State of the Teutonic Order Staat des Deutschen Ordens (German) Stat des Diutschen Ordens (Middle Low German) Civitas Ordinis Theutonici (Latin) | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1226–1561 | |||||||||||||||||||||
 Flag  Coat of arms | |||||||||||||||||||||
 The State of the Teutonic Order in 1422 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Sovereign state(1230–1466) Fief (Prussia only) of thePolish Crown(1226–1230, 1466–1525) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Marienburg(1308–1454) Königsberg(1454–1525) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Common languages | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Demonym | Teuton | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Government | Theocraticelective monarchy | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Master (until 1308); Grand Master andLand Master of Prussia (until 1525); Land Master of Livonia (until 1561) | |||||||||||||||||||||
• 1226–1239 | Hermann von Salza(first reigning Grand Master) | ||||||||||||||||||||
• 1510–1525 | Albert, Duke of Prussia(last reigning Grand Master and Land Master of Prussia) | ||||||||||||||||||||
• 1559–1561 | Gotthard Kettler, Duke of Courland(last reigning Land Master of Livonia (Terra Mariana) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Legislature | Estates[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Historical era | High Middle AgesEarly Modern period | ||||||||||||||||||||
| March 1226 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 08 November 1308 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 July 1410 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1454–1466 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 October 1466 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1519–1521 | |||||||||||||||||||||
• Prussian Homage (end of the Prussian branch) | 10 April 1525 | ||||||||||||||||||||
• Treaty of Vilnius (1561) (end of the Livonian branch) | 28 November 1561 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Currency | Mark | ||||||||||||||||||||
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TheState of the Teutonic Order (German:Staat des Deutschen Ordens,pronounced[ˈʃtaːtdɛsˌdɔʏtʃn̩ˈʔɔʁdn̩s]ⓘ)[a] was atheocratic state located along the southeastern shore of theBaltic Sea in northern Europe. It was formed by the knights of theTeutonic Order during the early 13th centuryNorthern Crusades in the region ofPrussia. In 1237, theLivonian Brothers of the Sword merged with the Teutonic Order of Prussia and became known as its branch – theLivonian Order (while their state,Terra Mariana, covering present-dayEstonia,Latvia, and a small part ofRussia, became part of the State of the Teutonic Order). At its greatest territorial extent during the early 15th century, the State encompassedChełmno Land,Courland,Gotland,Livonia,Estonia,Neumark,Pomerelia (Gdańsk Pomerania), Prussia andSamogitia.
Following the battles ofGrunwald in 1410 andWilkomierz in 1435, the State fell into decline. After losing extensive territories in the imposedPeace of Thorn in 1466, the extant territory of its Prussian branch became known asMonastic Prussia (Polish:Prusy zakonne) orTeutonic Prussia (Polish:Prusy krzyżackie). It existed until 1525 as afiefdom of thePolish Crown.[3] The Livonian branch joined theLivonian Confederation and continued to exist as part of it until 1561.
Established inPrussia and the PolishMasovianChełmno Land in the 13th century, the state expanded mostly as a result of the 13th-centuryPrussian Crusade against the paganBaltic Prussians and the 14th-century invasions of neighboring Christian countries of Poland andLithuania.[4] The conquests were followed byGerman andPolish colonization.[5] In addition, theLivonian Brothers of the Sword controllingTerra Mariana were incorporated into the Teutonic Order as its autonomous branch, theLivonian Order in 1237.[6] In 1346, theDuchy of Estonia was sold by theKing of Denmark for 19,000Cologne marks to theTeutonic Order. The shift of sovereignty from Denmark to the Teutonic Order took place on 1 November 1346.[7] At the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries, the Teutonic Order temporarily acquired the territories ofGotland andNeumark, which, however, it sold in the following decades.
Throughout its history, the Teutonic state waged numerous wars with Poland[4] and Lithuania, encouraging the two countries to form a close alliance andpersonal union, which eventually led to the creation of thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century. Following its defeat in theBattle of Grunwald in 1410 the Teutonic Order fell into decline, the region ofSamogitia was restored toLithuania.[8]
The Prussian branch of the Teutonic Order returnedPomerelia (the previously Polish regions ofChełmno Land andGdańsk Pomerania) and ceded the western part of Prussia (Warmia, as well as parts ofPomesania andPogesania) to Poland after thePeace of Thorn in 1466.[9] The territories ceded to thePolish Crown formed the autonomous province ofRoyal Prussia, while the eastern part remained under Teutonic Order rule,[3] known thereafter as theMonastic Prussia (Polish:Prusy zakonne) orTeutonic Prussia (Polish:Prusy krzyżackie), as a feudalfief of the Polish Crown.[3] Themonastic state of the Order's main (Prussian) branch was secularized in 1525 during theProtestant Reformation to become theDuchy of Prussia ruled by theHouse of Hohenzollern, remaining a fiefdom of the Polish Crown and later thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.[3]
The Livonian branch continued as part of theLivonian Confederation established in 1422–1435, which became a protectorate of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania in 1559, and was finally secularised and split into theDuchy of Courland and Semigalia, as well as theDuchy of Livonia in 1561, both duchies being fiefs of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania.
The Old Prussians had withstood many attempts at conquest preceding that of the Teutonic Knights.Bolesław I of Poland began the series of unsuccessful conquests when he sentAdalbert of Prague in 997. In 1147,Bolesław IV of Poland attacked Prussia with the aid ofKievan Rus' but was unable to conquer it. Numerous other attempts followed, and, under DukeKonrad I of Masovia, were intensified, with large battles and crusades in 1209, 1219, 1220 and 1222.[10]
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The West Baltic Prussians successfully repelled most of the campaigns and managed to strike Konrad in retaliation. However, the Prussians and theYotvingians in the south had their territory conquered. The land of the Yotvingians was situated in the area of what is today thePodlaskie Voivodeship of Poland. The Prussians attempted to oust Polish or Masovian forces fromYotvingia, which by now was partially conquered, devastated and almost totally depopulated.[citation needed]
Konrad of Masovia had already called a crusade against the Old Prussians in 1208, but it was not successful. Konrad, acting on the advice of Christian, first bishop of Prussia, established theOrder of Dobrzyń, a small group of 15 knights. The Order, however, was soon defeated and, in reaction, Konrad called on the Pope for yet another crusade and for help from theTeutonic Knights. As a result, several edicts called forcrusades against the Old Prussians. The crusades, involving many of Europe'sknights, lasted for sixty years.
In 1211,Andrew II of Hungary enfeoffed the Teutonic Knights with theBurzenland. In 1225, Andrew II expelled the Teutonic Knights fromTransylvania, and they had to transfer to theBaltic Sea.
Early in 1224, EmperorFrederick II announced atCatania thatLivonia, Prussia withSambia, and a number of neighboring provinces were underimperial immediacy. This decree subordinated the provinces directly to theRoman Catholic Church and theHoly Roman Emperor as opposed to being under the jurisdiction of local rulers.
At the end of 1224,Pope Honorius III announced to all Christendom his appointment of BishopWilliam of Modena as the Papal Legate for Livonia, Prussia, and other countries.
As a result of theGolden Bull of Rimini in 1226 and the PapalBull of Rieti of 1234, Prussia came into the Teutonic Order's possession. The Knights began thePrussian Crusade in 1230. Under their governance, woodlands were cleared and marshlands made arable, upon which many cities and villages were founded, includingMarienburg (Malbork) andKönigsberg (Kaliningrad).
Unlike the newly-founded cities between the RiversElbe andOder, the cities founded by the Teutonic Order had a much more regular, rectangular sketch of streets, indicating their character as planned foundations.[11] The cities were heavily fortified, accounting for the long lasting conflicts with the resistive native Old Prussians, with armed forces under command of the knights.[11] Most cities were prevailingly populated with immigrants fromCentral Germany andSilesia, where many knights of the order had their homelands.[12]
The cities were usually givenMagdeburg lawtown privileges, with the one exception ofElbing (Elbląg), which was founded with the support ofLübeckers and thus was awardedLübeck law.[11] While the Lübeckers provided the Order important logistic support with their ships, they were otherwise, with the exception of Elbing, rather uninvolved in the establishment of the Monastic State.[11]
In 1234, the Teutonic Order assimilated the remaining members of theOrder of Dobrzyń and, in 1237, the Order of theLivonian Brothers of the Sword. The assimilation of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (established inLivonia in 1202) increased the Teutonic Order's lands with the addition of the territories known today asLatvia andEstonia.
In 1243, the Papal legateWilliam of Modena divided Prussia into fourbishoprics:Culm (Chełmno),Pomesania,Ermland (Warmia) andSamland (Sambia). The bishoprics becamesuffragans to theArchbishopric of Riga under the mother city ofVisby onGotland. Each diocese was fiscally and administratively divided into one-third reserved for the maintenance of the capitular canons, and two-thirds were where the Order collected the dues. Thecathedral capitularcanons of Culm, Pomesania and Samland were simultaneously members of theTeutonic Order since the 1280s, ensuring a strong influence by the Order. OnlyWarmia's diocesan chapter maintained independence, enabling to establish its autonomous rule in the capitular third of Warmia's diocesan territory (Prince-Bishopric of Warmia).
At the beginning of the 14th century, theDuchy of Pomerania, a neighboring region, plunged into war withPoland and theMargraviate of Brandenburg to the west. The Teutonic Knightsseized the Polish port city of Gdańsk in November 1308. The Order had been called by KingWładysław I of Poland to help repel a Brandenburgian invasion; however, the Teutonic Knights themselves began to occupy the city and the region. The Teutonic Knights then carried out a massacre of the inhabitants of the city. Contemporary scholarship places the estimated number of victims of the massacre at approximately 1,000.[13] In September 1309, MargraveWaldemar of Brandenburg-Stendal sold his claim to the territory to the Teutonic Order for the sum of 10,000 Marks in theTreaty of Soldin. This marked the beginning of a series of conflicts between Poland and the Teutonic Knights as the Order continued incorporating territories into its domains.While the Order promoted the Prussian cities by granting them extended surrounding territory and privileges, establishing courts, civil and commercial law, it allowed the cities less outward independence thanfree imperial cities enjoyed within theHoly Roman Empire.[12][14]
The members of theHanseatic League did consider merchants from Prussian cities as their like, but also accepted theGrand Master[15] of the Order as the sole territorial ruler representing Prussia at their HanseaticDiets.[11] Thus Prussian merchants, along with those fromDitmarsh, were the only beneficiaries of a quasi membership within the Hansa, although lacking the background of citizenship in a fully autonomous or free city.[16] Only merchants from the six Prussian Hanseatic cities ofBraunsberg (Braniewo),Culm (Chełmno),Danzig (Gdańsk),Elbing (Elbląg), Königsberg andThorn (Toruń) were considered fully fledged members of the league, while merchants from other Prussian cities had a lesser status.[17]
The Teutonic Order's annexation and possession of Gdańsk (Danzig) and the surrounding region was consistently disputed by the Polish kingsWładysław I andCasimir III the Great – claims that led to thePolish–Teutonic War (1326–1332) and, eventually, lawsuits in the papal court in 1320 and 1333, which ruled in favor of Poland, however, the Teutonic Knights did not comply and continued to occupy the annexed Polish territories.[4] The Teutonic Knights even invaded Poland further and briefly occupied the regions ofKuyavia andDobrzyń Land.[4] A peace was concluded atKalisz in 1343, Kuyavia and Dobrzyń Land were restored to Poland, and the Teutonic Order agreed that Poland should rule Pomerelia as afief and Polish kings, therefore, retained the right to the titleDuke of Pomerania. The title referred to the Duchy of Pomerelia. Unlike in English, German, Latin or Lithuanian language Polish uses the termPomorze for Pomerania (a fief of Poland, Saxony and Denmark in theHigh Middle Ages, and first briefly in 1181, but since 1227 a permanent fief within the Holy Roman Empire) and Pomerelia alike. Both duchies were earlier ruled by related dynasties, thus the semantic title was Duke of Pomerania rather than Duke of Pomerelia, as it was referred to in other languages.
In theconflict between the Hanse and Denmark on the trade in the Baltic, KingValdemar IV of Denmark had held the Hanseatic city ofVisby to ransom in 1361.[18] However, the members of the Hanseatic league were undecided whether to unite against him.[19] But when Valdemar IV then captured Prussian merchant ships in theØresund on their way toEngland, Grand MasterWinrich of Kniprode travelled toLübeck to propose a war alliance against Denmark, accepted with some reluctance only by the important cities forming the Wendish-Saxon third of the Hanse.[20]
Since Valdemar IV had also attacked ships of the Dutch city ofKampen and other destinations in theZuiderzee, Prussia and Dutch cities, such as Kampen,Elburg andHarderwijk, allied themselves against Denmark.[20] This resulted in the Hansa calling up a diet inCologne in 1367 and convening the afore-mentioned non-member cities includingAmsterdam andBrielle. The upshot was the founding of theCologne Federation as a war alliance to counter the Danish threat.[21] More cities, from the Lower Rhine area in the west to Livonia in the east, joined.[21]
Of the major players onlyBremen andHamburg refused to send forces, but contributed financially.[22] Besides Prussia, three more territorial partners,Henry II of Schauenburg and Holstein-Rendsburg,Albert II of Mecklenburg, and the latter's sonAlbert of Sweden, joined the alliance, attacking via land and sea, forcing Denmark to sign theTreaty of Stralsund in 1370.[22] Several Danish castles and fortresses were then taken by Hansa forces for fifteen years in order to secure the implementation of the peace conditions.
The invasions of the Teutonic Order from Livonia toPskov in 1367 had caused the Russians to recoup themselves on Hansa merchants inNovgorod, which again made the Order block exports of salt and herring into Russia.[23][24] While the relations had eased by 1371 so that trade resumed, they soured again until 1388.[25] The blockade of English and Flemish imports to Russia interrupted Novgorod's trade and the Hansa negotiated with the Order to prevent any supplies from reaching Russia.[23] Although the blockade was not strictly enforced, it led to the signing of a treaty in 1392 which guaranteed the safety and freedom of Hanseatic merchants.[23]
During theLithuanian Crusade of 1369–1370, ending with the Teutonic victory in theBattle of Rudau, Prussia enjoyed considerable support from English knights.[26] The Order welcomed EnglishMerchant Adventurers, starting to cruise in the Baltic, competing with Dutch, Saxon and Wendish Hanseatic merchants, and allowed them to open outposts in its cities of Danzig and Elbing.[27] This necessarily brought about a conflict with the rest of the Hansa, which was in a heavy argument withRichard II of England, over levies of higher dues. The Merchants struggled to achieve an unsatisfactory compromise.[26]
Dissatisfied Richard II's navy suddenly attacked six Prussian ships in May 1385 – and those of more Hanse members – in theZwin,[28] Grand MasterConrad Zöllner von Rothenstein immediately terminated all trade with England.[28] When in the same year the Hansa evacuated all their Danish castles in fulfillment of the Treaty of Stralsund, Prussia argued in favour of a renewal of the Cologne Federation for the deeply concerned about the ensuing conflict with England, but could not prevail.[29]
The cities preferred to negotiate and take retaliatory actions, such as counter-confiscation of English merchandise.[28] So when in 1388 Richard II finally reconfirmed the Hanseatic trade privileges, Prussia once again permitted merchant adventurers, granting permissions to remain; for this action they were renounced once again by the Grand MasterConrad of Jungingen in 1398.[28]
In the conflict with theBurgundianPhilip the Bold on the Hansa privileges in theFlemish cities the positions of the Hanseatic cities and Prussia were again reversed. Here the majority of the Hansa members decided in the Hanseatic Diet on 1 May 1388 for anembargo against the Flemish cities. Meanwhile, Prussia could not prevail with its plea for further negotiations.[30]
The Order'sGroßschäffer was one of the leading functionaries of the order. The word translates roughly as "chief sales and buying officer" with procuration. This officer was in charge of the considerable commerce, import, export, crediting, real estate investment etc., which the Order carried out, using its network ofbailiwicks and agencies which spanned much of Central, Western and Southern Europe as well as the Holy Land. The other Großschäffer in Marienburg had the grain export monopoly. As to imports, neither was bound to any particular merchandise. From Königsberg, holding the monopoly inamber export, achieved the exceptional permission to continue amber exports to Flanders and textile imports in return.[31] On the occasion of the ban on Flemish trade, the Hansa urged Prussia and Livonia again to interrupt the exchange with Novgorod as well, but with both blockades Russian and Flemish commodities could not reach their final destinations.[25] In 1392 it was Grand MasterConrad of Wallenrode who supported the Flemish to achieve an acceptable agreement with the Hansa resuming the bilateral trade;[31] while a Hanseatic delegation underJohann Niebur reopened trade with Novgorod in the same year, after reconfirmation of the previous mutual privileges.[25]
Since the late 1380s gravepiracy byprivateers, promoted byAlbert of Sweden and Mecklenburg actually directed againstMargaret I of Denmark, blocked seafaring to the herring supplies at theScania Market; thus fish prices tripled in Prussia.[32] The Saxon Hansa cities urged Prussia to intervene, but Conrad of Jungingen was more worried about a Danish victory.[32] So only after the cities, led by Lübeck's burgomasterHinrich Westhof, had liaised[clarification needed] theTreaty of Skanör (1395), Albert's defeat manifested[clarification needed], so that Prussia finally sent out its ships, led by Danzig's city councillorConrad Letzkau.[33][34] Until 1400 the united Teutonic-Hanseaticflotilla then thoroughly cleared the Baltic Sea of pirates, theVictual Brothers, and even took the island ofGotland in 1398.[33][34]
| Saffron | 7040 | Hungarian iron | 21 |
| Ginger | 1040 | Trave salt [clarification needed] | 12.5 |
| Pepper | 640 | Herring | 12 |
| Wax | 237.5 | Flemish salt | 8 |
| French wine | 109.5 | Wismar beer | 7.5 |
| Rice | 80 | Flour | 7.5 |
| Steel | 75 | Wheat | 7 |
| Rhenish wine | 66 | Rye | 5.75 |
| Oil | 60 | Barley | 4.2 |
| Honey | 35 | Ash woad | 4.75 |
| Butter | 30 |
At the beginning of the 15th century, the State of the Teutonic Order stood at the height of its power underKonrad (Conrad) von Jungingen. The Teutonic navy ruled the Baltic Sea from bases in Prussia and Gotland, and the Prussian cities provided tax revenues sufficient to maintain a significant standing force composed of Teutonic Knights proper, their retinues, Prussian peasant levies, and German mercenaries.
In 1402, theLuxembourg dynasty, which ruled theMargraviate of Brandenburg, reached an agreement with Poland inKraków, according to which Poland was to purchase and re-incorporate the region ofNew March (Neumark).[36] Later that year, however, the Luxembourgs gave the region in pawn to the Teutonic Order despite prior arrangements with Poland, and the Order kept it until Brandenburg redeemed it again in 1454 and 1455, respectively, by theTreaties of Cölln and Mewe. Though the possession of this territory by the Order strengthened ties between the Order and their secular counterparts in northern Germany, it exacerbated the already hostile relationship between the Order andPolish–Lithuanian union.
In March 1407, Konrad died from complications caused bygallstones and was succeeded by his younger brother,Ulrich von Jungingen. Under Ulrich, the Teutonic State fell from its precarious height and became mired in internal political strife, near-constant war with Polish–Lithuanian union, and crippling war debts.
In 1408, Conrad Letzkau served as a diplomat to Queen Margaret I and arranged that the Order sell Gotland to Denmark.[33] In 1409, the Teutonic Order invaded Poland's Dobrzyń Land again, and thePolish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War broke out,[4] in which the Teutonic Knights were supported by theDuchy of Pomerania, and thePolish-Lithuanian alliance was supported byRuthenian,Tatar andMoldavian allies and auxiliary forces. Poland and Lithuania triumphed following a victory at theBattle of Grunwald (Tannenberg), which marked the start of the decline of the State of the Teutonic Order, and the rise of the Polish–Lithuanian union as a major power inCentral and Eastern Europe.[37]
The Order assignedHeinrich von Plauen to defend Teutonic-held Eastern Pomerania (Pomerelia), who moved rapidly to bolster the defence ofMarienburg Castle inPomesania. Heinrich von Plauen was elected vice-grand master and led the Teutonic Knights through theSiege of Marienburg in 1410. Eventually von Plauen was promoted to Grand Master and, in 1411, concluded theFirst Treaty of Thorn with KingWładysław II Jagiełło of Poland.
The next majorPolish–Teutonic war was fought in 1431–1435, after the Teutonic Knights invaded Poland again, and was ended in thePeace of Brześć Kujawski, which was favorable for Poland.[4]
In March 1440, gentry (mainly fromCulmerland) and the Hanseatic cities of Danzig,Elbing,Kneiphof,Thorn and other Prussian cities founded thePrussian Confederation to free themselves from the overlordship of the Teutonic Knights. Due to the heavy losses and costs after thewar against Poland and Lithuania, the Teutonic Order collected taxes at steep rates. Furthermore, the cities were not allowed due representation by the Teutonic Order.
In February 1454, the Prussian Confederation asked KingCasimir IV of Poland to support their revolt and to incorporate the region into theKingdom of Poland. King Casimir IV agreed and signed the act of incorporation inKraków on 6 March 1454.[38] TheThirteen Years' War, the longest of the Polish–Teutonic wars, (also known as theWar of the Cities) broke out. Various cities of the region pledged allegiance to the Polish King in 1454.[39]
TheSecond Peace of Thorn in October 1466 ended the war and provided for the Teutonic Order's cession of its rights over the western half of its territories to the Polish Kingdom, which became the autonomous province ofRoyal Prussia.[3] The remaining part of the Order's land became afief of thePolish Crown.[3] In accordance to the peace treaty, from now on, every Grand Master was obliged to swear an oath of allegiance to the reigning Polish king within six months of taking office, and any new territorial acquisitions by the Teutonic Order, also outside of Prussia, would also be under the suzerainty of Poland.[40] TheGrand Master of the Teutonic Order became a prince and counselor of the Polish king and the Kingdom of Poland.[41]
These legal dependencies on the Polish Crown restricted the Order's scope for action. At the end of the 15th century, the political situation appeared hopeless for the Order and the Archbishop of Gniezno even suggested appointing the Polish king as Grand Master in personal union. The Order sought to loosen these shackles by beginning to bestow the title of Grand Master on German princes. This tactical move was intended to secure stronger support from theGerman empire and hopefully curb the claims and influence of the Polish king. In 1498,Duke Frederick of Saxony became the firstimperial prince to be elected Grand Master. He succeeded in improving relations withGerman Emperor Maximilian and refused to swear allegiance to the Polish king.[42]
While the Knights of the Teutonic Order formed a thin ruling class by themselves, they extensively used mercenaries, mostly German, from the Holy Roman Empire, to whom they granted lands in return. This gradually created a new class of landed nobility. Due to several factors, among which was the high rate of early death in battle, these lands became concentrated over time in the hands of a relatively small number of noblemen each having a vast estate. This nobility would evolve to what is known as thePrussian Junker nobility.[43]
During theProtestant Reformation, endemic religious upheavals and wars occurred across the region. In 1525, during the aftermath of thePolish-Teutonic War (1519–1521),Sigismund I the Old, King of Poland, and his nephew, the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights,Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, a member of a cadet branch of theHouse of Hohenzollern, agreed that the latter would resign his position, adoptLutheran faith and assume the title ofDuke of Prussia. Thereafter referred to asDucal Prussia (German:Herzogliches Preußen, Preußen Herzoglichen Anteils;Polish:Prusy Książęce), remaining a Polish fief.
Thus in a deal partially brokered byMartin Luther,Roman Catholic Teutonic Prussia was transformed into theDuchy of Prussia, the first Protestant state. Sigismund's consent was bound to Albert's submission to Poland, which became known as thePrussian Homage. On 10 December 1525 at their session in Königsberg thePrussian estates established theLutheran Church in Ducal Prussia by deciding theChurch Order.[44]
TheHabsburg-led Holy Roman Empire continued to hold its claim to Prussia and furnished grand masters of the Teutonic Order, who were merely titular administrators of Prussia, but managed to retain many of the Teutonic holdings elsewhere outside of Prussia.
The territory of the State of the Teutonic Order in Prussia was divided in Commanderies (Komturei orKommenden). Large Commanderies were also subdivided in Bailiwicks (Vogteien) and Caretaker Departments (Pflegeämter).
The bishoprics of Prussia were established in 1243, under the archbishopric ofRiga. In the 1280s, the Order succeeded in imposing the simultaneous membership of all capitularcanons in the Order, except ofWarmia; thus influencing the affairs of the dioceses and in the capitular election of the bishops.
The structure of the Livonian Confederation was formed with the territories of Teutonic Knights, four ecclesiastical territories and the Free City of Riga, which had its own government.
The territories of the Teutonic knights in Livonia, were divided in Commanderies (Komtureien) and Bailiwicks (Vogteien).
.png)
| Teutonic Knights | 67.000 km² |
| Archbishopric of Riga | 19.000 km² |
| Bishopric of Dorpat | 9.600 km² |
| Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek | 7.600 km² |
| Bishopric of Courland | 4.600 km² |
| Free City of Riga | 800 km² |
| Reval | Jerwen | Pernau |
| Fellin | Talkhof | Marienburg |
| Segewold | Dünamünde | Ascheraden |
| Dünaburg | Bauske | Mitau |
| Doblen | Goldingen | Windau |
| Soneburg | Reval | Narwa |
| Wesenberg | Neuschloss | Karkhus |
| Selburg | Rositten | Kandau |
| Grobin |
| Duchy of Wizna | 1382–1401 | |
| Gotland | 1398–1408 | |
| Duchy of Dobrzyń | 1329–1343; 1392–1405; 1409–1411 | |
| Samogitia | 1398–1411 | |
| Neumark | 1402–1455 | |
Fortifications of the Teutonic State have been examined through archaeological excavation since the end ofWorld War II, especially those built or expanded during the 14th century. Fortifications are generally the best preserved material legacy of the Order's presence in the Baltic today, and timber and earth, as well as brick examples, are attested in the archaeological record.
The earliest castles in the Teutonic State consisted of simple buildings attached to a fortified enclosure, and thequadrangular red-brick structure would come to typify convent buildings, single-wing castles would continue to be built alongside timber towers.[45] Where they followed the conventional layout, castles included a connected set of communal spaces such as a dormitory, refectory, kitchen, chapter house, a chapel or church, an infirmary, and tower projecting over the moat.
Construction began on Marienburg during the third quarter of the 13th century, and work continued on it until the mid-15th century. A settlement developed alongside the castle, which together enclosed 25 hectares. Granted town rights in 1286, its castle is larger than any other built by the Order. Since 1997, theouter bailey has been thoroughly excavated and dates to the mid-1350s. Preserved at Marienburg was a polychrome statue of Mary about 8 m high, made of artificial stone and originally decorated with mosaic tiles. Sinc Mary was the most important patron of the knights and central to the liturgy of the Teutonic Order, it is not surprising to find such striking representations of her at its most prominent castle.
Coins were minted from the late 1250s. They were often simple in design, stamped with the cross of the Order on one side, but support the notion that crusading, colonisation, and a supporting infrastructure went hand in hand from the earliest years of the Prussian Crusade.[46]
lizard union.
Current scholarly thinking estimates the number of victims of this massacre at around 1,000 […].
Media related toState of the Teutonic Order at Wikimedia Commons
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