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==Masters of the order include:==
==Masters of the order include:==


* [[Wenno]]
* [[Wenno]] 1204-1209
* [[Volquin]]
* [[Volquin]] 1209-1236
* [[Werner]] 1261-1263
* [[Vilhelm von Schuborch]]
* [[Johann Wolthuss von Herse]],
* [[Konrad von Mandern]] 1263-1266
* [[Otto von Lutterberg]] 1266-1270
* [[Walther von Nortecken]] 1270-1273
* [[Ernst von Rassburg]] 1273-1279
* [[Konrad von Feuchtwanger]] 1279-1281
* [[Wilken von Endorp]] 1281-1287
* [[Konrad von Hazzigenstein]] 1288-1290
* [[Halt]] 1290-1293
* [[Heinrich von Dinkelaghe]] 1295-1296
* [[Bruno]] 1296-1298
* [[Gottfried von Rogge]] 1298-1307
* [[Conrad von Jorke]] 1309-1322
* [[K. Ketelhoed]] 1322-1324
* [[R. Hane]] 1324-1328
* [[Everhard von Monheim]] 1328-1340
* [[Burchard von Dreileben]] 1340-1345
* [[Goswin von Herike]] 1345-1359
* [[Arnold von Vietinghof]] 1359-1364
* [[Wilhelm von Vrymersheim]] 1364-1385
* [[R. von Eltz]] 1385-1389
* [[Wolmer von Brüggeney]] 1389-1401
* [[Konrad von Vietinghof]] 1401-1413
* [[Diderick Tork]] 1413-1415
* [[Siegfried Lander von Spanheim]] 1415-1424
* [[G. von Rutenberg]] 1424- 1433
* [[Franco Kerskorff]] 1433-1435
* [[Heinrich von Bockenvorde]] 1435-1437
* [[H. V. von Overberg]] 1438-1450
* [[Johann Osthoff von Mengede]] 1450-1469
* [[Johann Wolthuss von Herse]] 1470-1471
* [[Bernd von der Borch]] 1471-1483
* [[Johann Fridach von Loringhofe]] 1483-1494
* [[Wolter von Plettenberg]] 1494-1535
* [[Hermann von Brüggeney]] 1535-1549
* [[Johann von der Recke]] 1549-1551
* [[Heinrich von Galen]] 1551-1557
* [[Wilhelm von Fürstenberg]] 1557-1559
* [[Godert Kettler]] 1559-1561,


=== See also ===
=== See also ===

Revision as of 12:25, 20 June 2004


The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (latin Fratres militiae Christi), also known as the Christ Knights or The Militia of Christ of Livonia, was a military order started in 1202 by Albert von Buxhövden, bishop of Riga, and composed of German "warrior monks". It was primarly based on the rules of the Templars.

Since its founding, the order tended to ignore its supposed vassalage to the bishops. In 1218 the bishop asked for help from the Danish king, Valdemar II - but he instead made an agreement with the Sword Brothers order and conquered the north of Estonia.

The Sword brethren headquarters were at Viljandi (Fellin) in Estonia. The walls of the Grandmaster's castle are still standing. Other strongholds include: Ventspils (Wenden), Sigulda (Segewold) and Aizkraukle (Ascheraden). The commanders of Viljandi (Fellin), Kuldiga (Goldingen), Aluksne (Marienburg), Tallinn and the bailiff of Paide (Järva) belonged to the 5-membered entourage of the Order's Grandmaster.

The Lithuanians beat the Brothers at the Battle of Siauliai in 1236. They are reported as having suffered fifty deaths from amongst their ranks. Next year the order joined with the Teutonic Knights of Prussia, switching to their rules but maintaining administrative independence in their conquered lands. Between 1288 and 1290 they managed to conquer all of Courland and Livonia. In 1346 the united orders bought the rest of Estonia from Valdemar IV Atterdag, king of Denmark.

With the decline of the Teutonic Order by the middle of the fifteenth century, the Sword Brothers decided to resume their independence. In 1557 the Polish king Sigismund II Augustus intervened in a war between the bishop of Riga and the Brothers. After an agreement with the king, the last grandmaster of the order, Gotthard Kettler secularized the order, and converted to the Lutheran Church. In the south part of the Brothers' lands he created a Duchy of Courland and Semigalia. Most of the other lands were seized by Poland-Lithuania. The north of Estonia was taken back by Denmark and Sweden.

Masters of the order include:

See also

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