The military religious orders of the Middle Ages : the Hospitallers, the Templars, the Teutonic knights, and others

"Un modelo monárquico legislativo y jurídico para la Orden de Santiago. El maestre Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa y los establecimientos de Uclés (1395) y Mérida (1403)" ........... English Title: "A Royal Legislative and Legal Model for the Order of Santiago. Master Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa and the Statutes of Uclés (1395) and Mérida (1403)"

by Gonzalo Carrasco

Published in 'Espacio, Tiempo y Forma, Serie III, Historia Medieval,' 24 (2011), pp. 13-68.

Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa, Master of the Order of Santiago, launched a new model of statutes which combined two types... more Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa, Master of the Order of Santiago, launched a new model of statutes which combined two types of provisions: Spiritual and temporal measures for the brethren, and laws and ordinances for his vassals. Their approval took place in the previously ill-known General Chapter of Uclés in 1395 and in the Mérida Chapter of 1403 and were essentially inspired by laws enacted in the Cortes of Juan I and Enrique III of Castile. This study shows how the Master, an advocate of the royal authoritarian cause, managed to include many characteristics of kingship in his own project of monarchical mastership in the Order. (The edition of the Mérida Statutes of 1403 is included in the appendix along with a reconstruction of those approved in Uclés in 1395).

Walking a Thin Line: Hospitaller Priors, Politics and Power in Late Medieval England

by Simon Phillips

Hospitaller Relations with the Local Community on Cyprus

by Simon Phillips

The Hospitallers' Acquisition of the Templar Lands in England

by Simon Phillips

Identifying the Real Saviors of Acre (1190-1191): A Database of Individual Crusaders and Mouvances, and the first Teutonic Knights

by Dana Cushing

Presented to the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East (sponsored session) at the 21st International Conference of Historical Sciences, Amsterdam, July 2010.

PAPER ACCOMPANIES DATABASE. As we celebrate the 820th anniversary of the re-foundation of the Teutonic Order at Acre,... more PAPER ACCOMPANIES DATABASE. As we celebrate the 820th anniversary of the re-foundation of the Teutonic Order at Acre, details of this seminal event remain confused, conflated, or simply overlooked in the passage of time. Even certain contemporaries of the renewed “Hospital of Our Lady of the Germans” at Acre were somewhat vague on the details of this compelling event. These Crusaders formed an organization which would encompass many thousands of people across multiple generations and vast distances. Noble patronage quickly followed – clearly the event struck a chord with contemporaries – and, in the end, nothing succeeded like the Teutonic Order’s success. But how do we, some eight centuries after the event, discover what really happened? A key document is the eyewitness testimony written circa 1191 by a German crusader who participated in the events of 1189. Called De Itinere Navali after the title Charles Wendell David gave it, this manuscript, with which I have worked for the past several years, contains a wealth of detailed information recorded by a reliable observer. While their eyewitness manuscript survives only in a fragment, nevertheless one can trace its author’s “seaborne” group through contemporary narratives to identify the first Teutonic Knights at Acre.

Paul Vladimir et le Ius Gentium polonais: un droit de résistance au début du XVème siècle ?

by Loïc Chollet

Published in "Mémoires de la Société pour l’histoire du droit et des institutions des anciens pays bourguignons, comtois et romands" (MSHDB), N° 69 (2012).
All rights reserved.
@ Loïc Chollet

The political crisis which occurred after the Christianization of Lithuania (1387) between King Jagiello’s Poland and... more The political crisis which occurred after the Christianization of Lithuania (1387) between King Jagiello’s Poland and the Teutonic Order provoked a crucial debate concerning the religious tolerance and the just war’s question. The issue was brought before the Council of Constance (1414-1418), where spokesmen from each side argued the rightfulness of their claim. Basing his speeches on the Polish school of “ius gentium” and on Christian authorities (mainly Innocent IV and Cardinal Zabarella), Cracow University’s rector Paulus Vladimiri (Pawel Wlodkowic) opposed the Order’s propaganda by showing the unjustness of the war waged by the Teutonic Knights on Lithuanian “infidels” and Polish “traitors”. Going further, he attacked the Order’s ideology and practices, stressing that hiding a cruel behaviour behind Christian disguise was nothing but lie, crime and heresy. Therefore, he asked for the Order to be dismantled, its men to quit and its subjects to rise up; thus, resisting this unjust and even heretic foe would become legitimate. Exploring his speeches and recalling the historical and ideological context, this paper shows that a peculiar right of resistance can be found in Vladimiri’s political thought, and analyses how such a theory emerged in early 15th century Poland, during the war against the Teutonic Order.

Aspects of non-noble family involvement in the Order of the Temple

by Jochen Schenk

published in The Military Orders Volume 4: On Land and by Sea, ed. J. Upton-Ward (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008), 155–161

The Cult of the Cross in the Order of the Temple

by Jochen Schenk

published in As Ordens Militares. Freires, Guerreiros, Cavaleiros. Actas do VI Encontro sobre Ordens Militares, Vol. 1, GEsOS / Município de Palmela (Palmela, 2012), 207–219

Some Hagiographical Evidence for Templar Spirituality, Religious Life and Conduct

by Jochen Schenk

published in in Revue Mabillon, 22 (2011), 99–119

Database of 3rd Crusaders (Aug 2010 version)

by Dana Cushing

ACCOMPANIES SSCLE/ICHS PAPER "IDENTIFYING..." OF JULY 2010.

***DRAFT ONLY*** This spreadsheet correlates my research identifying approximately 1,000 Crusaders including 8... more ***DRAFT ONLY*** This spreadsheet correlates my research identifying approximately 1,000 Crusaders including 8 individuals from Luebeck who may have been among the first Teutonic Knights. This database is limited to the Third Crusade era (1187-1197 AD). Ultimately, I would like this database project to cover all of the Crusades and to have a permanent (university-based) internet home.

A more polished database is currently under construction -- it includes a "wiki" so that any researcher may add or edit information, a standardized ratings scale for source reliability, more in-depth "mouvance" information, and more bibliographical citations. Comments and suggestions for improvement are welcomed!

If you would like to help construct or host this database, please contact me!

Cronike van der Duytscher Oirden

by Rombert Stapel

Co-authored with G. Vollmann-Profe.
Published in: R.G. Dunphy (ed.), Encyclopedia of the Medieval Chronicle 1 (Leiden/Boston: Brill 2010) 328-329.

'Onder dese ridderen zijn oec papen'. De priesterbroeders in de balije Utrecht van de Duitse Orde (1350-1600)

by Rombert Stapel

Jaarboek voor Middeleeuwse Geschiedenis 11/2008 (Hilversum: Verloren, 2009) 205-248

Paul Vladimir (Pawel Wlodkowic) au concile de Constance: une tradition de tolérance religieuse en Pologne et en Lituanie

by Loïc Chollet

"Master degree" work, University of Neuchâtel, 2010.
All rights reserved.
© Loïc Chollet

Historical documents describe a period of religious turmoil during the Christianization of the last pagan European... more Historical documents describe a period of religious turmoil during the Christianization of the last pagan European state, Lithuania. At the end of 14th century, the Lithuanian Grand Duke Jagiello was crowned King of Poland. He introduced Christianity in his homeland, which was brought under formal Polish sovereignty by personal dynastic union. A feud arose between Poland and the Teutonic Knights, based on different approaches to Christianization: the Polish ideal of a peaceful conversion stood against the Teutonic Order’s hard line. The issue was brought before the Council of Constance, where spokesmen from each side argued the rightfulness of their claim. Countering the Order’s old-fashioned ideology, Cracow University’s rector Paulus Vladimiri (Paul Vladimir/Pawel Wlodkowic) stressed the idea of religious tolerance toward non-Christians. After explaining the historical and ideological context, this paper explores how Vladimiri managed to defend his King’s methods through his speeches. By looking at the ideas he expressed, I discuss whether one should emphasize the modernity of his approach, and how his experience may reflect a specific “Polish” tradition of religious freedom. Finally, my goal is to give modern readers a historically supported insight of the particular religious situation of late medieval North-Eastern Europe.

Pawel Wlodkowic - Un penseur d'actualité

by Loïc Chollet

Polish translation published in "Terra Biecensis", 2010.
All right reserved.
© Loïc Chollet

The religious tolerance prevailing in Poland and Lithuania during the early modern era is widely recognized amongst... more The religious tolerance prevailing in Poland and Lithuania during the early modern era is widely recognized amongst historians; fewer know what happened at the end of the 14th century, when the Lithuanian prince Jagiello accepted the Polish crown and brought the Catholic faith in Lithuania. This particular situation gave birth to an important rise of political thought in Poland. In this paper, I will explore some ideas of one of the most important thinkers of Jagiello’s time, Pawel Wlodkowic (Paulus Vladimiri), who defended the Polish views on Christianization before the council of Constance, during a trial against the Teutonic Order. I will point out a few interesting elements of Wlodkowic’s work, especially those related with contemporary issues: the forbiddingness of mass-murders, the failure of an authoritarian government and some reflections about what we may call a “pre-democratic” thought. Thus, the reader will discover how the ideas of a 15th century Polish author are still accurate in the beginning of the 21th century.

P.S. van Koningsveld and G.A.Wiegers, The polemical works of Muhammad al-Qaysī (fl. 1309) and their circulation in Arabic and Aljamiado among the Mudejars in the fourteenth century

by Gerard Wiegers

Published in Al-Qantara XV (1994), 163-199 Published in Al-Qantara XV (1994), 163-199

The Chilvers Coton Knights Templar Project 1995

by Martin D. Wilson

Published in Coventry Archaeological Society Bulletin, 332, 1996

Interim report about research excavations in search of the Knights Templars' manor farm of Chelverescote (Chilvers... more Interim report about research excavations in search of the Knights Templars' manor farm of Chelverescote (Chilvers Coton) near Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The investigations were carried out by the Atherstone Archaeological Society.

Chilvers Coton Manor of the Knights Templars, Warwickshire: New Identification

by Martin D. Wilson

Published in West Midlands Archaeology, vol. 40, pp. 1-6, 1997

An illustrated summary report of the results of documentary research which identifies the location the Knights... more An illustrated summary report of the results of documentary research which identifies the location the Knights Templars manor farm of Chelverescote (Chilvers Coton), near Nuneaton in Warwickshire. The results are corroborated with archaeological evidence found in 1970 and 1996. During the course of the study the boundaries of three ancient manors within Chilvers Coton parish were accurately plotted, viz: manor of Erdbury; manor of Griff and Coton; manor of St John.

ТЕВТОНСКИЙ ОРДЕН В ПОЛИТИКЕ ГАЛИЦКО-ВОЛЫНСКОГО КНЯЖЕСТВА

by Leontiy Voitovycz

Опубліковано: Тевтонский Орден в политике Галицко-Волынского княжества // Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana. – Санкт-Петербург, 2010. – № 2(8). – С.3-16.

Voytovych L.V. The Teutonic Order in the foreign policy of the Galicia-Volyn’ principality.
The autor of the... more Voytovych L.V. The Teutonic Order in the foreign policy of the Galicia-Volyn’ principality.
The autor of the article discusses the relations between the Galicia-Wolyn’ principality and the Teutonic Order from the end of the XIIth – to the last quarther of the XIVth centuries. The reasons for cooperation, the results of military alliances, trade and economie contacts are considered. Some of the established views on these topies are shown to be fallacious. The circumstances prevented the Teutonic Order to help Danylo Romanovych in the campaign of the yaer 1260 have been revealed of the first time.
Keywords: The Galicia-Volyn’ principality, the Teutonic Order, yatvyagi, prussi, the Golden Horde, Danylo Romanovych, Burundai, Torun. 

ТЕВТОНСЬКИЙ ОРДЕН У ПОЛІТИЦІ ГАЛИЦЬКО-ВОЛИНСЬКОГО КНЯЗІВСТВА

by Leontiy Voitovycz

The article explores the issue of military-political and trade-economic
union between Principality of... more The article explores the issue of military-political and trade-economic
union between Principality of Galicia-Volhynia and Teutonic Order during
ХІІІ–ХIV centuries. On analysing all available sources author concludes, that
alliance specified by that time political conjuncture existed and was profitable
for both sides.

British Historiography on the Crusades and the Military Orders: from Barker and Smail

by Peter Edbury

Cardiff Historical Papers

A discussion of British contributions to crusading studies in the second half of the twentieth century. A discussion of British contributions to crusading studies in the second half of the twentieth century.