Teutonic Knights

    The Teutonic Knights originated as a charitable, monastic order. These German, strongly ethnic, men associated themselves with the Order of the Hospitallers. The Teutonic Knights found their calling to be more than just charitable in 1191 during the siege of Richard the Lionheart (though charitable causes were always a priority to these knights). The Teutonic Knights took care of fellow Germans struggling after the bitter war.

    Official recognition of the Teutonic Knights came in 1199 when Pope Innocent the Third put the weight of the Church’s authority behind these knights. The Order consisted of knights, sergeants (skilled men but not knights), and priests. The knights had to be legitimate Germans of knightly descent. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Teutonic Order was called into action in crusades, most notably the Northern Crusade in 1230 and the stand at Acre in 1291, to defend the “kingdom of Christ.” The defense of Christ and Christian values came as a direct order from Pope Innocent III. During this time, the Teutonic Order amassed a great deal of wealth and possessions. Though the Order officially disintegrated in 1525, when the Grand Master converted to the Lutheran faith during the Reformation, the order is still active today and was reorganized in both World Wars in an attempt to heal the wounded and help the cause.