The Teutonic Knights or to give them their full title, the knights of the hospital of St. Mary of the House of the Germans in Jerusalem loom large not just in German history.
Follow us as we trace their development from a field hospital in Palestine to the formation of a powerful state in the Baltic.
This podcast is part of the broader History of the Germans podcast that aims to track the history of the German people from the Early Middle Ages to Reunification in 1991. If you enjoy this show, check out any of the other seasons or follow the main show.
So far I have the following seasons:
The Ottonians (919 AD-1024 AD)
Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy (1024 AD-1125 AD)
Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen (1125-1190)
Frederick II Stupor Mundi (1190-1268)
Saxony and Eastward Expansion
The Hanseatic League
The Teutonic Knights
The Holy Roman Empire (1250 AD -1356 AD)
The Reformation before the Reformation (1356AD -1439 AD)
The Empire in the 15th Century
The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs (1439AD -1519 AD)
Hello and welcome to a new season of the History of the Germans, the Teutonic Knights or to give them their full title, the knights of the hospital of St. Mary of the House of the Germans in Jerusalem.
Even though the state they had created in Prussia has been wiped off the map with all its cultural markers, the Teutonic Knights are not forgotten. Less shrouded in nonsense than the Templars, less devoted to social causes than the Knights of St. John they still loom large not just in German history but even more so in Polish and Russian history. Both of these nations have placed victories over the Teutonic Knights at key junctions of their national narrative.
But were the Teutonic knights these near invincible, cruel faceless war machines that Sergei Eisenstein had charging over the ice to the sound of Prokofiev brilliant score? That is what we will try to find out over the next few episodes. Expect your fair share of heroic battles, chivalric entertainment all intermingled with twisted theology and astute commercial activity. I hope you will enjoy it.
The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.
As always:
Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog:Â www.historyofthegermans.com
Facebook: @HOTGPodÂ
Twitter: @germanshistory
Instagram: history_of_the_germans
Reddit: u/historyofthegermans
Patreon:Â https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans
Here is the link to the article by Cory Doctorow:Â https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/
Bibliography:
Steven Runciman: A history of the Crusades
Eric Christiansen: The Northern Crusades
William Urban: The Teutonic Knights – A mlitary History
Jurgen Sarnowsky: Der Deutsche orden
Click here to listen to the playlist on Spotify
Click here to listen to it as a separate podcast on Apple Podcasts
Click here to listen to the playlist on YouTubeÂ
The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.
Overview
Hello and welcome to a new season of the History of the Germans, the Teutonic Knights or to give them their full title, the knights of the hospital of St. Mary of the House of the Germans in Jerusalem. Even though the state they had created in Prussia has been wiped off the map with all its cultural markers, the Teutonic Knights are not forgotten. Less shrouded in nonsense than the Templars, less devoted to social causes than the Knights of St. John  they still loom large not just in German history but even more so in Polish and Russian history. Both of these nations have placed victories over the Teutonic Knights at key junctions of their national narrative.
But were the Teutonic knights these near invincible, cruel faceless war machines that Sergei Eisenstein had charging over the ice to the sound of Prokofiev brilliant score? That is what we will try to find out over the next few episodes. Expect your fair share of heroic battles, chivalric entertainment all intermingled with twisted theology and astute commercial activity. I hope you will enjoy it.
Transcript Links and Episode Websites
 #128 A Chivalric Order
The Beginnings of the Teutonic Knights
The Order of St. Mary of the House of the Germans in Jerusalem traces its beginnings to the fundamental contradiction at the heart of chivalry…
#129 Hermann von Salza
Diplomat and Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
Without Hermann von Salza, its fourth grand master, the Teutonic knights may well have vanished into the orcus of history like so many orders
#130 The Conquest of Prussia (Part I)
from Konrad of Masovia’s offer to the first Prussian revolts
In 1226 the first contingent of just seven Teutonic Knights arrive in Prussia. It will take 60 years before the order is in control…
#131 The Conquest of Prussia (Part II)
The second, third and n-th Prussian uprising
The Teutonic Knights signed the peace of Christburg in 1249 to end the first Prussian revolt. However, fighting continued as the order expanded. King Ottokar II of Bohemia joined forces with the Teutonic Knights to conquer the Samland. A second uprising began in 1260 that lasted 13 years and was supressed with the utmost brutality
#132 The Battle on the Ice
Alexander Nevsky, Sergei Eisenstein and what really happened
The Battle on the Ice made famous by Sergei Eisenstein’s film is a heavily disputed event. We try to untangle the truth from the legend.
#133 The Order of the Order
The Organisational structure of the Teutonic Knights
How did this theocratic construct of the Teutonic Knights create a thriving state trading grain and amber as well as being a major tourism destination
#134 Tannenberg / Grunwald / Zalgiris
A Battle of Many Names
The golden age of the Teutonic knights came to an abrupt end through a sequence of events involving Polish princesses and even the Templars
#135 After Tannenberg
The rule of the Teutonic Knights is fatally weakened
The battle of Tannenberg, also known as Grunwald, brought the Teutonic Order to the edge of the precipice. But despite the devastating defeat and the loss of key leaders, the Order managed to reclaim lost territories and persist. However, financial struggles and internal conflicts weakened the Order’s position, setting the stage for further challenges….
#136 13 Years of War
The League of Prussian Cities and Nobles Rejects the Rule of the Teutonic Knights
For 13 years war between the Teutonic Knights and the Prussian League led by Danzig devastates Prussia until the order capitulates
#137 Conversion
Albrecht of Brandenburg, Grandmaster of the Teutonic Knights becomes a protestant duke of Prussia
The Teutonic Order’s rule in Prussia transitioned to a secular state led by a Protestant prince and the rise of the Prussian Junkers. Despite the order’s continued existence, it underwent significant transformation. Prussia’s political landscape evolved, leading to cultural and religious shifts, particularly with the order’s conversion to Lutheranism and its subsequent dissolution.