons were lost, but all the rights and privileges of the Prussian nobility remained in force. And a day later, in the old market in Krakow, the kneeling Albrecht took an oath of allegiance to the Polish king. Thus, on April 10, 1525, a new state was born.

The Teutonic Order was liquidated in order for Prussia to exist.
In 1834, the order was restored with slightly modified tasks in Austria (under Grandmaster Anton Victor, who began to be called the Hochmeister), and soon de facto in Germany, although the official order authorities claim that the Teutons resumed their activities in this country only after graduation the second world war, because the knight brothers were persecuted under Nazism.

Strange as it may seem, the Teutonic Order was not popular in post-Order Prussia. There are several reasons for this. First of all, they were Catholics, and Prussia went over to the orthodox militant Lutheranism. 17-18 centuries in Prussia comes the complete oblivion of TO. Almost none of the historians of that time wrote a single study of its history. If there were references, then only negative ones.

The architectural monuments left by the order period did not evoke reverence; in these centuries, Gothic was considered barbaric architecture. In order to somehow cover up this Gothic style, almost all the temples and the remains of castles were plastered (in territories with a predominance of the Lutheran-Evangelical population). This also applies to the Königsberg castle. It was considered the norm to destroy and demolish order castles for the use of building material for economic purposes, as an example: (Balga, Brandenburg, Lochstedt, Kreuzburg and many others). Many were rebuilding. (Georgenburg, Königsberg, Insterburg and a lot of smaller castles).

The only thing that saved these monuments was their number. In the time of the order, so many were built that it was simply impossible to demolish everything. If the castles were dismantled and demolished, then the churches were mostly preserved, they continued to perform their functions as Lutheran-Evangelical temples. For the first time, they started talking about the monuments of the Order period in Prussia in the 19th century, at the suggestion of the famous architect Schinkel, who in 1834 made an entry in his diary about the ruins of the Balga castle, in which he recommended that the employees of the Balga estate take care of the preservation of these ruins. He was supported by Chambers President von Auerswald, who advocated the preservation of the castle ruins.

Once on the Internet I got to the Wikipedia page dedicated to the history of the Teutonic Order, where our "historians" publish their understanding of this very history, and found an opus there, I quote: "Prussia, despite on what was a Protestant state, claimed that is the spiritual heir to the order, especially in terms of military traditions. " ( highlighted by me AB).

I would only like to know how these traditions were actually expressed. It is not unfounded to declare any traditions there, but to specifically designate them. Yes. What traditions could the Teutonic Order have apart from the struggle against the pagans?

What did the German army claim in the 19th and 20th centuries? so it is on the tradition of the Prussian army of Frederick II Great, (By the way, this tradition continues to this day.) but not the Teutonic Order.

Now about the Nazis

Very often in our periodicals and pseudo-historical publications we come across messages about Nazi Germany and the organization of the SS as heirs of the Teutonic Order. This ideological cliché of continuity, I believe, has no basis whatsoever.

Doctrine

Much has been said about the doctrine of the Teutonic Order. On the Internet in the same Wikipedia, I read: “The Nazis considered themselves to be the successors of the Order, especially in the field of geopolitics. Order doctrine The “onslaught to the East” was fully assimilated by the leadership ”. ( presumably Nazi Germany ).

A very interesting statement, considering that the political slogan itself "Drang nach Osten" was first used in nationalist discussion only in the middle of the 19th century. An open letter from the Polish publicist Julian Klachko to Georg Gervinus, dated 1849, is often cited as the first written document (source). However, Klachko did not use the wording "Drang", but "Zug nach Osten" in the same sense.

What doctrine are we talking about? If the main task of the Teutonic Order and other knightly orders (Templars and Johannites) was the defense of the Holy Land, which took away the main forces of the order, according to some reports, two-thirds of the knights were in the Middle East. The garrisons of the Teutonic Order were scattered from Cilician Armenia in the north to the border with Egypt in the south, which is more than 700 kilometers in a straight line.

The presence of the order in Spain, where he was invited by King Ferdinand, was also of great importance. III of Castilian , where the Teutonic Order, together with other knightly orders (Templars and Johannites), since 1222, took part in a protracted reconquest against Muslims. It can be assumed that at least a third of all the armed forces of the order were in Spain.

It seems that the Order did not rush to the east. As you know, the order came to Prussia not of its own free will with the aim of "Onslaught to the East", but at the invitation of the Polish prince, who did not have the strength to resist the raids of the Prussian pagans. Yes, and negotiations on the participation of the Teutonic Order went on for 5 years.

The conquest of Prussia proceeded, as I said in the previous article, on a leftover principle. If there were more than 100 knights in the Holy Land, in Spain there were several dozen, then in 1231 the order was able to put only 8-9 knights against Prussia.

A large delegation of swordsmen was sent to Hermann von Salz in Italy in 1231. After familiarizing himself with the situation, the Grand Master realized how difficult it would be to avoid the dependent conditions in which the Order of the Swordsmen finds themselves. As a result, the delegation left for Livonia without waiting for an answer.

But, the swordsmen did not give up hope to unite with the Teutonic Order. To this end, Master Folquin, through Pope Gregory IX in 1234 he again proposed to Hermann von Salz to unite. Von Salza was against this unification, but he needed a reason for refusal. For this, in 1235 he sent a delegation to Livonia headed by the commander von Neenburg. After getting acquainted with the order in the Order of the Swordsmen and returning to Germany, a chapter was assembled in Marburg, which was headed by Landmaster Ludwig von Oettingen. The swordsmen who arrived at this chapter were carefully questioned about their charter, way of life, possessions and claims. Then the delegation that had visited Livonia was interviewed. The head of the delegation, von Neuenburg, presented a report in which he described in a very negative light the behavior of the brothers of the sword-bearers, who in their activities violate the order of the Order, and pay more attention to the personal at the expense of the public good. "And he added these, pointing his finger at the present sword-bearers, and four more known to me, the worst of all there." A formal reason for the refusal to merge was found.

In the second half of the summer of 1236, the Order of the Swordsmen organized a campaign against the growing Lithuania; Pskov, whose lands were also subjected to Lithuanian raids, joined this action. (About which there are numerous records in the Russian annals of the 20-30s of the 13th century). This enterprise ended for the allies with a heavy defeat at Saul (Saul), in which the sword-bearers lost their master and most of the (48) knights. Of the 200 Pskov warriors, only two dozen returned home.

This defeat brought the Swordsmen to the brink of collapse. “Brothers of the Knights of Christ” again turned to the Teutonic Order with a request for help and unification. Hermann von Salz sharply denied them, pointing out the disorder in the order and the lack of strict discipline. But this explanation was only a formality, in fact, the Teutonic Order did not want to take on the problems created by the sword-bearers in their domestic and foreign policy.

This refusal forced the sword-bearers to turn directly to the Pope. The bishops of Riga, Dorpat and Ezel (Saaremaa-Vicksky), under the impression of the terrible defeat under Saul, supported this request. Only under the strongest pressure from the pope (practically it was an order) , May 13, 1237 in Viterbo, a bull of the merging of the orders was signed. The unification took place, and the order was forced to advance further to the northeast.

Back at the end of the 14th century, there were unhappy conversations about the "Livonian heritage" in the conventions of Prussia. Since, apart from an extra headache, the union with the swordsmen did not bring them anything.

Ideology

Now about ideology. The Teutonic Order was Christian and was created to actively combat paganism. That was fundamentally at odds with the ideology of the founder of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, where the ancient Germanic pagan cult was initially assumed. Speaking to the leaders of the district SS organizations at the Pilot's House, in connection with the mourning declared in the country for the murder of the Obergruppenführer in Prague SS Heydrich, Himmler said: "... Christianity - this plague, this plague of world civilization - must be destroyed. If our generation fails to do this, then no one will be able to do it."

On the graves of the fallen SS not a cross was put up, but a runic sign of death.

Ideological system SS is a monstrous mixture of the founders of the National Socialist movement's own prejudices and the obscure ideas of such authors as the geopolitician Karl Haushofer with his justification of the "historical pattern of German territorial expansion", Friedrich Max Müller with his theory of "Aryan philology", the Frenchman Arthur de Gobineau - inventions "on the inequality of human races" and the British Houston Stuart Chamberlain - with the idea of ​​"man and superman", Hans Gerbiger with the "doctrine of eternal ice" and many others. Yet the most important components of Nazi and SS ideology were the interpretation of Nietzsche's views and his reasoning about "strong and weak nations" and the racist escapades of Richard Walter Darre, who became the head of the Main Directorate SS on race and settlement.

What parallels can there be with Christianity and the Teutonic Order?

Nothing in the SS reminded of the Teutonic Order, no uniforms, no symbols, no coats of arms, no mottos. Moreover, everything was completely opposite.

The order knights wore white robes, SS black.

Emblems symbols

The Teutonic Order had a coat of arms in the form of a Christian cross.

SS pagan runes (which represent the signs of the ancient Germanic alphabet), and a head (skull).

We are always ready for battle, if runes and a dead head call us into battle ... Battle hymn “We are all SS ". What's in common?

Mottoes

The Teutonic Order's motto is "Helfen - Wehren - Heilen" (Help - Protect - Treat).

SS Meine Ehre hei ß t Treue! - (My honor is called loyalty, also possible translation into Russian Loyalty is my honor). This motto was found on the belt buckles of soldiers and officers of the SS troops. Motto SS Meine Ehre heißt Treue! on the buckles was always written with

Warband

History sketch

For us in Russia, the Teutonic Order is unambiguously associated with German knights, crusaders, Germany, German expansion to the east, the battle of Prince Alexander Nevsky on Lake Peipsi with the knight-dogs, the aggressive aspirations of the Prussians against Russia. For us, the Teutonic Order is a kind of synonym for Germany.

However, this is not entirely true. The Order and Germany are far from the same thing. The historical essay offered to the reader traces the history of the Teutonic Order from the moment of its inception to the present day. True, since 1809 it is already just a shadow of the Order.

In some places I give explanations about the moments little known to the Russian reader.

Some explanations and references are given before the beginning of the text of the essay. While working on the sources, I encountered certain difficulties in translating proper names, the names of a number of localities and settlements, and castles. The fact is that these names are very different in the languages ​​of English, German, Russian, Polish. Therefore, names and titles should be given in translation and in the original language whenever possible.
A number of names are known to me only in Russian, so they may differ from German, Polish or English names. In addition, over the centuries, some of the names have changed. This should be borne in mind.

First of all, about the name of this organization.

Official name in Latin (since this organization was created as a Catholic religious, and Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church) Fratrum Theutonicorum ecclesiae S. Mariae Hiersolymitanae.

Second official name in Latin Ordo domus Sanctae Mariae Teutonicorum in Jerusalem

In Russian - Warband

In German, the full name is - Bruder und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus Sankt Mariens in Jerusalem
- the first version of the abbreviated name in German - Der teutschen orden
- common in German variants - Der Deutsche Orden and Deutsche Ritterorden.

In English - The Teutonuc Order of Holy Mary in Jerusalem.

In French - de L "Ordre Teutonique our de Sainte Marie de Jerusalem.

In Czech and Polish - Ordo Teutonicus.

The highest leaders in the Order in different circumstances and at different times bore the following names (titles):

Gross Meister. In Russian historical literature, the German word itself is usually used in the Russian transcription "Grandmaster" or "Grand Master". In general, the most correct thing is "Grossmaster". This is the title of the head of the order.

Meister. In Russian historical literature, the term "master" is usually used, although it would be more accurate to say "master". Usually this is the leader of a more or less significant territory belonging to the Order.

Landmeister. It translates into Russian as "landmeister", "head", "head". In Russian historical literature, the term "master" is usually used. This title was awarded to the representative of the Order, who led the entire conquered Prussia.

Hoch- und Deutshemeister. Usually in Russian-language sources this title is also translated as Grandmaster or Grand Master. However, this is how the main leaders of the Order began to be called after the Order was expelled from Prussia in the first quarter of the 16th century and ceased to exist in two forms (the Order as an organization and the Order as a state). In general, the meaning of this title is the Head of the entire Order and the head of the Order in Germany.

Administratoren des Hochmeisteramptes in Preussen, Meister teutschen Ordens in teutschen und walschen Landen. This long title can be translated as "Administrator of the Main Magistrate in Prussia, Master of the Teutonic Order in the Teutonic and controlled Lands (Regions)".
Hoch- und Deutschmeister. Can be translated as "Supreme Master and Master of Germany"
Hochmeister. It can be translated into Russian as "Great Meister", but is more often used in transcription as "Hochmeister"

Other senior leaders in the Order:

Grosskomtur- one might say, the deputy grandmaster, the organizer of the execution of the grandmaster's decisions.
Marschall- the main leader of the military component of the Order. You can say - the Minister of Defense in the Order
Komtur he is Kommandeur. In Russian, the term "commander" is used, although the essence of this word means "commander", "commander". Commanderhood (commandingdom) is the minimum territorial-administrative unit (region, district) in the Order.
Drapier- the person in charge of all issues of armament, supply, support, accommodation, food, financing.
Spitler- the person responsible for the activities of hospitals, hotels, hospitals, charitable activities.
Tressler- the head of the financial service of the Order. He is subordinate to the drapier
Capitularies. It is not translated into Russian, it is transcribed as "capitulair". The essence of the title is the head of the chapter (meetings, conferences, commissions).
Rathsgebietiger. Can be translated as "member of the Council".
Deutschherrenmeister. It is not translated into Russian. Means roughly "German Master's Degree".
Balleimeister. It can be translated into Russian as "the head of the estate (possession)".

Other titles in German:
Fuerst. It is translated into Russian as "prince", but the word "duke" is often used to designate foreign titles of this rank.
Kurfuerst. It is translated into Russian as "Grand Duke", but the words "Archduke", "Elector" are also used in Russian historical literature.
Koenig. King.
Herzog. Duke
Erzherzog. Archduke

The motto of the Teutonic Order: "Helfen - Wehren - Heilen"(Help-Protect-Treat)

Top leaders of the Order:

Residence in Acra from 1196 to 1230 in the Holy Land (they bore the title of Grandmaster):

1.196-1200g. Heinrich von Walpot (Rhineland)
2.100-1208 Otto von Kerpen (Bremen)
3.1208-1209 Herman Bart (Holstein)
4.1209-1239 Herman von Salza (Meissen)

Residence at Starkenberg Castle (Montfort) from 1230 to 1271 in the Holy Land (held the title of Grandmaster)

5.1239 - 9.4.1241 Conrad von Thuringen
6.1241 -1244 Gerhard von Malberg
7.1244-1249 Heinrich von Hohenlohe
8.1249-1253 Gunther von Wüllersleben
9.1253-1256 Popon von Osterna
10. 1256-1273 Annon von Sangershausen

Residence in Acra from 1271 to 1291 in the Holy Land (bore the title of Grandmaster)

11.1273-1283 Hartman von Heldrungen
12.1283-1290 Burchard von Schwanden

Residence in Venice from 1293 to 1309 (held the title of Grandmaster)

13.1292 -1296 Conrad von Feuchtwanger
14.1297 - 1303 Godfrey von Hohenlohe

Residence at Marienburg from 1309 to 1457 (held the title of Grandmaster)

15.1303-1311 Siegfried von Feuchtwanger
16.1311-1324 Karl von Trier
17.1324-1330 Werner von Orseln
18.1331-1335 Luther von Braunschweig
19.1335-1341 Dietrich von Altenburg
20. 1342-1345 Ludolph von Koenig
21.1345 -1351 Heinrich Dusemer von Arfenberg
22.1351-1382 Winrich von Kniprode
23.1382-1390 Konrad Zollner von Rothenstein.
24.1391-1393 Conrad von Wallenrod
25.1393-1407 Conrad von Jungingen
26.1407 -15.7.1410 Ulrich von Jungingen
27.1410 - 1413 Heinrich (Reuss) von Plauen
28.1413-1422 Michel Küchmeister
29.1422-1441 Paul von Russdorf
30.1441-1449 Konrad von Ehrlichshauzegn

Residence in Königsberg from 1457 to 1525 (held the title of Grandmaster)

31.1450-1467 Ludwig von Ehrlichshausen
32.1469-1470 Heinrich Reuss von Plauen
33.1470-1477 Heinrich von Richtenberg
34.1477-1489 Martin Truchsez von Wetzhausen
35.1489-1497 Johann von Tiefen
36.1498-1510 Friedrich Sachsisch
37.1511-1525 Albrecht von Brandenburg-Ansbach

Residence at Marienthal from 1527 to 1801 (title of Meister until 1529, then Hoch and Deutschmeister)

38.1527 -1543 Walther von Cronberg
39.1543 - 1566 Wolfgang Schutzbar
40.1566-1572 Georg Hund von Wenckheim
41.1572 - 1595 Heinrich von Bobenhausen
42.1595 - 1618 Maximilian von Oesterreich
43.1619 - 1624 Karl von Habsburg
44.1625-1627 Johann Eustach von Westernach
45.1627-1641 Johann Kaspar von Stadion
46.1641-1662 Leopold Wilhelm von Oesterreich
47.1662-1664 Karl Joseph von Oesterreich
48.1664-1684 Johann Caspar von Ampringen
49.1684-1694 Ludwig Anton von Pfalz-Neuburg
50.1694-1732 Franz Ludwig von Pfalz-Neuburg
51.1732-1761 Clemens August von Bayern
52.1761-1780 Karl Alexander von Lothringen
53.1780-1801 Maximilian Franz von Osterreich

Residence in Vienna from 1800 to 1804 (title of Hoch and Deutschmeister)

54.1801-1804 Karl Ludwig von Osterreich

By decree of the Emperor of France and the head of the Rhine Confederation Napoleon Bonaparte of April 24, 1809. The Teutonic Order is disbanded.

Part I

Prehistory of the Order.

The first crusade (1095-1099) to the Holy Land "for the liberation of the Holy Sepulcher", which ended successfully with the founding of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the Holy Land (Palestine), was mainly carried out by French knights and to some extent Italian ones. The participation of the Germans was very small.

Since there are very few written sources of that time, the legend of a certain German merchant from Lubeck, who settled in the Holy Land somewhat earlier and sheltered a seriously wounded German knight in his home in Jerusalem in 1099, is taken for the prehistory of the emergence of the Teutonic Order. In subsequent years, the merchant and his wife expanded their charitable activities, and with the blessing of the Patriarch of Jerusalem Stephen, they opened in their home something like a hospice or a hotel for German pilgrims and chose the Holy Virgin Mary of Jerusalem as the heavenly patroness.

The couple bequeathed their entire fortune and house to German monks, and after death it began to be called the Hospital of St. Mary of Jerusalem.

How reliable this information is is unknown. The only document, the authenticity of which is questioned by many historians, is dated December 9, 1143. This is the bull of Pope Celestine II about the transfer of the hospital of St. Mary of Jerusalem to the Order of the Hospitallers of St. John (the Order is known to us as the Order of Malta).

The 13th century bishop of Acre, Jacques de Vitry, in his historical work mentions the existence of a hospital in 1118 or 1128.

Within the framework of this article, it makes no sense to list all the versions and vague data of historians arguing about the origins of the Teutonic Order. The following facts are more or less reliable:

1. In the middle of the XII century in Jerusalem there was a hospital for German pilgrims.

2. The hospital was headed by a German leader.

3. The hospital was subordinated to the Order of the Hospitallers of St. John (Maltese).

After the capture of Jerusalem by the Muslims under the leadership of Saladin in 1187, the hospital, like all other Christian organizations in the city, ceased to exist.

Actually, it is hardly legitimate to link this Jerusalem hospital with the Teutonic Order, which was formed a few years later in the city of Acre. These are just attempts to make the Order more ancient than it really was.

In 1189, the German emperor Frederick Barbarossa with the army he collected took part in the Third Crusade and on August 29, 1189. began a siege of the Syrian fortress of Acre.

reference.

The city of Acre is located in the Western Galilee (Israel) and is located about 18 km north of the city of Haifa, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Also known as Acre, Saint Jean d'Acre. In European languages ​​known as Acre, St. Jean d'Acre.
The first mention of this city dates back to around 1456 BC. e.

End of help.

The origin of the Order.

During the siege, merchants from Lubeck and Bremen organized a field hospital for the wounded crusaders. Documents from that time indicate that the German hospital was located "behind the cemetery of St. Nicholas between the mountain and the river."

King Guy de Lusignan of Jerusalem signed a charter that gave the hospital the right to organize a hospice in Acre after the city was taken. There is no exact date for this charter.

This most likely took place between August 29, 1189 and mid-September 1190. This charter mentions the name Sibrad(Siebard?) As the head of a German hospital.

Many historians call Sibard the first leader of the Order, although he did not yet exist as such. True, the modern historian of the Order Guy Stair Sainty calls the creators of the hospital in Acre some chaplain Conrad and Canon Wurhard.

Pope Clement III, with his bull of February 6, 1191, proclaimed the hospital as the "Teutonic Brotherhood of the Church of St. Mary of Jerusalem (Fratrum Theutonicorum ecclesiae S. Mariae Hiersolymitanae)."

It can be assumed that from this time on, the hospital is a monastery, treating the wounded and sick Germans>. Well, or a hospital monastery.

After the capture of Acre on July 13, 1191. the hospital moved beyond its walls and began to be called Mary's Hospital Jerusalem.

Why the hospital "... in Jerusalem" and not in "... Acre" remains unclear. Perhaps because most of the staff were employees of the hospital, which ceased to exist in 1187.

The hospital quickly becomes a kind of representative office of the Holy Roman Empire of the Germans. In any case, the hospital receives the support and patronage of Frederick the Swabian brother of the head of the empire, Henry VI.
The Germans who come to Akra stay in the hospital, through it they keep in touch, keep their gold and property. The hospital receives many gifts, land plots, buildings.

February 2, 1192 Pope Celestine III issues a document officially confirming the existence of an independent "Germanic Hospital in Acre". The head of the hospital in the document is referred to in one place as "Prior of the German hospital operating in Acre", and in another as Meister.
The name is also indicated - Gerard (Gerhard?).

From the author... A number of historians, who, well, really want to make the Teutonic Order more ancient than it really is, believe that since Gerhard is called a meister, this suggests that the Order already exists. It seems that this base is pulled by the hair.
And further. For some reason, the word Meister is translated as "master". I intend to name it as it sounds in German.

It is unclear when the hospital begins to possess military power. It can be assumed that in those difficult and lawless times, any organization, society should have had armed guards to protect them from robbers and other lovers of someone else's good that swarmed the surrounding area.

In any case, already in 1193 the Jerusalem king Guy de Lusignan entrusted the hospital with the protection and defense of one of the fortifications of Acre in the event of an enemy attack. And since 1198. the hospital is responsible for the defense of the Tent Tower, the city gate of St. Nicholas.

March 5, 1196 in the Temple of Acre, the ceremony of transforming the Hospital into a spiritual Order took place.

The ceremony was attended by the masters of the Hospitallers and Templars, as well as the secular and clergy of Jerusalem.

Pope Celestine III December 2, 1196 publishes a bull admitted to exist m of the Onasic Order of St. Mary of Germany of Jerusalem.

From now on, the Order is subject only to the Holy Roman See and the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The Charter of the Order prescribes the Charter of St. Augustine.

Pope Innocent III with his bull from February 19, 1199 assigns the status of the Order military monastic Order.

The Pope defined the tasks of the Order:
* protection of the German knights,
* treatment of the wounded and sick crusaders,
* fight against the enemies of the Catholic Church.

From now on, there are three categories in the Order - brothers knights-monks, brothers priests and ministers (they are also called sergeants).
The knight-monk brothers are given the order's attire - a blue or white tunic, a white cloak with a black cross on the left shoulder, and sergeants a gray tunic with a black cross without an upper end on the left shoulder (in fact, it is not a cross in shape, but the letter T).

In other types of clothing, order crosses could be placed on the chest and / or back.

However, it is not necessary to expect accurate wearing of clothing by knights. In the XII century, the concept of "uniform form of clothing" did not yet exist.

The Charter of Military Affairs was copied from the Charter of the Order of the Hospitallers, the Charter of the Order of the Knights Templar was taken as an example of the charters of the church and secular.

In this way for the date of the founding of the Teutonic Order as a military one can be assumed to be February 19, 1199.

The order is rapidly gaining strength and importance. It is worth explaining that at this time the Order was a kind of military-religious community, consisting primarily of representatives of the feudal classes.

The centerpiece of the society was the grandmaster's residence at Acre.

At the same time, both donated by monarchs, dukes, and those who have passed into the possession of the Order of land ownership of persons who have entered the Order, come into the possession of the Order. These landholdings were called komturstvo.

In 1200, the Order creates its own komturstvo on the territory of the Holy Roman Empire in Sontag (Styria), two hospitals in the city of Halle and in Thuringia.

In 1202, a hospital in Bozen.

In 1204 the commissaries in Vienna and Prague.

In 1206, a hospital in Sicily.

In 1207 he was commander in Reichenbach (Hesse).

In 1209 commander in Nuremberg, possession in Greece.

In 1210, the commanders in Eichach and Regensburg (Bavaria).

From the author. The historians of the Teutonic Order, like the historians of other military-monastic Orders, among which the Teutonic, Maltese and Templar are the largest and most powerful, do not really explain or analyze the reasons for the emergence and rapid development of the order movement itself.

They give unconvincing justifications. They say that the knights of Europe, being very religious and therefore very pure in their motives, were inspired by the idea of ​​"freeing the Holy Sepulcher from the infidels" and selflessly from the promptings of the True Faith of Christ took up arms, sacrificing their lives and property in the name of the Lord God.

But the crusades themselves were organized by the monarchs of Europe and for the conquest of Palestine they used the armies they created and subordinated to them, the basis of which and the main striking force were secular knights.

Orders began to emerge already in Palestine itself as independent military-monastic communities under the jurisdiction of the Roman Holy See.

Yes, they interacted with the monarchs of Jerusalem, fought against Muslims along with secular knights, were stationed on lands belonging to monarchies, but the Orders were not constituent elements of medieval states.

It seems that there are two true reasons and prerequisites.

1. The real motive behind the Crusades was the elementary greed of European feudal lords, the desire to enrich themselves at the expense of the prosperous rich Middle East. Simply put, to live and grow rich at the expense of robbery and robbery.

Some lovers of robbery, mainly from among the small and especially small feudal lords, were unhappy with the fact that during the robbery campaigns, the main income went to the treasury of the monarchs. Simply put, they were unhappy with the way the loot was being distributed.

In addition, their interests were often at odds with those of the monarchs. That is why, the deprived robbers began to stray into gangs, which would then grow into knightly Orders.

In order to avoid persecution by the monarchs of Jerusalem and other principalities that arose in Palestine, the Order resorted to the patronage of the Pope.
The Holy See of Rome was in dire need of its own military strength in order to withstand the pressure of the monarchs of Europe, and in the money that could come from the Orders.

However, the existence of the Orders was also convenient for the monarchs. Well-armed, well-trained, permanently existing and having a competent command, the Orders favorably differed from the actual militia that the emperors and dukes had.

Let me remind you that according to the customary European legal law of those times, the overlord had the right to gather vassals under his banners only for a very limited period (on average, two to six months). The rest of the time, his military strength was very limited. As a rule, this is the garrison of the castle, in which the feudal lord lived with his family. well, there may still be two or three locks. Mercenaries were very expensive.

But for the maintenance of the knightly Order, the Monarch did not bear any expenses. The order lived and fed at its own expense.
And at the same time, the Order was stationed on its territory, which means that it somehow depended on the monarch.
Moreover, the military interests of both for the most part coincided.

2. In those unstable times, it was difficult to be a small or medium feudal lord and hold on to their possessions. It was imperative to be someone's vassal, i.e. seek the protection of a larger and stronger feudal lord. And they were constantly at enmity and fought with each other. In the event of the defeat of the suzerain, the vassal easily and quickly lost his fief, which the victorious suzerain gave to one of his own confidants. Yes, and his own suzerain could at any time take away his feud from the vassal. At that time, they did not stand on ceremony with the weak.

In such conditions, joining the knightly Order and legally transferring your fief into its possession meant acquiring the patronage of a powerful organization, with which even kings are not very willing to quarrel. It means gaining confidence in the future, security and stability of your life, the life of your family and your peasants.
Yesterday's seemingly independent, but really dependent on any stronger neighbor, a petty feudal lord, now became a knight and commander of the Order, and his fief became the commander of the Order.

Do I need to ask why in this historical period the knightly Orders are developing so rapidly, feudal lords enter them very eagerly, why the komturstvo and the possessions of the Orders in these years are growing like mushrooms, and above all in Europe?

Thus, over the years, the Teutonic Order has developed as a Religious Armed Forces comparable to the Order of the Hospitallers and the Order of the Knights Templar (the latter is also known as the Order of the Holy Temple or Templars). The Germanic character of this new Order and its protection by the Germanic emperor and the Germanic dukes gave it the opportunity to gradually assert de facto independence from the Order of the Johannites (also known as the Hospitallers). The first imperial ruling came from the German king Otto IV, who took the Order under his protection on May 10, 1213, and this was followed almost immediately by further confirmation by King Frederick II of Jerusalem on September 5, 1214. These imperial confirmations strengthened the Teutonic Knights' independence from the Hospitallers. In the middle of the XIV century, this independence will be confirmed by the Holy See.

Approximately forty knights were admitted to the Teutonic Order when it was founded by King Frederick von Swabia of Jerusalem, who chose their first master on behalf of the Pope and Emperor.

The knights of the new brotherhood were supposed to be of German blood (although this rule was not always observed), which was unusual for the Orders of the Crusaders based in the Holy Land. They were chosen from people of the noble class, although this latter obligation was not formally included in the original rule.

First Grandmaster of the Order Heinrich von Walpot (died 1200) was from the Rhineland region. Some sources call him Heinrich Walpot von Bassenheim. In the history of the Order, he will become the first bearer of the title "Grandmaster".

He drew up the first statutes of the Order in 1199, which were approved by Pope Innocent III in the bull "Sacrosancta romana" on February 19, 1199. They divided the members into two classes: knights and priests, who were required to take three monastic vows - poverty, celibacy and obedience, and also promise to help the sick and fight unbelievers.

Unlike the knights, who from the beginning of the thirteenth century had to prove the "ancient nobility", the priests were exempted from this obligation. Their function was to send Holy Mass and other religious services, to commune the knights and the sick in hospitals and follow them like doctors to war. The priests of the Order could not become masters, commanders or vice-commanders in Lithuania or Prussia (i.e., where the hostilities were fought), but they could become commanders in Germany. To these two ranks was added a third class - the attendants (Sergeants, or Graumantler), who wore similar clothing, but a shade of gray than pure blue, and had only three parts of the cross on their clothing to indicate that they were not full members of the fraternity. ...

The knights lived together, slept in simple beds in their bedrooms, ate together in the dining room, and had no more than enough money. Their clothing and armor were similarly simple but practical, they toiled daily, training for battle, keeping an eye on their equipment, and working with horses.

The Grandmaster was elected, as in the Order of the Johannites, and as in other Orders, his rights were limited by the knights.
The representative of the grandmaster (chief) commander, to whom the priests were subordinate, administered the Order in his absence.
The Marshal (Chief), also subordinate to the Master, was the chief in command of knights and ordinary troops, and was responsible for ensuring that they were properly equipped.
The hospitaller (chief) was in charge of the sick and the wounded.
Draper was responsible for construction and clothing, the treasurer was in charge of property and finances.

Each of these last leaders was elected for a short time, alternating annually.As the Order spread throughout Europe, it became necessary to appoint provincial masters for Germany, Prussia and later. Livonia with the respective top leaders.

Walpota was succeeded by Otto von Kerpen from Bremen, and the third was Herman Bart from Holstein, which suggests that the Knights of the Order came from all over Germany.

The residence of all the Grandmasters of the Order until 1230 was located in the Akra fortress, where, in addition to the Teutons, there were also many different organizations and institutions. As the Order developed and matured, this became less and less convenient and was increasingly considered incompatible with the Order's status and prestige.

Back in 1220, the French knight de Milly sold his estate Monfort and the surrounding lands to the Teutonic Order. At this place the Teutons build a powerful fortress, which they give the name Starkenberg. Actually, this is a translation into German of the French word Montfort, which in turn means Strong Mountain in Russian. The fortress is located in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel, about 35 km northeast of the city of Haifa and 16 km south of the border with Lebanon. Those. not far from the Akra fortress.

Photo on the left: the ruins of the Starkenberg (Monfort) fortress at the end of the 20th century.

In 1230, the fourth and most prominent Grand Master of the Order, Herman von Salza of Meissen, moves his residence from Acre to the newly built Order's fortress of Starkenberg.

Formation of the Teutonic Order.

The fourth Grandmaster of the Order, Herman von Salza, was born in Thuringia sometime between 1170 and 1180. in the family of a petty feudal lord. This class in Germany was called ministerial. As the youngest son, he could not inherit the estate. So he went to Palestine and joined the Teutonic Order. Apparently this happened around 1196. It can be assumed that the young von Salz was among the first knight-monks of the Order.

It remains only to assume that von Salz was an excellent analyst and much earlier than others realized that the Christian states in Palestine have no future.
This land turned out to be not as generous as the Europeans believed, starting the crusades. The resistance of the Muslim rulers of these lands turned out to be much stronger, and the military capabilities were much greater than expected.
The local population of Jews and Muslims did not at all strive to become Christians, and the settlement of Palestine by Christians from Europe turned out to be a failure. A difficult and unsuitable climate for Europeans, barren land, lack of water, endless skirmishes with flying troops of Muslims led to a rapid reduction in the number of Christian subjects of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
In addition, the idea of ​​crusades to the Holy Land began to smoke and fade, since they did not bring the dividends they wanted.

In 1209 (1210?), Von Salz became the Grand Master of the Order. He proved to be a skillful diplomat and was able to significantly strengthen the prestige of the Order. From the very first years of his reign, von Salz began to make efforts to spread the influence of the Order in Europe and prepare the ground for the move of the entire Order to European lands.

His mediation in conflicts between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor ensured the patronage of both of the Order, increasing the number of knights, giving it wealth and property.

Under his leadership, the Order received no less than thirty-two Papal confirmations or privileges and no less than thirteen Imperial confirmations.

Von Salz's influence extended from Slovenia (then Styria), through Saxony (Thuringia), Hesse, Franconia, Bavaria and Tyrol, with castles in Prague and Vienna. There were also possessions at the borders of the Byzantine Empire, in Greece and in present-day Romania. By the time of his death, the Order's influence extended from the Netherlands northwest of the Holy Roman Empire, southwest to France, Switzerland, further south to Spain and Sicily, and east to Prussia.

Salza received a gold cross from the King of Jerusalem as a sign of his supremacy after the outstanding conduct of the knights at the siege of Damietta in 1219.

By an Imperial order dated January 23, 1214, the Grandmaster and his representatives were given the rights of the Imperial Court. As owners of the direct fiefdoms, they enjoyed a seat in the Imperial Council at the princely rank from 1226/27.

On January 23, 1214, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II declared grandmaster von Salz and his future successors a full member of the imperial court.

The Order's presence in medieval Europe enabled it to play a significant role in local political events. Despite the restriction of belonging to the German aristocracy, German rule spread to Italy, and especially to Sicily under the German kings Henry VI and Frederick II Barbarossa, who established the Order's nunneries in places far from Germany.

Teutonic Order in Palestine.

By 1215, the situation in Palestine had deteriorated sharply. The new king of Jerusalem, Jean de Brieny, tried unsuccessfully to strengthen the kingdom and hold its borders. The Egyptian sultan al-Adil slowly but stubbornly recaptured parts of the territory.
Concerned about what was happening, Pope Honorius III announced the Fifth Crusade, which began in 1217. The Teutonic Order took an active part in this campaign.
The greatest success of the campaign was the capture of the Damietta fortress by the crusaders on November 5, 1219, after which the new Sultan of Egypt, Malik al-Kamil, asked for peace. However, a split occurred in the crusader camp. The papal legate demanded a continuation of the campaign, while the king of Jerusalem, Jean de Brieny, who was supported by the Teutonic Order, inclined towards peace. In addition, most of the monarchs of Europe, busy with their inter-dynastic problems, did not show any enthusiasm and did not burn with the desire to defend Jerusalem for Jean de Brieny. The Fifth Crusade gradually faded.

Only under strong pressure from Pope Gregory IX, who threatened to excommunicate from the Church, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II began the Sixth Crusade in 1228.
The diplomatic skill of von Salz made it possible, without major battles, to obtain concessions from the Sultan of Egypt under the treaty concluded in Jaffa on February 18, 1229. managed to return the previously lost lands to the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II also becomes the King of Jerusalem. The coronation took place on March 14, 1229.

The main role in the success of Frederick in the Sixth Crusade was played by the Teutonic Order and its grandmaster von Salz.
As a reward, the Order receives the Castle of Toron, the former palace of the King of Jerusalem, vast lands near Sidon.

A more or less lasting peace has reigned in Palestine.

The first attempt of the Teutonic Order to gain a foothold in Europe.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Order had a strong position in Europe, but the reason for its existence, like other Orders, consisted in an armed struggle for the spread of Christianity, expansion of the dominion of the Holy Roman Church, and the subordination of new countries and peoples to the Roman Throne. Without this, the Order risked becoming simply a major feudal lord competing with the monarchical houses of Europe. This would lead to political and armed internecine strife and the collapse of the Order.

From the author. One gets the impression that, unlike the leaders of the Hospitallers and Templars, the grandmasters of the Teutonic Order almost 70 years before the expulsion of Christians from the Holy Land understood and took into account two fundamental factors:
1. Any military-monastic Order exists and enjoys the support of Rome and European kings only as long as there is an external threat to Catholic Christianity in the person of the Gentiles, or rather, while the Order is spreading Catholicism among other peoples.
2. The order should not be concentrated in only one territory, but should promote Catholicism in different directions. In at least two geographic directions

This will save the Teutonic Order from collapse after the Christians left the Holy Land at the end of the 13th century. Failure to understand these two factors will lead the Order of the Knights Templar to defeat and death already in 1307, although it was the strongest and largest among all, possessed large military forces and huge finances.
The Order of the Hospitallers, second in importance and strength, will instantly lose all its significance and, having hardly established itself on the island of Malta, will quickly degenerate into a de facto maritime border service of Europe in the Mediterranean. The Order of Malta will never play again of any serious political and military significance.

Realizing this, von Salza looked for the field of application of the Teutons in Europe. Finding this area in a fully Christianized Europe, however, has proven challenging.

It helped that the Hungarian kingdom was experiencing enormous difficulties on its southern border, which was constantly raided by the Polovtsians (in different sources called the Huns, Pechenegs, Cumans)

Reference.
Polovtsy, Polovtsy (in European and Byzantine sources - Cumans) - a Turkic-speaking nomadic people. At the beginning of the XI century, they moved from the Volga region to the Black Sea steppes, displacing the Pechenegs - Oguzes from there. Subjugating these tribes, the Polovtsians crossed the Dnieper and reached the mouth of the Danube, thus becoming the masters of the Great Steppe from the Danube to the Irtysh, which from that time began to be called the Polovtsian Steppe.

End of help.

The danger from the Polovtsians became so significant that the king of Hungary Andras II (Andrew II) in 1211 invited the knights to settle on the border of Transylvania in its southeastern part. He granted the Bartz (Burceland) area of ​​about 1,500 square meters to the full possession of the Order. kilometers.
Carrying out its mission, the Order in the period up to 1222. built four stone fortresses and began to populate these lands with German colonists, to develop trade. In fact, a state independent from the Hungarian kingdom was formed.

And just during this period, the danger of Hungary from the Polovtsians abruptly disappeared. The Polovtsians themselves were now threatened by the Tatar-Mongol invasion from the east and they had to fight for their existence. Moreover, the Polovtsians began to look for shelter and protection from the Tatar-Mongols in Hungary.
Under these conditions, King Andrash demanded that Burceland be returned to the crown. Despite the fact that the Order was supported by the Pope, the knights had to leave Burceland in 1225. The position of the Roman See was undermined by the fact that under the threat of extermination by the Tatar-Mongols, the Polovtsians almost completely fled to the territory of Hungary and began to massively accept Christianity.
And the Order henceforth lost the basis of its presence in Transylvania.

The first attempt by the Order to establish itself in Europe was unsuccessful.

From the author. The Hungarian failure was not due to the grandmaster's mistakes or the knights' inability to win military victories. It's just that the reason for the Order's presence there has disappeared in Transylvania. The Polovtsi, who had previously threatened the southern borders of Hungary under the onslaught of the Tatar-Mongols from the east, were forced to flee to the territory of Hungary, ask the king for asylum and, under the pressure of circumstances, convert to Christianity.

The Teutonic Order leaves the Holy Land.

The life of Hermann von Salz ended on March 20, 1239 in the town of Balletta in Anulia. By this time, the Teutonic Order already had a strong position both in Europe and in Palestine.

Von Salz was succeeded by the Landgrave of Thuringia, Conrad (Conradf von Thuringen). Recall that the main residence of the Grandmasters of the Teutoen Order since 1230 was the Starkenberg fortress (Monfort), although von Salz practically never lived in his residence, torn between the court of Frederick II, Rome and Acre.

As early as 1235, Pope Gregory IX began to seek a new Crusade to the Holy Land.

From the author. What a striking difference between what is preached in the Bible and the actual practice of the Church. It is the Holy Roman Church in the early Middle Ages that is constantly the main initiator and causative agent of bloody wars. It was she who forever quarreled among themselves the two main religions of the world - Islam and Christianity. It is thanks to the Catholic Church that in today's XXI century from the IX century the irreconcilable enmity of Muslims and Christians has stretched.
Indeed, before the First Crusade in Palestine, Jews, Christians and Muslims peacefully coexisted with each other. The sultans and sheikhs did not oppress local Christians and did not prevent pilgrims from Europe from visiting the Holy Places. In a word, they respected other people's beliefs.

In 1239, a crusader army of 1000-1500 knights, mainly from France, arrives at Acre. The fragile peace between Muslims and Christians, which von Salz had struggled to achieve, collapsed in 1229. In response, the ruler of Transjordan (the name of the area that has existed since the beginning of the 20th century), al-Nazir Daud, attacks the city of Jerusalem and takes it by storm.
The Crusaders decide to attack Ascalon. The Sultan of Egypt immediately moves his troops to Gaza. In the battle on November 13, 1239, the crusaders are defeated, and only internecine conflicts between Muslim rulers allow Christians to achieve an armistice in 1240 on very favorable terms.
The worthy student of von Salz, Grandmaster Konrad, managed to take advantage of the strife and drive a wedge between the Egyptian sultan and the rulers of Syria, who had entered into an alliance with the crusaders.

By the time of the death of frn Salz, there were fewer knights (several hundred) of the Order in Palestine than in the European communes.

The head of the Palestinian komturstvo had a residence in the Starkenberg fortress (Montfort).
The order at that time owned fifty lands near the fortress; in Acre there is a temple, a hospital, several residential buildings, part of the fortress wall with the German Tower.
There is a hospital in the city of Jerusalem.
Forty villages belonged to the Order in the vicinity of the city of Tire.

In Palestine, in the early forties, a difficult political situation was developing due to the constant struggle between the Christian rulers for domination. There was no less political squabble among the Muslim rulers.

A whole series of alliances of various kinds followed, in which political and economic interests, and by no means religious ones, came to the fore.

The situation is further aggravated when the Egyptian sultan was able to use the forces of the Khorezmians, squeezed out of Khorezm by the Tatar-Mongols.

In early July 1244, the Khorezmians invaded Palestine and laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. On August 23, 1244, Jerusalem fell, and its defenders were killed.

Under these conditions, the crusaders were able to unite and fight on October 17, 1244 near Gaza, in which all three Orders took part.
The battle, known in historical sources as the Battle of Forbia, ended in the complete defeat of the Christians.
Killed 312 of 348 Knights Templar, along with the grandmaster.
Of the 350 Knights Hospitallers, 325 died, and the grandmaster was taken prisoner.
Of the Teutonic knights, only three survived.

Grandmaster Konrad showed cowardice and fled the battlefield. It cost him his post. He was removed from power by the great chapter. He was succeeded by Gerhard von Malberg, and in 1244 Heinrich von Hohenlohe was elected the new grandmaster.

During this period, the gradual expulsion of Christians from Palestine begins.

In 1247, the army of the Egyptian sultan invades the Holy Land and captures Tiberias, Ascalon.

The Teutons, along with other Orders, are trying to stay in Palestine. Several hundred Teutonic knights arrive from Europe under the command of Meister Eberhard von Seinsham. V

1248 begins the Seventh Crusade, which was organized by the French. The main goal of the campaign was the defeat of Egypt as the main enemy of Christians in Palestine. After several victories, the Crusader army was defeated in 1250.

King Louis Saint of France, who led the campaign and the army of the crusaders, highly appreciated the participation of the Teutonic Order in the campaign. He added to the coat of arms of the Order a four-petal lily on a gold Jerusalem cross, donated 2 thousand zloty coins and several estates in France.

Baybars Sultan of Egypt and Syria in 1263 began to systematically squeeze Christians out of Palestine. First, he conquers Galilee, on February 27, 1265, Caesarea is under his rule, on April 29, the city of Asuf.

In 1266, the Sultan tries to capture Starkenberg (Montfort), but the Teutons managed to repel the attack.

In 1268, the Sultan captures Jaffa and Beaufort, then Antioch.

On July 12, 1271, Baybars forced the main residence of the Teutonic Order, Starkenberg Castle (Montfort), to surrender. The knights are allowed to leave the fortress and go to Acre.

For 20 years until 1291, the main seat of the Order was again in Acre. Moreover, the residence is located only in one fortress tower.

The presence of the Order in Palestine from now on is only nominal.

After all, since 1226, during the life of von Salz, the Baltic States, and above all Prussia, have become the main sphere of application of forces.

Numerous political events, in which the Tatar-Mongols were a weighty argument, led to the fact that the Sultan of Egypt in April 1291 besieged Acre, which was defended by all three Orders and secular crusaders.

The military operations of the Teutonic knights in Acre until 1290 were led by the grandmaster Burchard von Schwande himself, then by the meister Konrad von Feuchtwanger.

May 18, 1291 Acre fell... The Knights of the Order, who managed to escape the massacre and get to the ships, fled to Venice.

The Teutonic Order left the Holy Land forever.

Sources and Literature

1.Guy Stair Sainty. THE TEUTONIC ORDER OF HOLY MARY IN JERUSALEM (Website www.chivalricorders.org/vatican/teutonic.htm)
2. Heraldic collection of the Federal Border Guard Service of Russia. Moscow. The border. 1998
3. V. Biryukov. The Amber Room. Myths and Reality. Moscow. Publishing house "Planet". 1992
4. Directory - Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad book publishing house. 1983
5. Site "Borussia" (members.tripod.com/teutonic/krestonoscy.htm)
6.A.Bogdan. Teutonic knights. Eurasia. St. Petersburg. 2008
7. V. Urban. Warband. AST. The keeper. Moscow. 2003.