Livonian Brothers of the Sword: Difference between revisions
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* [[Diderick Tork]] 1413-1415 |
* [[Diderick Tork]] 1413-1415 |
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* [[Siegfried Lander von Spanheim]] 1415-1424 |
* [[Siegfried Lander von Spanheim]] 1415-1424 |
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* [[ |
* [[Zisse von Rutenberg]] 1424- 1433 |
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* [[Franco Kerskorff]] 1433-1435 |
* [[Franco Kerskorff]] 1433-1435 |
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* [[Heinrich von Bockenvorde]] 1435-1437 |
* [[Heinrich von Bockenvorde]] 1435-1437 |
Revision as of 10:36, 21 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:
- Wenno 1204-1209
- Volquin 1209-1236
- Werner 1261-1263
- 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
- Zisse 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,