Monday, April 4, 2022

Origins of the Teutonic Order

 From Ancient Origins:

The origins of the Teutonic Order may be traced back to the middle of the 12th century. In 1143, the Hospitallers were ordered by Pope Celestine II to take over the running of the German Hospital in Jerusalem. This hospital had been set up to cater to the pilgrims and crusaders from Germany who were neither able to speak French (the local language) nor Latin. Although the hospital was to be managed by the Hospitallers, the prior and the brothers of the hospitals themselves should be Germans. This arrangement allowed the tradition of a German-led religious institute to develop in the Holy Land. Jerusalem fell in 1187, and the first significant counter-attack by the crusaders against the Muslims was the Siege of Acre, which began two years later. It was during this siege that some merchants from Lübeck and Bremen, inspired by the German Hospital, decided to run a field hospital for the duration of the siege. Acre fell to the crusaders in 1191, and in the following year the field hospital, which formed the nucleus of the new Teutonic Order, was recognized by the pope, and the monks received Augustinian Rule. In 1198, the Teutonic Order became a military order. (Read more.)
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