Teutonic Order of St Mary's Hospital in Jerusalem

The Imperial Teutonic Order of
St Mary's Hospital in Jerusalem

German Order of The Knights of Christ

Orden der Brüder vom Deutschen

Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem

Willkommen auf der Homepage des Deutschen Ordens,
Brüder vom Deutschen Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem

Welcome to The Official Website of The Imperial
Teutonic Knights of Germany, The German Order
of the Hospital of the Virgin Mary in Jerusalem

Latin: Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ
Theutonicorum Hierosolimitanorum,
"Order of the Teutonic House of Mary in
Jerusalem"; Ordo Teutonicus, "German Order"

German: Deutscher Orden, "German Order";
officially Orden der Brüder vom Deutschen
Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem, "Order of
the Brothers of the German House of St.
Mary in Jerusalem"

Belarusian: Тэўтонскі ордэн, "Teutonic Order"

Danish: Tyske Orden, "German Order"

Dutch: Duitse Orde, "German Order"

Croatian: Teutonski Red, "Teutonic Order"

Estonian: Saksa Ordu, "German Order"

Finnish: Saksalainen ritarikunta, "German Order"

French: Chevaliers Teutoniques, "Teutonic Knights"

Hebrew: המסדר הטבטוני , "The Teutonic Order"

Hungarian: Német Lovagrend, "German Knighthood"

Latvian: Vācu ordenis, "German Order"

Lithuanian: Kryžiuočių Ordinas, "Order of Crusaders"

Norwegian: (bokmål): Tyske Orden

Portuguese: Ordem dos Cavaleiros Teutônicos,
"Order of the Teutonic Knights"

Polish: Zakon Krzyżacki,"Order of the Crossbearers"

Romanian: Ordinul Cavalerilor Teutoni,
"Teutonic Knights Order"

Russian: Тевтонский орден, "Teutonic Order"

Slovenian: Križniki, "Crossbearers"

Slovak: Rád nemeckých rytierov

Serbian: Тевтонски ред-Tevtonski red, "Teutonic Order"

Swedish: Tyska orden, "German Order"

Swiss German: Tütsche Ordä, "German Order"

Turkish: Töton Şövalyeleri, "Teutonic Knights"

Italian: Ordine Teutonico, "Teutonic Order"

Spanish: Orden Teutónica, "Teutonic Order"

Japanese: "Knights of Germany"(doitsu-kishidan),

The Introduction to the Teutonic Order of
Knights of St Mary's Hospital in Jerusalem

The Order of the Teutonic Knights of St. Mary's Hospital in Jerusalem (Official names:
Latin: Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ Theutonicorum Hierosolymitanorum, German: Orden der
Brüder vom Deutschen Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem), or for short the Teutonic Order
(Today: German Teutonic Order), is a Two armed German Roman Catholic Order of Knights
made up of a Religious Arm and a Secular Arm. It was formed to aid Catholics on their
pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals to care for the sick and injured.
Its members have commonly been known as the Teutonic Knights, since they also served as
a crusading military order during the Middle Ages. The membership was always small and
whenever the need arose, volunteers or mercenaries augmented the military forces.

Formed at the end of the 12th century in Acre, in the Levant, the medieval Order played
an important role in Outremer, controlling the port tolls of Acre. After Christian
forces were defeated in the Middle East, the Order moved to Transylvania in 1211 to help
defend Hungary against the Cumans. They were expelled in 1225 after allegedly attempting
to place themselves under Papal instead of Hungarian sovereignty. In 1230, following the
Golden Bull of Rimini, Grand Master Hermann von Salza and Duke Konrad I of Masovia launched
the Prussian Crusade, a joint invasion of Prussia to Christianise the Baltic Old Prussians.
The Order then created the independent Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights in the
conquered territory, and subsequently conquered Courland, Livonia, and Estonia.
The Kings of Poland accused the Order of holding lands rightfully theirs.

The Order lost its main purpose in Europe with the Christianisation of Lithuania. The Order
became involved in campaigns against its Christian neighbours, the Kingdom of Poland, the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Novgorod Republic (after assimilating the Livonian Order).
The Teutonic Knights had a strong economic base, hired mercenaries from throughout Europe
to augment their feudal levies, and became a naval power in the Baltic Sea. In 1410, a
Polish-Lithuanian army decisively defeated the Order and broke its military power at the
Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg). In 1515, Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I made a marriage
alliance with Sigismund I of Poland-Lithuania. Thereafter the Empire did not support the
Order against Poland. In 1525, Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg resigned and converted
to Lutheranism, becoming Duke of Prussia. Estonia and Livonia soon followed, and also the
Order's holdings in Protestant areas of Germany.

The Order kept its considerable holdings in Catholic areas of Germany until 1809, when
Napoleon Bonaparte ordered its dissolution and the Order lost its last secular holdings.
The Order continued to exist as a charitable and ceremonial body. It was outlawed by
Hitler in 1938, but re-established in 1945. Today it operates with two arms a Chivalric
Teutonic Order and a Clerical Teutonic Order which is run primarily with charitable aims
in Central Europe. The Knights wear white surcoats with a black cross. A cross pattée was
sometimes used as their coat of arms; this image was later used for military decoration
and insignia by the Kingdom of Prussia and Germany as the Iron Cross.

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