When Were the Teutonic Knights Founded?
The Teutonic Knights were founded in 1190, during the Third Crusade, in the city of Acre. The standard account in English is William Urban’s The Teutonic Knights: A Military History (2011), with the older Hartmut Boockmann monograph providing the more institutional perspective. The Order was originally a hospital order, dedicated to the care of German pilgrims and crusaders, and it was established in the wake of the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187. The Order was formally established in 1199, when it was given a rule based on the Hospitaller rule by Pope Innocent III. The Order was originally called the “Teutonic House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem,” and it took its name from the German pilgrims who were its original members.
For the broader context, see the main article on the Teutonic Knights, the Northern Crusades article, and the Battle of Grunwald.
The Founding of the Order
The Teutonic Knights were founded in 1190, in the city of Acre, by a group of German pilgrims and crusaders. The Order was originally a hospital order, similar to the Knights Hospitaller, and it provided care for German pilgrims and crusaders who had come to the Holy Land. The Order was established in the wake of the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin in 1187, and it was part of a broader effort to maintain a Christian presence in the Holy Land.
The Order’s early history was closely tied to the Latin East. The Order built a major hospital in Jerusalem, and it participated in the defense of the Holy Land. The Order was nearly destroyed in 1291, when the fall of Acre forced the surviving members to retreat to Cyprus. The Order’s headquarters were eventually moved to Venice, and then to Marienburg in Prussia, where the Order would establish its main base.
The Order’s transformation from a hospital order in the Holy Land to a major military power in the Baltic was a gradual process. The Order was invited to Prussia in 1226 by the Polish Duke Conrad of Mazovia, who asked for help in his wars against the pagan Prussians. The Order accepted the invitation, and it began a long campaign of conquest and conversion that would last for almost 200 years.
The Formal Recognition
The Order was formally recognized by Pope Innocent III in 1199, when he gave the Order a rule based on the Hospitaller rule. The rule required the Order’s members to take the traditional monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and it required the Order to care for the sick and the poor. The rule also required the Order to fight against the enemies of the Christian faith, which would become an increasingly important part of the Order’s mission.
The Order’s transformation from a hospital order to a military order was a gradual process, and it was not complete until the 13th century. The Order’s military role became increasingly important after 1226, when the Order was invited to Prussia. The Order’s conquest of Prussia was a long and difficult process, and it transformed the Order from a small hospital order into one of the most powerful military forces in Europe.
The Order’s formal recognition by the Pope in 1199 was a major event in the Order’s history. The recognition gave the Order a legal status, and it allowed the Order to receive donations and recruits from all over Christendom. The recognition also placed the Order under papal authority, which gave the Order a degree of independence from local bishops and secular rulers.
The Order’s Early Years
The Order’s early years were spent in the Holy Land, where it built a major hospital in Jerusalem and participated in the defense of the Latin East. The Order was nearly destroyed in 1291, when the fall of Acre forced the surviving members to retreat to Cyprus. The Order’s headquarters were eventually moved to Venice, and then to Marienburg in Prussia, where the Order would establish its main base.
The Order’s early years were also marked by its close relationship with the German emperors. The Order was founded during the Third Crusade, and it was closely associated with Emperor Henry VI and his successors. The Order received significant donations from the German emperors, and it was given a prominent place in the imperial chapel.
The Order’s early years were also marked by its rivalry with the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller. The three orders competed for influence in the Holy Land, and they often disagreed about the strategy of the Latin East. The rivalry was a major factor in the history of the Crusades, and it continued until the dissolution of the Templars in 1312.
The Order’s Move to the Baltic
The Order’s move to the Baltic was a major turning point in its history. The Order was invited to Prussia in 1226 by the Polish Duke Conrad of Mazovia, who asked for help in his wars against the pagan Prussians. The Order accepted the invitation, and it began a long campaign of conquest and conversion. The Order’s conquest of Prussia was not complete until 1283, and the Order’s expansion continued in the 14th century with the conquest of parts of Lithuania.
The Order’s move to the Baltic transformed it from a small hospital order into one of the most powerful military forces in Europe. The Order’s state in Prussia, with its capital at Marienburg, was a major power in the region, and it played a central role in European politics. The Order’s success in the Baltic was a major factor in the Christianization of the region, and it was an important chapter in the history of the Crusades.
The most important modern work on the Order’s early years is William Urban’s The Teutonic Knights: A Military History (2011), which provides a detailed and balanced account of the Order’s history. Other important works include those by Hartmut Boockmann, who has written on the Order’s role in the Baltic, and Jürgen Sarnowsky, who has written on the Order’s intellectual and cultural history.