Teutonic Knight

Member of a German Christian military order, the Knights of the Teutonic Order, founded in 1190 by Hermann of Salza in Palestine. They crusaded against the pagan Prussians and Lithuanians from 1228 and controlled Prussia until the 16th century. Their capital was Marienburg (now Malbork, Poland).

The Teutonic Knights were originally members of the German aristocracy who founded an order of hospitallers in Acre 1190 and became a military order in 1198. They wore white robes with black crosses. They were based in Palestine until 1268 when they were expelled by the Mamelukes (rulers of Egypt), after which they concentrated on taking Roman Catholicism into Eastern Europe under the control of the pope. They were prevented from expanding into Russia by Alexander Nevski at the battle of Lake Peipus in 1243, but they ruthlessly colonized Prussia in 1226–83. By the 15th century, pressure from neighbouring powers and the decline of the crusader ideal led to their containment within eastern Prussia. Their influence ended in 1525 when their grand master Albert of Brandenburg was converted to Lutheranism and declared Prussia to be a secular duchy.