Prussian medal. Prussian Gold War Cross "For Merit"
Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia
Great coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia
Middle coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia
File:Preussen1701.jpeg
Lesser coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia
Coat of arms of East Prussia
- Order of the Black Eagle Hohen Orden vom Schwarzen Adler 18 Januar 1701
- Order "For Merit" Order "Pour le Mérite" 31.05.1740
- Order of the Red Eagle Roter Adlerorden
- Order of the Swan Schwanenorden
- Order of the Crown German. Kronen Order
- Royal Order of the House of Hohenzollern Koniglicher Hausorden von Hohenzollern January 18, 1851
- Royal Prussian Order of Saint John Königlich Preußischer St Johanniterorden
- Princely Order of the House of Hohenzollern Hausorden von Hohenzollern
- Order of Louise. Louisenorden
- Iron Cross (Order) Eisernes Kreuz
Order of Prussia
Until 1701, there was only one order in Prussia - officer's cross DE LA GЁNЁROSITE (Generosity). The badge of the order is a Maltese-shaped cross of blue enamel on a black ribbon, at the ends of which it was written in the syllables GЁNЁROSITE, and in the corners there were figures of eagles. Until 1740, the order was in oblivion. In 1740, Frederick II, on the occasion of his accession to the throne, restored it under a new name - "Pour le mérite", as a civil and military order; and in the city, a change in the statute followed, making the order an exclusively military award. It retained its sign almost unchanged, there were no balls on the points of the cross on it and the words of the new name were placed, and the black ribbon received a silver trim. In the case of awarding for repeated feats, another silver stripe runs in the middle of the ribbon. Only on the top-class cross and on the star in the center is a portrait of Frederick II. As an element that enhances the significance of the award, the so-called Golden Oak Leaves are installed in the city. In Friedrich Wilhelm IV established the civil line of this order, with a special badge that served as a reward only for artists and scientists. It is slotted and resembles one of the elements of the Black Eagle chain.
Order of the Black Eagle established on the occasion of the proclamation of Prussia as a kingdom in the city. In addition to members of the royal house who received the signs of the order by birthright, the number of knights was limited to thirty, but later it became unlimited. The motto SUUM QUIQUE (to each his own) is on a star around the image of a black eagle. The badge of the order - a cross of dark blue enamel with black eagles in the corners - was worn. on an orange ribbon or on a chain composed of alternating figures of eagles and blue and white circles with the initials of the king and the motto.
Order of the Red Eagle was established in honor of the conclusion of peace between the Elector of Brandenburg and the emperor with a motto with the motto CONCORDANT (live in harmony). To imitate the original Order of the Garter, the badge of which is worn on one of the limbs; the new order was given the appearance of a bracelet. This bracelet is considered the first link in the history of the Order of the Red Eagle. The order had a very difficult fate associated with the change of dynasties. In 1792, after the end of family strife, the Order of the Red Eagle was legalized as the second order of the Prussian royal house and received its last name. By the beginning of the twentieth century. he had 6 classes, a wide variety of badges, a chain and three stars. The sign of the highest degree (“grand cross”), unlike the others, has the form of a Maltese cross and eagles in the corners. Oak leaves, a crown, one or even two pairs of swords, etc. can be used as “reinforcing” parts on crosses and stars.
In Friedrich Wilhelm III announced the establishment of the Prussian Secular Order of John of Jerusalem in order to give the confiscation of the property of the Order of Malta, carried out with the blessing of Napoleon, as decent as possible - at least for the eyes of the allies. For different categories of the awarded, the cross was issued in different sizes, connected with a crown and with golden eagles for some, without a crown and with black eagles for others. In addition to the sign is a cross cut out of fabric for the left side of the chest.
Established in 1812 Military Iron Cross. During the Franco-Prussian War, the city was renewed; the same happened in 1914. Its signs of three degrees differ in size. Their shape and colors are inspired by the emblems of the ancient German order. Set in silver, a black iron cross bears the initials of the founder and dates of campaigns (1813, 1815, 1870, etc.), and an oak twig is depicted in the center of the cross.
Established in 1814 in honor of the Queen Women's Order of Louise. His cross in black enamel has the initial L surrounded by stars on a blue field in the center; on the other side are the dates 1813 - 1814 and 1848 - 1849 (renewal). In 1865 there was another change in the statute. In 1871, the Women's Cross of Merit was installed in the form of an iron cross with a small red cross in the center as a reward for medical service.
In 1851, another one, established ten years earlier by the king's nephews, Princes Friedrich Hohenzollern-Gechingen and Karl Hohenzollern-Sigmarinen, entered the system of Prussian royal orders under the name of the Princely Order of the House of Hohenzollern. Friedrich Wilhelm, without ending the existence of this order, proclaimed the establishment Royal Order of Hohenzollern. Crosses of white and black enamel in the princely line have the inscription FUR TREUE UND VERDIENST (for loyalty and merit), in the royal line - VOM FELS ZUM MEER (from the firmament to the sea). Ribbons are white and black, in the royal line there is a star of two types and there is a chain.
In 1861 Wilhelm I instituted in commemoration of his coronation Order of the Royal Crown with the motto GOTT MIT UNS (God is with us), which had 4 classes, and in 1895 Wilhelm II established the Order of Wilhelm, designed to serve as an award for merit in the public, scientific and charitable fields for both sexes. It is a medal suspended from a chain.
The oldest Brandenburg spiritual order, established in honor of the Mother of God in the middle of the 15th century. and died out in the 16th century. in connection with the Reformation, it was solemnly restored by the lover of romantic undertakings, King Friedrich Wilhelm, in 1843 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the approval of the first statute and in a certain connection with the growth of revolutionary sentiment in Germany. He received one of his old names - Order of the Swan and allowed the reception of persons of both sexes. The sign consisted of a figure of a white swan with outstretched wings, suspended from an openwork oval medallion depicting the Mother of God; the latter was connected to the chain. Each of its thirteen links depicts a heart clamped in a medieval torture instrument called bremza - two opposing saws.
Links
Literature
- Spassky I.G. "Foreign and Russian Orders until 1917", State Hermitage Publishing House, Leningrad - 1963
Order of Prussia
Great coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia
Middle coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia
Coat of arms of East Prussia
- Order of the Black Eagle Hohen Orden vom Schwarzen Adler 18 Januar 1701
- Order "For Merit" Order "Pour le Mérite" 31.05.1740
- Order of the Red Eagle Roter Adlerorden
- Order of the Swan Schwanenorden
- Order of the Crown German. Kronen Order
- Royal Order of the House of Hohenzollern Koniglicher Hausorden von Hohenzollern January 18, 1851
- Royal Prussian Order of Saint John Königlich Preußischer St Johanniterorden
- Princely Order of the House of Hohenzollern Hausorden von Hohenzollern
- Order of Louise. Louisenorden
- Iron Cross (Order) Eisernes Kreuz
Order of Prussia
Until 1701, there was only one order in Prussia - officer's cross DE LA GЁNЁROSITE (Generosity). The badge of the order is a Maltese-shaped cross of blue enamel on a black ribbon, at the ends of which it was written in the syllables GЁNЁROSITE, and in the corners there were figures of eagles. Until 1740, the order was in oblivion. In 1740, Frederick II, on the occasion of his accession to the throne, restored it under a new name - "Pour le mérite", as a civil and military order; and in the city, a change in the statute followed, making the order an exclusively military award. It retained its sign almost unchanged, there were no balls on the points of the cross on it and the words of the new name were placed, and the black ribbon received a silver trim. In the case of awarding for repeated feats, another silver stripe runs in the middle of the ribbon. Only on the top-class cross and on the star in the center is a portrait of Frederick II. As an element that enhances the significance of the award, the so-called Golden Oak Leaves are installed in the city. In Friedrich Wilhelm IV established the civil line of this order, with a special badge that served as a reward only for artists and scientists. It is slotted and resembles one of the elements of the Black Eagle chain.
Order of the Black Eagle established on the occasion of the proclamation of Prussia as a kingdom in the city. In addition to members of the royal house who received the signs of the order by birthright, the number of knights was limited to thirty, but later it became unlimited. The motto SUUM QUIQUE (to each his own) is on a star around the image of a black eagle. The badge of the order - a cross of dark blue enamel with black eagles in the corners - was worn. on an orange ribbon or on a chain composed of alternating figures of eagles and blue and white circles with the initials of the king and the motto.
Order of the Red Eagle was established in honor of the conclusion of peace between the Elector of Brandenburg and the emperor with a motto with the motto CONCORDANT (live in harmony). To imitate the original Order of the Garter, the badge of which is worn on one of the limbs; the new order was given the appearance of a bracelet. This bracelet is considered the first link in the history of the Order of the Red Eagle. The order had a very difficult fate associated with the change of dynasties. In 1792, after the end of family strife, the Order of the Red Eagle was legalized as the second order of the Prussian royal house and received its last name. By the beginning of the twentieth century. he had 6 classes, a wide variety of badges, a chain and three stars. The sign of the highest degree (“grand cross”), unlike the others, has the form of a Maltese cross and eagles in the corners. Oak leaves, a crown, one or even two pairs of swords, etc. can be used as “reinforcing” parts on crosses and stars.
In Friedrich Wilhelm III announced the establishment of the Prussian Secular Order of John of Jerusalem in order to give the confiscation of the property of the Order of Malta, carried out with the blessing of Napoleon, as decent as possible - at least for the eyes of the allies. For different categories of the awarded, the cross was issued in different sizes, connected with a crown and with golden eagles for some, without a crown and with black eagles for others. In addition to the sign is a cross cut out of fabric for the left side of the chest.
Established in 1813 Military Iron Cross. During the Franco-Prussian War, the city was renewed; the same happened in 1914. Its signs of three degrees differ in size. Their shape and colors are inspired by the emblems of the ancient German order. Set in silver, a black iron cross bears the initials of the founder and dates of campaigns (1813, 1815, 1870, etc.), and an oak twig is depicted in the center of the cross.
Established in 1814 in honor of the Queen Women's Order of Louise. His cross in black enamel has the initial L surrounded by stars on a blue field in the center; on the other side are the dates 1813 - 1814 and 1848 - 1849 (renewal). In 1865 there was another change in the statute. In 1871, the Women's Cross of Merit was installed in the form of an iron cross with a small red cross in the center as a reward for medical service.
In 1851, another one, established ten years earlier by the king's nephews, Princes Friedrich Hohenzollern-Gechingen and Karl Hohenzollern-Sigmarinen, entered the system of Prussian royal orders under the name of the Princely Order of the House of Hohenzollern. Friedrich Wilhelm, without ending the existence of this order, proclaimed the establishment Royal Order of Hohenzollern. Crosses of white and black enamel in the princely line have the inscription FUR TREUE UND VERDIENST (for loyalty and merit), in the royal line - VOM FELS ZUM MEER (from the firmament to the sea). Ribbons are white and black, in the royal line there is a star of two types and there is a chain.
In 1861 Wilhelm I instituted in commemoration of his coronation Order of the Royal Crown with the motto GOTT MIT UNS (God is with us), which had 4 classes, and in 1895 Wilhelm II established the Order of Wilhelm, designed to serve as an award for merit in the public, scientific and charitable fields for both sexes. It is a medal suspended from a chain.
The oldest Brandenburg spiritual order, established in honor of the Mother of God in the middle of the 15th century. and died out in the 16th century. in connection with the Reformation, it was solemnly restored by the lover of romantic undertakings, King Friedrich Wilhelm, in 1843 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the approval of the first statute and in a certain connection with the growth of revolutionary sentiment in Germany. He received one of his old names - Order of the Swan and allowed the reception of persons of both sexes. The sign consisted of a figure of a white swan with outstretched wings, suspended from an openwork oval medallion depicting the Mother of God; the latter was connected to the chain. Each of its thirteen links depicts a heart clamped in a medieval torture instrument called bremza - two opposing saws.
Links
Literature
- Spassky I.G. "Foreign and Russian Orders until 1917", State Hermitage Publishing House, Leningrad - 1963
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- Kubinka (air base)
- Gerhard, Roberto
See what the "Order of Prussia" is in other dictionaries:
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Order of the Black Eagle Prussia.
Order of the Black Eagle Prussia.
Order of the Black Eagle Prussia.
Look carefully again at the dynastic coat of arms of the Romanovs.
Above the shield we see the image of a black eagle. The eagle is very small, but it is located in the center of the coat of arms. Let's look for the black eagle.
However, you won't have to search long. Prussia ... The Romanovs did not hide their Prussian origin.
We can easily find the Black Eagle on the star and chain of the Order of the Black Eagle.
The Order of the Black Eagle, established on January 18, 1701 by Frederick I in honor of the proclamation of Prussia as a kingdom, became the first highest award of Prussia. The head of the order was the King of Prussia. Members of the royal family received the badges of the order at birth. Initially, the number of holders of the order was limited to thirty, but later this restriction was removed.
Pay attention to an interesting circumstance. The Order of the Black Eagle and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called were almost the same. The difference is only in the eagles. and slogans. Double-headed white - Russian and single-headed black - Prussian. It is also interesting that they were established almost simultaneously. . We know exactly the date of the establishment of the Order of the Black Eagle: January 18, 1701. Opinions about the time of the establishment of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called differ somewhat. But, in any case, this is the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The star of the order is eight-pointed, silver. In its center, in a round medallion, there is an image of a black eagle, surrounded by the motto of the order: "SUUM СUIQUE" ("To each his own"). It's on the right. And on the left? Star and chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called! Motto: "For Faith and Loyalty"
Frederick I of Prussia - the first holder of the Order of the Black Eagle.
Agree, it is actually impossible to distinguish from the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The same star on the left chest, the same chain with a cross and eagles.
The badge of the Order of the Black Eagle is a golden Maltese cross covered with blue enamel. In the center of the cross is a medallion with the monogram of Frederick I. Between the sides of the cross are images of black eagles topped with royal crowns.
The badge of the head of the order was worn on the order chain, which consisted of links in the form of an eagle and a white and blue enamel medallion with the monogram of Frederick I. The rest of the knights were supposed to wear the badges of the order on an orange shoulder ribbon. The Order of the Black Eagle is the highest award of Prussia and rarely appears at antique auctions...
Distinguish the orders themselves or in the portraits. it is actually not possible on the engravings - the eight-pointed star is ABSOLUTELY IDENTICAL. In the center and here and there a small eagle. On the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, he is double-headed, on the Order of the Black Eagle, he is single-headed Prussian. But, I repeat, not a single portrait of the first half of the 18th century can make out these smallest nuances-differences
ORDER OF THE BLACK EAGLE
1701 Order of the Black Eagle in Prussia
Friedrich I (July 11, 1657, Königsberg - February 25, 1713, Berlin) - Elector of Brandenburg under the name Frederick III since 1688, the first king of Prussia since 1701, a representative of the Hohenzollern dynasty. The badge of the head of the order was worn on the order chain, which consisted of links in the form an eagle and a white and blue enamel medallion with the monogram of Frederick I. The rest of the knights were supposed to wear the signs of the order on an orange shoulder ribbon. The star of the order is eight-pointed, silver. In its center, in a round medallion, there is an image of a black eagle, surrounded by the motto of the order: "SUUM СUIQUE" ("To each his own"). The badge of the order is a golden Maltese cross covered with blue enamel. In the center of the cross is a medallion with the monogram of Frederick I. Between the sides of the cross are images of black eagles topped with royal crowns. The grandmaster was the king; the sons of the king became knights of the order at birth. Initially, the number of knights of the order was limited to thirty, but later this restriction was removed. The order was the highest award of Prussia. The order was established on January 17, 1701 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg (who became Frederick I, King of Prussia, the next day).
Schwarzer-Adler-Orden.
Russia. Order of the Black Eagle.ORDER OF THE BLACK EAGLE
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Badges of the Order Chest star. Chest star. Chest star. Chest star. OK. 1900 Embroidered breast star
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ORDER OF THE BLACK EAGLE IN PRUSSIA 1701
The Order of the Black Eagle (German Schwarzer-Adler-Orden) is the highest Prussian award.
The order was established by King Frederick I on January 18, 1701 in honor of the coronation
and as a fact of confirming the status of the independence of the state ..
The name of the Order corresponded to the coat of arms of the state.
The statute of the Order consisted of 40 paragraphs.
The Grand Master (Grandmaster) was the King himself. His sons became knights of the order at birth.
Also, the Order of the Black Eagle was awarded to foreign sovereigns and senior government officials, the rank of ministers.
In Prussia, the Order was awarded to senior officials and the highest military command.
Those who were awarded this Order received the title of Lieutenant General.
The order had only one class and consisted of 300 knights, in addition to royal princes and decorated foreigners.
A man over 30 years old can be awarded, and in order to receive this Order, he must be before that
Cavalier of the Order of the Red Eagle. When were the highest officials who did not yet have the Order awarded?
Red Eagle, then they were also sent signs of the second Order when they were awarded.
The badge of the order is a light blue eight-pointed (Maltese) cross. Between the rays of the cross
there are 4 black Prussian eagles under the crowns. In the center on a round field, the letters "F R" - denoting
"FRYDERICUS REX" - "Friedrich King".
The badge of the Order is worn on a wide moire orange ribbon over the left shoulder to the right side.
On the left side of the chest is worn the Order's eight-pointed silver star, with the Black Eagle in the center on an orange field,
holding in its paws a laurel wreath and lightning bolts. A silver rim is made around the central medallion with an eagle.
which, in a circle, above the Eagle, are the words of the motto of the Order - "SUUM CUIQUE", and below are two branches of laurel with red berries.
The festive order attire was from a dress of sky-blue velvet. Red velvet was worn on top
raincoat with a long train, hemmed lightly? blue moire. The cloak is tied with gold cords, decorated on
ends with cutas. The order star was embroidered on the cloak and dress. A black hat was worn on the head, decorated
white feathers and diamond clasp. The hilt of the sword was decorated with a round knob.
The cloak of the King and princes had a longer train.
The order chain, which is worn only in some cases, consists of two types of links:
1- Image of a golden eagle covered with black enamel, holding golden rays and lightning bolts in its paws
2- In the form of a round gold medallion covered with light blue enamel. But it is in the center of the motto of the Order
"SUUM CUIQUE", and next to it are the letters "F R" repeated four times. They are located in such a way
that the letter "R" is between two "F". Above each pair of letters on top of the medallion is a royal crown.
Knights of the Order have the right to decorate their coat of arms with the signs of the Order (cross and chain).
(On Plate LXII, figure 2 is the image of the Knight of the Order) *
Interesting information:
Citizens of the Russian Empire awarded the Order of the Black Eagle:
Menshikov Alexander Danilovich
Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky Pyotr Alexandrovich
Peter III
Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich
Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich
Bagration Petr Ivanovich
Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich
Miloradovich Mikhail Andreevich
Potemkin Grigory Alexandrovich
Ermolov Alexey Petrovich
- Order of the Swan Schwanenorden
- Order of the Crown German. Kronen Order
- Royal Order of the House of Hohenzollern January 18, 1851
- Royal Prussian Order of Saint John Königlich Preußischer St Johanniterorden
- Order of Louise German. Louisenorden
- Iron Cross German. Eisernes Kreuz
Order of Prussia
Until 1701, there was only one order in Prussia - officer's cross DE LA GÉNÉROSITÉ (Generosity). The badge of the order is a Maltese-shaped cross of blue enamel on a black ribbon, at the ends of which it was written in syllables GÉNÉROSITÉ, and in the corners there were figures of eagles. Of the Russian subjects, G. I. Golovkin and A. P. Izmailov had him. Until 1740, the order was in oblivion. In 1740, Frederick II, on the occasion of his accession to the throne, restored it under a new name - “Pour le mérite”, as a civil and military order; and in 1810 a change in statute followed, making the order an exclusively military award. He retained his badge almost unchanged, there were no balls on the points of the cross on it and the words of the new name were placed, and the black ribbon received a silver trim. In the case of awarding for repeated feats, another silver stripe runs in the middle of the ribbon. Only on the top-class cross and on the star in the center is a portrait of Frederick II. As an element that enhances the significance of the award, in 1813 the so-called Golden Oak Leaves were installed. In 1842, Friedrich Wilhelm IV established the civil line of this order, with a special sign that served as an award only for artists and scientists. It is slotted and resembles one of the elements of the Black Eagle chain.
Order of the Black Eagle established on the occasion of the proclamation of Prussia as a kingdom in 1701. In addition to members of the royal house, who received the badges of the order by birthright, the number of knights was limited to thirty, but later it became unlimited. The motto SUUM QUIQUE (to each his own) is on a star around the image of a black eagle. The badge of the order - a cross of dark blue enamel with black eagles in the corners - was worn. on an orange ribbon or on a chain composed of alternating figures of eagles and blue and white circles with the initials of the king and the motto.
Order of the Red Eagle was established in honor of the conclusion of peace between the Elector of Brandenburg and the emperor with the motto CONCORDANT (live in harmony). To imitate the original Order of the Garter, the badge of which is worn on one of the limbs; the new order was given the appearance of a bracelet. This bracelet is considered the first link in the history of the Order of the Red Eagle. The order had a very difficult fate associated with the change of dynasties. In 1792, after the end of family strife, the Order of the Red Eagle was legalized as the second order of the Prussian royal house and received its last name. By the beginning of the 20th century, it had 6 classes, a wide variety of signs, a chain and three stars. The sign of the highest degree (“grand cross”), unlike the others, has the form of a Maltese cross and eagles in the corners. Oak leaves, a crown, one or even two pairs of swords, etc. can be used as “reinforcing” details on crosses and stars.
In 1812 Frederick William III announced the establishment of the Prussian Secular Order of John of Jerusalem in order to give the confiscation of the property of the Order of Malta, carried out with the blessing of Napoleon, as decent as possible - at least for the eyes of the allies. Different categories of the awarded were given a cross of different sizes, connected with a crown and with golden eagles for some, without a crown and with black eagles for others. In addition to the sign is a cross cut out of fabric for the left side of the chest.
Established in 1813 Military Iron Cross. During the Franco-Prussian War, the city was renewed; the same thing happened in 1914. Its marks of three degrees vary in size. Their shape and colors are inspired by the emblems of the ancient German order. The initials of the founder and the dates of the campaigns (1813, 1815, 1870, etc.) were placed on a black iron cross set in silver, and an oak twig was depicted in the center of the cross.
Established in 1814 in honor of the Queen Women's Order of Louise. His cross in black enamel has the initial L surrounded by stars on a blue field in the center; on the other side the dates are 1813-1814 and 1848-1849 (renewal). In 1865 another statute change took place. In 1871, the Women's Cross of Merit was established in the form of an iron cross with a small red cross in the center as a reward for medical service.
In 1851, another one, established ten years earlier by the king's nephews, Princes Friedrich Hohenzollern-Gechingen and Karl Hohenzollern-Sigmarinen, entered the system of Prussian royal orders under the name of the Princely Order of the House of Hohenzollern. Friedrich Wilhelm, without ending the existence of this order, proclaimed the establishment Royal Order of Hohenzollern. Crosses of white and black enamel in the princely line have the inscription FUR TREUE UND VERDIENST (for loyalty and merit), in the royal line - VOM FELS ZUM MEER (from the firmament to the sea). Ribbons are white and black, in the royal line there is a star of two types and there is a chain.
In 1861 Wilhelm I instituted in commemoration of his coronation Order of the Royal Crown with the motto GOTT MIT UNS (God is with us), which had 4 classes, and in 1895 Wilhelm II established the Order of Wilhelm, designed to serve as an award for merit in the public, scientific and charitable fields for both sexes. It is a medal suspended from a chain.
The oldest spiritual order of Brandenburg, founded in honor of the Mother of God in the middle of the 15th century and died out in the 16th century in connection with the reformation, was solemnly restored by the lover of romantic undertakings, King Friedrich Wilhelm in 1843 on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the approval of the first statute and in a certain connection with the rise of revolutionary sentiment in Germany. He received one of his old names - Order of the Swan and allowed the reception of persons of both sexes. The sign consisted of a figure of a white swan with outstretched wings, suspended from an openwork oval medallion depicting the Mother of God; the latter was connected to the chain. Each of its thirteen links depicts a heart clamped in a medieval torture instrument called bremza - two opposing saws.
The state, founded by the Germans in the Baltic region, has reached its natural limits: from the north and west, the sea, from the east and south, strong peoples, i.e. Russia and Lithuania. It seemed that for him the time had come for a peaceful internal development. But it wasn't really like that. External enemies threatened from all sides. The Danish king did not at all think of abandoning his claims to Estonia; Novgorod Russia was only waiting for an opportunity to recover its losses; in the south, Lithuanian power, dangerous for the Germans, arose; conquered tribes were held back from rebellion only by the fear of cruel retribution. Meanwhile, the influx of crusaders from Germany was gradually decreasing, and the Livonian Germans had to be content with almost their own means in the fight against the surrounding enemies. With the death of Bishop Albert, that mind and that iron will, which still kept the diverse composition of the new state in unity, left the historical scene. After Albert, the Order of the Sword-bearers was already clearly striving to become superior to their fief master, the Bishop of Riga, and to turn the conquered region into their direct possession, i.e. put Livonia to itself in the same relationship in which Prussia was then to the Order of the Teutonic Knights. Hence, it is natural why the Livonian Order began to seek support from this side. As soon as Albert had time to depart into eternity, Master Volkvin sent ambassadors to the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Hermann Saltz with a proposal for a close alliance and even a merger of two neighboring orders.
The conquest of Prussia by the Poles, once begun by Boleslaw the Brave and some of his successors, was lost during the fragmentation of Poland into appanages and internal turmoil. Moreover, the Polish regions themselves began to suffer from invasions and robberies of neighboring Prussians, and the Polish princes, who opposed the pagans, often suffered defeat from them. At the same time, the missionaries' attempts to continue the work begun by Voitekh and Brun remained futile for a long time; some of them also found a painful death in Prussia. Only two centuries after these two, the apostles, i.e. at the beginning of the 13th century, a monk from the Danzig Cistercian monastery, named Christian, managed to establish a Christian community in the Prussian Kulmia, which lay on the right side of the Vistula and went into a wedge between the Slavs of Poland and Pomerania. This Christian had to some extent the same significance for Prussia as Albert Buxhoeveden had for Livonia. The famous Pope Innocent III elevated him to the dignity of a Prussian bishop, entrusted him with the patronage of the Archbishop of Gniezno, as well as the princes of Poland and Pomerania, and generally gave the same active, skillful support to the establishment of the Catholic Church in Prussia, as in Livonia.
In the neighboring Polish region of Mazovia, Konrad then reigned, the youngest son of Casimir the Just, who was not distinguished by any valor. Taking advantage of his weakness, the Prussians intensified their attack on his lands. Instead of a courageous defense, Konrad began to pay off their raids. On this occasion they even tell the following trait. Once, not having the means to satisfy the greed of the robbers, he invited his nobles to his feast with their wives and children, during the feast he ordered to secretly pick up the horses and outerwear of the guests and send it all to the Prussians. Under such circumstances, the cowardly Conrad willingly followed the advice of Bishop Christian and voluntarily installed in his land the worst enemies of the Slavs, the Germans. The idea was given by the successes of the newly founded Order of the Sword in Livonia. At first, Conrad and Christian, with the permission of the pope, tried to establish their own order to fight the pagans. Their order received Dobryn Castle on the Vistula and the right to half of all the lands that it conquered in Prussia. But he was too weak for such a task and soon suffered such a strong defeat from the Prussians that he did not dare to go beyond the walls of his castle. Then Konrad, on the advice of Christian and some of the Polish bishops and nobles, decided to call on the Teutonic Order to tame the fierce neighbors.
The history of the Teutonic Order before arriving in the Baltics
Hermann von Salza. Sculpture in Malbork castle
This order was founded by the Germans shortly before that time in Palestine, in honor of the Mother of God, following the example of the Italian Johnites and the French Templars. He took monastic vows with the obligation to go after the sick and fight the infidels. True, his exploits in Palestine did little to help the Kingdom of Jerusalem; but he was endowed with various possessions in Germany and Italy. Its importance has risen a lot, thanks in particular to the grandmaster Hermann Salz, who knew how to earn the same respect from both Frederick II of Hohenstaufen and his opponents, that is, the popes. In 1225, the ambassadors of the Prince of Mazovia came to him in southern Italy and offered the Order to move to the Kulm and Lubavskaya regions under the condition of war with the Prussian pagans. Such a proposal, of course, could not fail to please the grandmaster; but he was in no hurry with his consent, taught by experience. Around that time, the Ugric king Andrew II in the same way called on the Teutonic knights to fight the Polovtsy and gave the order the possession of the Transylvania region; but then, noticing the danger that threatened from the installation of a military and power-hungry German squad, he hastened to remove the Teutons from his kingdom. Obviously, the Ugrians had a greater instinct for self-preservation than the Poles.
The Teutonic grandmaster did not so much care about the baptism of the pagans as he had in mind to found his own independent principality. He began by asking the Order of Emperor Frederick for a letter of full possession of the Kulm land and all future conquests in Prussia; for according to the then German concepts, Poland itself was considered a fief of the German Empire. Salza wanted to put the future principality under the direct rule of the empire, and not of Poland. Then he entered into lengthy negotiations with Konrad of Mazowiecki on the conditions for transferring the order to the Kulm region. The fruit of these negotiations was a whole series of acts and letters, by which the short-sighted Polish prince granted the Teutons various rights and privileges. Only in 1228, for the first time, a significant detachment of Teutonic knights under the command of the provincial master Herman Balk appeared on the borders of Poland and Prussia to take the Kulm land into the possession of the order. Before embarking on the fight against the pagans, the Germans continued their negotiations with Konrad until the agreement of 1230 received from him confirmation of the eternal, unconditional possession of this area. At the same time, they tried to protect themselves from the claims of the aforementioned Prussian Bishop Christian, who thought that the Teutonic Order would be in the same relationship with him as the Livonian Order was with the Bishop of Riga. For the first time, the order recognized the fief rights of the bishop to the Kulm land and undertook to pay him a small tribute for it. A favorable event for the order soon helped him to completely free himself from these fief relationships. The bishop of Christians, with a small retinue, inadvertently went deep into the land of the pagans to preach the Gospel and was captured, in which he languished for about nine years. The cunning Hermann Salza, who remained in Italy and managed the affairs of the order from there, persuaded Pope Gregory IX to recognize the Prussian possessions of the Teutons as a direct spiritual fief of the papal throne, which eliminated the claims of the Bishop of Kulm. In addition, with the consent of the pope, the remains of the Dobrynsky knights and their estates were included in the Teutonic Order. In this region, as well as in the land of the Baltic and Polabian Slavs, the Catholic Church was the main ally of Germanization.
Knights of the Teutonic Order in Prussia
The supreme patron of the order, the pope, zealously called on crusaders from neighboring countries, Poland, Pomerania, Holstein, Gotland, and others, to a common struggle against the Prussian pagans and granted these crusaders the same privileges and absolution of sins as those who went to Palestine. His call did not go unanswered. In Western and Central Europe of that time, the belief was still strong that nothing was more pleasing to God than the conversion of pagans to Christianity, even by means of a sword and fire, and that this was the surest way to wash away all past sins from oneself. The Teutonic Knights began the conquest and forcible christening of Prussia with the help of neighboring Catholic sovereigns who brought crusader squads, especially with the help of the Slavic princes of Poland and Pomerania, who, more than the Germans, worked in favor of Germanization. The knights secured their every step by building stone castles and, above all, of course, tried to take possession of the lower reaches of the Vistula. Here, Torun was the first order stronghold, followed by Helmno (Kulm), Marienwerder, Elbing, etc. The Prussians defended stubbornly, but could not resist the new force, which enjoyed the superiority of military art, weapons, unity of action and, in general, was excellently organized. In order to further strengthen its dominion, along with the construction of fortresses, the order actively established German colonization, calling settlers to their cities, giving them trade and industrial benefits, and, in addition, distributing plots of land on fief rights to settlers of the military class. To establish a new faith, the Germans paid special attention to the younger generation: they tried to capture children and send them to Germany, where the latter received education in the hands of the clergy so that, returning to their homeland, to be zealous missionaries of Catholicism and Germanization. During the conquest of Prussia, almost the same cruelties, devastation and enslavement of the natives were repeated, which we saw during the conquest of Livonia and Estonia.
The Livonian master Volkvin turned to this Teutonic, or Prussian, order with a proposal to join his forces and sent ambassadors to Italy to the grand master for this. But the first proposal was made at a time when the Teutonic Order had barely settled in the Kulm region and was just beginning its conquest. Livonia was separated from it by the still independent Lithuanian tribes; the union of two knightly orders could also lead to the union of their enemies for a common rebuff. Herman Salza so far prudently declined the offer, but did not lose hope. A few years later, negotiations on the connection resumed, and in Marburg - the main German shelter of the Teutons - a meeting of the order chapter was held in the presence of Volkvin's ambassadors. Here the majority of the Teutons spoke out against the unification. Their order consisted mainly of members of the old noble families, hardened, pious people, proud of their vows and severe discipline; while the ranks of the Sword-bearers were filled with the sons of the Bremen and other Low German traders, various seekers of adventure and booty, superfluous people in their homeland. A rumor had already penetrated into Germany about their dissolute life and such despotic treatment of the natives, which made Christianity itself hateful for the latter and forced them sometimes to return to paganism. The Teutons looked down on the Swordsmen and were afraid to humiliate their order with such camaraderie. From Marburg, the matter was again transferred to Italy for consideration by the grandmaster. Hermann Salza this time turned out to be more disposed towards the connection and submitted the question of him for permission to Pope Gregory IX.
Meanwhile, an event occurred that hastened the matter. Master Volkvin with a strong army undertook a campaign into the wilderness of Lithuanian lands. The Lithuanians secretly gathered in the surrounding forests, from where they suddenly came out and surrounded the Germans from all sides. A desperate battle took place on the day of Mauritius in September 1236. In vain the knights exclaimed: "Forward, with the help of St. Mauritius!" They were completely defeated. Master Volkvin himself, forty-eight order knights and many free crusaders remained at the battle site. The order was saved only by the fact that Lithuania did not take advantage of its victory and, instead of moving to Livonia, turned against Russia. After that, the Sword-bearers intensified their requests for a union, which was finally accomplished by their ambassadors with the permission of Gregory IX at his residence in Viterbo, in May 1237. The Livonian knights accepted the charter of the Teutonic Order; they had to change their order cloak with a red sword to a Teutonic white robe with a black cross on the left shoulder.
The governor of Salz in Prussia, Hermann Balk, was appointed the first regional master (landmaster) in Livonia. One of his first acts here was the conclusion of an agreement with Voldemar II. In a dispute between the order and the Danish king over Estonia, the pope leaned towards the king, and the grand master yielded. According to the concluded agreement, the order returned to Denmark the coastal regions of the Gulf of Finland, Verria with the city of Wesenberg and Harry with Revel. In the latter city, Valdemar appointed a special bishop for his Estonian possessions. But he was no longer able to force out the German knights from here, who received land and various privileges from the order. On the contrary, in order to win over this military estate, he tried to satisfy its greed and lust for power with new privileges and rights to enslave the natives. In general, Danish rule existed in that region for about a century, but did not take deep roots. Herman Balk restored the importance of the Swordsmen by a successful war with neighboring Novgorod Rus. But soon both he and the grandmaster of Salza himself died (1239).
Joint wars of the Teutonic and Livonian orders in the Baltics
The affairs of the united order went from bad to worse. He had to fight at the same time with Russia, Lithuania and his former ally - the Pomeranian prince Svyatopolk. The new Livonian Landmaster Von Heimburg suffered especially sensitive defeats from the Russian hero Alexander Nevsky. These defeats were joined by a desperate uprising of the Curons and Semigallians. Both tribes, as we have seen, quite easily submitted to German rule and received priests. But they soon became convinced that the missionaries' promises to leave their property and personal freedom in peace were only empty words, that German rule and German Christianity meant all sorts of requisitions and oppressions. Taking advantage of the cramped position of the order, the Curons rebelled; they killed their bishop and those priests whom they managed to seize into their hands, drove out or killed the Germans who settled between them and entered into an alliance with the Lithuanian prince Mindovg. The Semigallians also revolted behind them.
Dietrich von Grüningen succeeded in crushing this uprising, whom the new Teutonic grandmaster Heinrich von Hohenlohe appointed as Landmaster in Livonia and provided him with significant military resources. The stern, energetic Grüningen, with fire and sword, traversed the land of the Curonians and, with terrible devastation, forced them to ask for peace. They had already managed to return to their old gods, but now they were forced to hand over the hostages and again perform the rite of baptism (1244). The following year, the war resumed when Mindovg came to the aid of the oppressed with the Lithuanian army. However, in a decisive battle on the heights of Amboten, he was defeated.
Conquests of the Teutonic Order in the Baltics. Map
Having again conquered Curonia and Zemgalia, the Germans established their dominion here by fortifying the old native cities and building new stone castles on the outskirts and inland at all important points. Thus, arose: Vindava, at the mouth of the river of the same name, Pilten, higher on the right bank of the same river, even higher - Goldingen on its left bank, opposite the place where it forms a picturesque waterfall; further Dondangen and Angernminde on the northern outskirts of Kuronia; Gazenpot, Grobin and the newly fortified Amboten in the south, on the borders with Lithuania, etc. Some of these castles became the residence of commanders and vogts, i.e. order or episcopal governors, equipped with sufficient armed force to maintain obedience in their districts. Around that time, the German fortresses of Selburg on the left bank of the Dvina and Bauska, on the border with Lithuania, at the confluence of the Musa with the Memel, appeared in Zemgalia around that time. This confluence forms the river Aa (Semigalskaya, or Kuronskaya), on the left bank of which, among the lowlands, the foundation of the Mitavsky castle was soon laid. With the new conquest of the Curons and Zemgales, they were already deprived of the rights that were promised to them by the original treaties. The Germans took advantage of the uprising to enslave them completely, i.e. turn into the same serfdom, which has already been established in Livonia and Estonia. Thus, the Livonian Order, thanks to the connection with the Teutonic Order, managed to consolidate the hitherto shaky German dominion in the Baltic region, repel hostile neighbors and completely enslave the native peoples. With the help of the same connection, he almost achieved the goal of his other aspirations: he became more independent in relation to the episcopal power and to the clergy in general, recognizing over himself only the supreme, very remote power of the emperor and pope. But his struggle with the bishops, which subsided during external danger, subsequently resumed due to disputed fiefs, incomes and various privileges.
In this struggle, the city of Riga received a very prominent place. Due to its advantageous position on a large trade route, as well as close ties with Gotland and the Low German cities, Riga quickly began to grow and grow rich. The bishops of Riga, who soon received the title of archbishop, rewarded significant citizens for various services with fiefs, or plots of land, in the surrounding area, and the city itself was endowed with such privileges that it received almost complete internal self-government. This city self-government of Riga was arranged according to the model of its metropolis, Bremen, and was concentrated in the hands of two guilds, a large, or merchant, and a small, or handicraft. A third guild arose next to them, under the name of the Blackheads; it initially admitted only unmarried citizens who distinguished themselves in wars with the native pagans, and this institution became the core of the city's own armed force. In addition to his civilian militia, he often kept mercenary detachments. With significant military resources at its disposal, Riga was able to provide its archbishop with very effective assistance in his struggle with the order and to some extent balance the forces of these two rivals. Its importance rose even more when it joined the famous Hanseatic League.