Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order

The coat of arms of the great master consists of a black cross on a silver background. Inside is a golden cross with lilies on the tops. In the middle of the cross there is a heraldic shield with a black eagle on a gold background.

After the death of the grand master, his deputy — the great commander of the order — convened a chapter consisting of 12 members: 7 knights, 4 sergeants (brothers without knighthood), and one priest. The decision was made by a majority vote. Elections were held within three months after the death (or resignation) of the Grand Master.

The creation of a knightly order was preceded by a hospital fraternity created to support German pilgrims in Palestinian lands. It is believed that the founders of the hospital assisted wounded Christians in Acre around 1190 . Information about this stage in the history of the order is not holistic.

• 1190 Sibrand (presumably the founder and the first head of the fraternity)
• 1190-1192 Konrad (Konrad), Chaplain of the Duke Friedrich Schwabsky
• 1192 Gerhard
• 1193-1194 Heinrich (Heinrich), prior
• 1195 Ulrich (Ulrich)
• 1196–1198 Heinrich, praeceptor

The seat of the capital of the Order has changed several times. The list of great masters is based on chronological and geographical criteria.

Acre ( 1198 - approx. 1230 )

Founded in 1198 on the basis of the German hospital, the Order was greatly influenced by the “senior” knightly orders: the Hospitallers and the Templars . The main difference of the Order from the fraternities mentioned was in the national principle. If the senior orders did not have a certain nationality (although the French-speaking knights played a major role in them), the Teutonic Order initially positioned itself as a German Order.

The first great masters are little known, but they have worked to create an independent Order. The Charter of the Order was adopted and the management structure was formed. The residence of the Masters of Acre was the last city in the hands of the Crusaders in the Holy Land . It was located by the sea at the crossroads of trade routes. In 1230 the 4th Grand Master Hermann von Salz transferred his residence to the castle of Montfort .

Monfor Castle ( 1230 - 1271 )

Accra ( 1271 - 1291 )

Venice ( 1291 - 1309 )

Marienburg (1309–1457)

Koenigsberg ( 1457 - 1525 )

Mergentheim (1525–1809)

The Order continued its existence outside Prussia after 1525 , having lost its former strength and influence. The residence of the supreme power of the order became the city of Mergentheim . The Grand Master began to be called the Great and German Master (the wording existed until 1929 ), but the short name Grand Master was still in use. Due to the weakening of the order, in search of additional resources for existence, the order approaches the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire . After in 1590 the emperor Rudolf II actually appoints his brother Maximilian III of Austria to the post of grand master, the order completely falls under the influence of the Hapsburg dynasty. After that, until 1923 the Habsburgs supervised the activities of the order either directly appointing the order of the members of their families, or appointing their close ones. Many of the great masters at the same time occupied other positions in the Empire, mostly bishops. The Order took an active part in the Thirty Years War ( 1618 - 1648 ).

Vienna (1809–1923)

Vienna (from 1923 to the present)

In 1923, the Order lost its knighthood status and became clerical. Currently, the clerical Catholic German Order, in addition to the clerical, is also engaged in charitable, economic and scientific activities.

• Warband
• The great comtus of the Teutonic Order
• Marshals of the Teutonic Order
• High Hospitallers of the Teutonic Order
• High quartermaster of the Teutonic Order
• Chief Treasurers of the Teutonic Order
• Landmasters of the Teutonic Order in Prussia
• Landmasters of the Teutonic Order in Germany
• Landmasters of the Teutonic Order in Livonia

• List of the great masters of the Teutonic Order (Unc.) . Website DEUSVULT.RU. The appeal date is July 14, 2012. Archived on August 7, 2012.
• "Chronicle of the Land of Prussia" by Peter from Duisburg
• Staat des Deutschen Ordens (him.)
• Bakhtin A.P. Castles and fortifications of the German Order in the northern part of East Prussia: a Handbook. - Kaliningrad: Terra Baltic, 2005. - 208 p. - ISBN 5-98777-004-1 .
• Bokman H. The German Order: Twelve Chapters from His History / Trans. with him. V.I.Matuzova. - Moscow: Ladomir, 2004. - 273 p. - ISBN 5-86218-450-3 .
• Kretinin G.V., Bryushinkin V.N., Galtsov V.I. and other essays on the history of East Prussia. - Kaliningrad: Amber Skaz, 2002. - 536 p. - ISBN 5-7406-0502-4 .