| The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin Fratres militiae Christi,
literally the "brothers of the army of Christ"), also known as the Christ Knights, Sword Brethren or The Militia
of Christ of Livonia, was a military order started in 1202 by Albert von
Buxhövden, bishop of Riga (or Prince-Bishop of Livonia), and composed of German "warrior monks". It was primarily 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 Valdemar arranged a deal with the Sword Brothers and conquered the north of
Estonia.
The Sword brethren headquarters were at Viljandi (Fellin) in Estonia, where the
walls of the master's castle are still standing. Other strongholds included Cesis
(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-member entourage of the
Order's master.
The Lithuanians and Semigallians annihilated the Brothers at the Battle of Siauliai in 1236. The Swordbrethren
were incorporated into the order of the Teutonic Knights the
following year. From that moment, they were in all respects (Rule, clothing and policy) an autonomous branch of the Teutonic
Knights, headed by their own Master (who was de jure subject to the will of the Order's grandmaster). Between 1237 and 1290 they managed to conquer all of Courland, Livonia and Semigallia. In 1346 the Order 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 Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights managed to
remain independent. During the Livonian War the order was defeated by
Russian troops in the Battle of Ergeme in 1560. The Order sought
protection from the Polish king Sigismund II Augustus
who had already in 1557 intervened in a war between the bishop of Riga and the Brothers.
After an agreement with the Polish king and his representatives (especially Mikołaj 'Czarny' Radziwiłł) the last master, Gotthard Kettler secularized the
order and converted to the Lutheran Church. In the southern part of
the Brothers' lands he created a Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. 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:
The Masters of Livonia (Teutonic Order):
- Hermann Balk
1237–1238
- Dietrich von
Grüningen 1238–1242
- Dietrich von
Grüningen 1244–1246
- Andreas von
Stierland 1248–1253
- Anno von
Sangershausen 1253–1256
- Burchard von
Hornhausen 1256–1260
- Werner von
Breithausen 1261–1263
- Konrad von Mandern
1263–1266
- Otto von
Lutterberg 1266–1270
- Walther von
Nortecken 1270–1273
- Ernst von Rassburg
1273–1279
- Konrad von
Feuchtwangen 1279–1281
- Wilken von Endorp
1281–1287
- Konrad von
Herzogenstein 1288–1290
- Halt von Hohembach
–1293
- Heinrich von
Dinkelaghe 1295–1296
- Bruno 1296–1298
- Gottfried von
Rogga 1298–1307
- Conrad von Jocke
1309–1322
- Johannes Ungenade
1322–1324
- Reimar Hane 1324–1328
- Everhard von
Monheim 1328–1340
- Burchard von
Dreileben 1340–1345
- Goswin von Hercke
1345–1359
- Arnold von
Vietinghof 1359–1364
- Wilhelm von
Vrymersheim 1364–1385
- R. von Eltz 1385–1389
- Wennemar Hasenkamp von Brüggeneye 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. Vinke von
Overbergen 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 Hasenkamp von Brüggeneye 1535–1549
- Johann von der
Recke 1549–1551
- Heinrich von Galen
1551–1557
- Johann Wilhelm von Fürstenberg 1557–1559
- Godert (Gotthard) Kettler 1559–1561
|
