The International and Royal Council for European Orders of Chivalry and Honours, Officially Founded in 2002.

The Official Almanach de Chivalry 2002-2008

THE INTERNATIONAL AND ROYAL COUNCIL FOR ORDERS OF CHIVALRY THE ALMANACH DE CHIVALRY 2008 ( Founded 2002 by Royal Charter ) The Register of Orders of Chivalry Registre des Ordres de Chevalerie The Official Listing of The Imperial and Royal European Orders of Chivalry The European Religious Orders of Chivalry _______________________________________ THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS OF GERMANY _______________________________________ The Knights and Brothers of the German Houses at Beloved Lady of Jerusalem was created for service in the Holy Land during the Crusades, in 1191. Originally based at Acre, when that city fell they moved to Venice, in 1291. Finding life in that place uncongenial to their mission of converting the Heathen by military action, they obtained permission to establish themselves in the Baltics, there to establish control over the Pagan Prus and Letts. The last Grand Master with temporal authority, Albert von Hohenzollern, converted to Protestantism in 1525, secularized the Order, and established the territories it held as the Duchy of Prussia. The Order was reconstituted and relocated in 1527, surviving until the Napoleonic era, when it was again restructured into it's modern form as a charitable organization. As an aside, the Order's heraldry provided the basis for the design of the modern German military decoration, the Iron Cross. (HOSPITALLAR BROTHERHOOD) Acre (Akko) Era .............................1189/90-1230 Sibrand......................................1189/90-1192 Gerard.......................................1192-1193/4 Heinrich.....................................1193/4-1195 Ulrich.......................................1195-1196 Heinrich (Walpot von Bassenheim )............1196-1198 (GRAND MASTERS OF THE TEUTONIC KNIGHTS) Heinrich I Walpot von Bassenheim.............1198-1200 Otto von Kerpen..............................1200-1206 Heinrich II von Tunna, called Barth..........1206-1209 Hermann von Salza............................1209/10-1239 Montfort Era ................................1230-1271 Konrad I of Thuringia........................1239-1240 Gerhard von Malberg..........................1241-1244 Heinrich III von Hohenlohe...................1244-1249 Günther von Schwarzenburg....................1249-1253 Poppo von Osterna............................1253-1257 Hanno von Sangershausen......................1257-1274 Acre (Akko) Era .............................1271-1291 Hartmann von Helbrungen......................1274-1283 Burkhard von Schwanden.......................1283-1290 Venice Era...................................1291-1309 Konrad II von Feuchtwangen...................1290-1297 Gottfried von Hohenlohe..................1297-1302 d. 1309 Siegfried von Feuchtwangen...............1302-1310 d. 1311 Marienburg (Prussia) Era ....................1309-1457 Karl Bessart.................................1311-1324 Werner Von Orselen...........................1324-1330 Lothar of Brunswick..........................1331-1335 Dietrich von Altenburg.......................1335-1341 Ludolf Konig Von Wattzau.....................1342-1345 Heinrich IV Dusener von Arfberg..............1345-1351 Winrich von Kniprode.........................1351-1382 Konrad III Zollner von Rothstein.............1382-1390 Konrad IV von Wallenrode.....................1391-1393 Konrad V von Juningen........................1393-1407 Ulrich von Jungingen.........................1407-1410 Heinrich V von Reuss.....................1410-1413 d. 1429 Michel Kuchenmeister von Sternburg...........1414-1422 Paul Belenzer von Ruszdorf...................1423-1440 Konrad VI von Erlichshausen..................1441-1449 Königsberg (East Prussia) Era ...............1457-1525 Ludwig von Erlichshausen.....................1450-1467 Heinrich VI von Reuss........................1467-1470 Heinrich VII Reffle von Richtenberg..........1470-1477 Martin Truchsetz von Wetzhausen..............1477-1489 Johann von Tieffen...........................1489-1497 Friedrich of Saxony..........................1497-1510 Albrecht of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.........1510-1525 d. 1568 vacant.......................................1525-1527 Mergentheim Era .............................1527-1809 Walter von Cronberg..........................1527-1543 Wolfgang Schutzbar...........................1543-1566 Georg Hundt von Weckheim.....................1566-1572 Heinrich VIII von Bobenhausen............1572-1590 d. 1595 Maximilian of Austria........................1590-1618 Karl I of Austria............................1619-1624 Johann Eustach von Westernach................1625-1627 Johann Kaspar I von Stadion..................1627-1641 Leopold Wilhelm of Austria...................1641-1662 Karl Josef of Austria........................1662-1664 Johann Kaspar II von Ampringen...............1664-1684 Ludwig Anton of Palatinate-Neuburg...........1685-1694 Ludwig Franz of Palatinate-Neuburg...........1694-1732 Clemens August of Bavaria(Abp.-Elect.Cologne)1732-1761 Charles Alexander of Lorraine................1761-1780 Maximilian Franz of Austria..................1780-1801 Karl II of Austria...........................1801-1804 Anton Viktor of Austria......................1804-1835 Archduke Anton retained his Grand Mastership of the Order after it's holdings were dissolved in 1809. The organization continues to the present day, doing the work that its original foundation began, as a charitable group devoted to working within hospitals. Maximilian of Austria-Este....................1835-1863 Wilhelm Franz Karl of Austria.................1863-1894 Eugen Ferdinand Pius Bernhard of Austria.1894-1923 d. 1954 (CHIVALRIC / CLERICAL ORDER) Dr. Norbert Klein 1923-29, 1st Clerical, 1929- 1933. The Teutonic Order ceased to be a Chivalric Order of Knighthood in November 1929 when His Holiness Pope Pius XI, formally ratified the Orders new constitution making the Teutonic Order a Clerical Order, and as such Dr.Norbet Klein held the Chivalric Grand Mastership as the 59th Hochmeister from 1923-1929, and from 1929-1933 the Orders 1st Clerical Grand Master. (CHIVALRIC TEUTONIC ORDER) HI&RH Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, Duke of Swabia, de jure Emperor Charles VIII I.R. 2002- His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, Duke of Swabia, de jure Emperor Charles VIII of Germany, formally revived the Order of the Teutonic Knights back into a Chivalric Order of Knighthood thus making a seperate Teutonic Order from the Clerical Papal Order in Rome, by Imperial Decree on Christmas Day, 2001, His Imperial Highness, furthermore raised the Teutonic Order to the Rank and Dignity of an Imperial Chivalric Ceremonial Order of Knighthood by Imperial Decree, and assumed The Grand Mastership of The Imperial Teutonic Order on the 1st of May, 2002, as The 60th Chivalric Hochmeister of The Teutonic Order (CLERICAL TEUTONIC ORDER) Paul Heider...............................1933-1936 Robert Schälzky...........................1936-1948 Dr. Marian Tumler.........................1948-1970 Ildefons Pauler...........................1970-1988 Dr. Arnold Othmar Wieland.................1988-2000 Bruno Platter.............................2000- _______________ Teutonic Knights: Bailiwick of Biesen. Henricus..................................fl. c. 1229/30 Henricus..................................fl. c. 1235/8 Lodewijk..................................fl. c. 1240/1 Wilhelmus.................................fl. c. 1250/2 Walther von Koblenz........................c. 1253 Diederik Guldenhoofd.......................1255-c. 1267 Gerard van Printhagen......................c. 1265-1267 Lodewijk van Kinswilre.................fl. c. 1267/8 Nicolaas van Horne........................c. 1268/70 Mathias van Franchevort......................1270-1271/2 Herman van Rijkel.........................1271/2-c. 1275 Nicolaas van Horne.........................1275-c. 1280 Ecbertus van Stockheim.................c. 1282-1284 Dierik van der Horst (also in Utrecht)....1284-c. 1290 Dierik van Wevelhoven..................c. 1290-c. 1295 Walter van Papenhoven.....................c. 1300-1307 Dierik G. v. Holland (also in Koblenz & Utrecht)1307-1317 Gerard van Loon...........................1317-1324 Rutger van Kaldenberg.....................1324-1327/8 Johan van Hoenhorst (also in Utrecht).....1327/8-c. 1338 Hendrik von Hindenburg....................fl. 1338 Gerard van Printhagen.....................fl. 1339 Dierik (or Hendrik) van Rondorp...........fl. 1340 Wynand van Spanbeke.......................fl. c. 1343 Conrad van der Kaulen......................1345-8 Conrad van Vranckevort...................c. 1349-50 Rutger van Vriemersheim (also in Utrecht)..1353-1358 Renier Hoen van Hoensbroek (also in Utrecht)1358-1371 Hendrik van Leeuwenberg.....................1371-c. 138 Renier van Hansen........................c. 1380-1410/ Iwan van Cortenbach.........................1410/1-1434 Dierik van Betgenhusen......................1434-144O Albrecht von Fortsche von Thornauw (Lieut.)c.1440/3 Mathias van der Straten......................1444-1460 Nicolaas van der Dusen.......................1460-1467 Johan van de Velde...........................1467-1481 Gerard de Sombreffe..........................1481-1482 Johan van Herck..............................1482-1503 Maximiliaan van Eynatten.....................1504-1512 Gerard van Streithagen.......................1512-1536 Wynand van Breyll............................1536-1554 Jan van Goer.................................1554-1572 Heinrich von Reuschenberg....................1572-1603 Willem Frambach Bock van Lichtenberg.........1603-1605 Edmond Huyn van Amstenraedt.................1605-1634 Godfried Huyn van Amstenraedt van Geleen.....1634-1657 Edmond Godfried von Bocholz..................1657-1690 Hendrik van Wassenaer tot Warmond............1690-1707 Damian Hugo von Schönborn....................1707-1743 Ferdinand Damian von Sickingen..............1743-1749 Wiric Leopold von Steinen...................1749-1766 Caspar Anton von der Heyden.................1766-1784 Franz Johan von Reisbach....................1784-1807 Teutonic Knights: Bailiwick of Koblenz Ludwig......................................1231- ? Walter......................................1248-1269 Matthias...................................1274-1294 Anselm von Witzellenbach (acting)..........1281 Dierik G. v. Holland (also in Biesen & Utrecht)1298-1303 Winrich von Bosweiler........................1315-1318 Berthold von Buchegg........................- c. 1324 Alexander (acting)...........................1331 Jakob........................................1331-1338 Eberhard von Monheim..........................-1343 Johann von Langenreuth.......................1343-1344 Werner Schenhatz (acting)....................1344 Christian von Binzfeld.......................1354-1356 Rüdiger von Frimersheim.......................1361-1374 Gottfried von Bicken..........................? -c. 1379 Berthold Kirskorb.............................1383-1386 Adolf von Brügneys............................? -c. 1388 Adolf von Frymen..............................? -c. 1392 Winrich von Rheindorf.........................? -1409 ? Albrecht von Thüna............................1409-1410 Wilhelm von Wynningen.........................1410- ? Gerhard von Benefis...........................1420-1427 Philipp von Kendenich.........................1430-1435 Eberhard von Nasheim..........................1435-1442 Eberhard Thyn von Schlenderhan................1442-1447 Nikolaus von Geilsdorf........................1447-1461 Eberhard von der Wegge (acting)...............1451 Eberhard von der Warhaus (acting).............1451 Heitgin von Mile..........................................1463 Werner Overstolz..............................1463-1479 Philipp, Graf von Solms.......................1480-1500 Johann Scherffchen............................1486-1491 Werner Spies von Büllesheim...................1486-1518 Philipp Blick von Lichtenberg................1498-1499 Ludwig von Seinsheim.........................1502-1524 Wilhelm, Graf von Eisenberg....................................1524 vacant Erich, Herzog von Braunschweig...............1527-1532 Georg von Eltz.........................................1532 Walter von Heußenstamm.......................1532-1547 with... Werner Forstmeister von Gelnhausen...................................1536 Wilhelm Halber von Hergern (acting 1545-1547)1547-1557 Anton von Weyr zu Nickenich..................1548-1558 Gerhard von Bohneburg, gen. Honstein.........1560-1573 Reinhard Scheiffart von Merode...............1570-1589 Otto von Güns................................1574-1577 Adolf von Bongard............................1584-1628 Heinrich von Eltz Werner Spies von Büllesheim.................? -c. 1641 Goswin Scheiffart von Merode.................1650-1687 Heinrich von Reuschenberg...................1662-1671 Karl Otto von Koppenstein....................fl. 1670's Johann Heinrich von Metternich...............? -1678 Johann Wilhelm von Metzenhausen-Linster......1678-1698 Johann Friedrich Mohr von Wald...............1703-1704 Heinrich Wilhelm von Mirbach.................1706-1721 Karl Gottfried von Loe......................1715-1721 Jobst Moritz von Droste.....................1720-1752 Friedrich Christian von Mengersen...........1752-1753 Ignaz c. von Wurmbrand......................1753-1761 Ignaz Felix von Roll-Bernau.................1761-1794 Karl Friedrich Forstmeister von Gelnhausen 1784-1795 Karl Friedrich Forstmeister von Gelnhausen.1795-1805 Karl Anton von Kerpen (acting).............1803-180 Ferdinand Kaspar von Kleist (acting).......1803-1805 Wenzel Johann Nepomuk Franz c. von Colloredo..................................1805 Teutonic Knights: Bailiwick of Utrecht Dates up to the 15th century are very approximate, and can give only a rough guide to sequence and length of term. Antonius van Printhagen....................fl. c. 1231-66 Dierik van der Horst (also in Biesen)......fl. c. 1274-89 Seger van der Sluse van Huesde..............fl. 1279 Gijsbert van den Goye.......................fl. 1286 Ludolf van Bun..............................fl. 1288 Dierik G. v. Holland(also Biesen & Koblenz)c. 1289-1317 Gisbert van Drongelen van Neisteijn.........fl. 1325 Johan van Hoenhorst (also in Biesen)....fl. c. 1325-1340 Gosen van Garmaer.......................fl. c. 1336-1357 Rutger van Vriemersheim (also in Biesen)...c. 1353-1358 Renier Hoen van Hoensbroek (also Biesen)fl. c. 1358-1371 Lodewijk van Keuswaelre....................fl. 1360 Rutger van Vlimerschen.....................fl. 1365 Hendrick van Alckemade.....................fl. 1375 Hendrik van Hoenhorst......................fl. 1379 Gerrit Splinter van den Enge...............fl. 1405 Hernier van Opburen........................fl. 1407 Johan van den Sande....................fl. c. 1411-1437 Herman van Keppel......................fl. c. 1422-1442 Sweden Cubbinck........................fl. 1440 Albert Vorst...............................c. 1440-1452 Dirk van Enghuizen.....................fl. c. 1444-1463 Johan van Hoeften..........................c. 1455-1463 Nocolaas van der Dussen.......................1463-1466 Hendrik van Hackfort..........................1467-1468 Johan van Drongelen...........................1469-1492 Gozen van Rossum..............................1492-1496 Steven van Zuylen van Nijevelt................1496-1527 Wouter van Amstel van Mynden..................1527-1536 Albert van Egmond van Mersteyn................1536-1560 Frans van der Loe.............................1560-1579 Jacob Taets van Amerongen.....................1579-1612 Diederik van Bloys van Treslong...............1612-1619 Jasper van Lynden.............................1619-1620 In 1637 the last link with the Roman Catholic Order was broken and the Bailwick became an independent and Protestant institute under the supervision of the Dutch Staten Generaal. Hendrik Casimir van Nassau-Dietz(Sth. Friesland).1620-1640 Willem Frederik van Nassau......................1641-1664 Floris Borre van Amerongen......................1664-1675 Heinrich von Solms..............................1675-1693 Hendrik Casimir van Nassau......................1693-1696 Godard van Reede van Athlone....................1697-1703 Frederk Borre van Amerongen.....................1703-1722 Willem van Lintelo..............................1723-1732 Evert Jan Benjamin van Goltstein................1732-1744 Lucas Willem van Broekhuizen....................1744-1748 Hendrik van Iselmuden...........................1748-1751 Frederik Willem Torck...........................1753-1761 Unico Willem van Wasenaer.......................1763-1766 Frans Steven Carel van Randwijck................1766-1785 Karl Ludwig von Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg......1786-1806 Jan Walraad van Welderen........................1806-1807 Arend van Raesfelt van Elsen....................1807-1807 Volker Rudolf Bentinck van Schoonheeten.........1807-1820 Adriaan Wolter Willem Sloet van Sinderen........1820-1824 Godert Willem de Vos van Steenwijk..............1824-1830 Rudolph Hendrik van Iselmuden...................1831-1834 Floris Willem Sloet tot Warmelo.................1834-1838 Albert Carel Snouckaert van Schauburg...........1838-1841 Carl Wilhelm Johan Theodor Plettenberg..........1841-1850 Otto Anna van Bylant............................1850-1857 Boudewijn Reynt Wouter Sloet van Hagendorp......1857-1863 Frederik Louis Wilhelm van Brakell..............1863-1865 Hendrik Rudolph van Goltstein van Oldenaller.1865-1868 Alexander Carel Schimmelpenninck van der Oye.1868-1877 Jan Derk van Rechteren van Ahnen.............1877-1886 François Maximiliaan van der Duyn............1886-1889 Otto van Dedem...............................1889-1894 Reinhard Jan van Pallandt van Rosendael......1894-1899 Emilius Johan van Pallandt...................1899-1914 Alexander Schimmelpenninck van der Oye.......1914-1918 Anne Willem Jacob Joost van Nagell...........1918-1936 Otto Jacob Eiffelanus van Wassenaer van Catwijck.1936-1939 Karel Gerrit Willem van Wassenaer.............1939-1946 Frand Johan Julius van Heemstra...............1946-1958 Bernhard Frederik van Verschuer...............1958-1971 Hendrik Jan van Nagell........................1971-1977 Paul van der Borch tot Verwolde van Vorden....1977-1991 _________________________ _______________ THE JESUITS _______________ The Society of Jesus is an order of missionary clerics, whose work has involved preaching, education, and charity. Formed in the Counter-Reformation era, the organization's tightly disciplined structure, highly flexible approach to methodology, and strong emphasis on scholarship found immediate and lasting appeal. To this, a very strong loyalty to the Papacy gave the Jesuits a pre-emminent position in the early modern era among Roman Catholic Orders. This very loyalty, however, created considerable prejudice among other organizations and secular authorities, leading to the Order's eventual (if temporary) suppression. Revived in the early 19th century, the modern Society continues it's work in not much different a fashion from it's inception. St. Ignacio de Loyola..........................1541-1556 vacant.........................................1556-1558 Diego Lainez...................................1558-1565 Francisco de Borja.............................1565-1572 Everard Mercurian..............................1573-1580 Claudio Aquaviva...............................1581-1615 Muzio Vitteleschi..............................1615-1645 Vincenzo Carafa................................1645-1649 vacant.........................................1649-1651 Francesco Piccolomini....................................1651-1651 Luigi Gottifredi...............................1652-1652 Goswin Nickel..................................1652-1664 Giovanni Paolo Oliva...........................1664-1681 Charles de Noyelle.............................1682-1686 Tirso Gonzalez.................................1687-1705 Michelangelo Tamburini.........................1706-1730 Frantisec Retz.................................1730-1750 Ignazio Visconti...............................1751-1755 Luigi Centurioni...............................1755-1757 Lorenzo Ricci..................................1758-1775 The brief of Clement XIV for suppressing the Society, dated 21 July 1773 was put in execution 16 August. vacant.........................................1775-1782 In Russia, the order of suppression could not be enforced, and in 1782 Catherine the Great permitted the establishment of a , Superior General for Russia. Stanislaus Czerniewicz.........................1782-1785 Gabriel Gruber.................................1802-1805 Tadeusz Brzozowski.............................1805-1820 Brzozowski would serve as head of the whole Society when it was restored 7 August 1814 by the Bull of Pope Plus VII Solicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum, but would never remove to Rome because the Russian Government refused him permission to leave. Luigi Fortis....................................1820-1829 Jan Roothaan....................................1829-1853 Pieter Beckx....................................1853-1887 Anton Anderledy.................................1887-1892 Luis Martin.....................................1892-1906 Franz Wernz.....................................1906-1914 Wlodimir Ledochowski............................1915-1942 vacant..........................................1942-1946 Jean-Baptiste Janssens..........................1946-1964 Pedro Arrupe....................................1965-1981 Paolo Dezza..............................1981-1983 d. 1998 Peter Hans Kolvenbach...........................1983- _________________ ____________________________________ ORDER OF ST.JOHN OF JERUSALEM ____________________________________ MALTA The Knights of St. John Hospitaler of Jerusalem began as an order devoted to the construction and maintenance of medical facilities for use by pilgrims and others in the Holy Land. In this task they have perservered to the present day, and are still widely known for their charitable works in health and human services. As crusaders though, they quickly developed into a military order as well, and were instrumental in defending Acre and Cyprus, conquering and holding Rhodes, and holding Malta (by which name they are still generally known today). After Malta was captured by the French and British during the Napoleonic wars, the Order fell on hard times, but was revived in the later 19th century as an instrument of Roman Catholic charitable works. (GRAND MASTERS OF THE KNIGHTS OF ST.JOHN) Jerusalem Era 1113-1142. Gerard (Procurator of Hospitals)..........1113-1120 Raymond de Puy (Master of the Order)......1120-1159 Krak des Chevaliers Era 1142-1271 Auger de Balben...........................1159-1162 Arnaud de Comps...........................1162-1163 Gilbert d'Assaily.........................1163-1170 Gaston de Murols..........................1170-1172 Joubert...................................1172-1177 Roger I des Moulins.......................1177-1187 Ermengard d'Asp...........................1188-1190 Garnier de Naplous........................1190-1192 Geoffroy I de Donjon......................1192-1202 Alfonso de Portugal.......................1202-1206 Geoffroy II Lerat.........................1206-1207 Garin de Montaigu.........................1207-1227 Bertrand I de Thessy......................1228-1231 Guerin....................................1231-1236 Bertrand II de Comps......................1236-1239 Pierre I de Vielle-Bride..................1240-1242 Guillaume I de Chateuneuf.................1242-1258 Hughes de Revel (Grand Master of the Order 1267)1258-1277 Acre (Akko) Era 1271-1291 Nicolas I Lorgne...........................1277-1284 Jean I de Villiers.........................1284-1293 Cyprus Era ................................1291-1307 Odon de Pins...............................1294-1296 Guillaume II de Villaret...................1296-1305 Rhodes Era ................................1309-1522 Fulk De Villaret...........................1305-1323 Helion De Villeneuve.......................1323-1346 Dieudonne De Gozon.........................1346-1354 Pierre II De Corneillan....................1354-1355 Rogier II DesPins..........................1355-1365 Ramon II Berengar..........................1365-1373 Robert De Juilly...........................1373-1377 Juan Fernando De Erdia.....................1377-1396 Philibert De Naillac.......................1396-1421 Antonio I Di Fluviano......................1421-1437 Jean II De Lastic..........................1437-1454 Jacques De Milly...........................1454-1461 Pedro Ramon Zacosta........................1461-1467 Gianbattista Orsini........................1467-1476 Pierre III D'Aubusson......................1476-1503 Emeric De Amboise..........................1503-1512 Guy De Blanchefort.........................1512-1513 Fabrizio Di Caretto-Finale.................1513-1521 Malta Era .................................1530-1798 Philippe De Villiers De L'Isle Adam........1521-1534 Peter IV Del Ponte.........................1534-1535 Didier De Sainte-Jaille....................1535-1536 Juan III Omedes............................1536-1553 Claude De La Sangle........................1553-1557 Jean IV Parissot De La Valette.............1557-1568 Pietro V Guidalotti Del Monte..............1568-1572 Jean V L'Eveque De La Cassiere.............1572-1581 Hugh II Loubeaux-Verdalle..................1582-1595 Martin I Garcias...........................1595-1601 Aloysius De Wignacourt.....................1601-1622 Luis I Mendes De Vasconcelhos..............1622-1623 Antonio II De Paula........................1623-1636 Juan Pablo Lascaris De Castellar...........1636-1657 Martin II De Redin.........................1657-1660 Annete De Clermont De Chattegesson...............................1660-1660 Raphael Cotoner............................1660-1663 Nicolas II Cotoner........................ 1663-1680 Gregorio Caraffa De Rocella................1680-1690 Adrien De Wignacourt.......................1690-1697 Ramon III Percellos........................1697-1720 Marcantonio Zondadari......................1720-1722 Antonio Manuel De Vilhena..................1722-1736 Raymond III Despugh........................1736-1741 Manuel I Pinto.............................1741-1773 Francisco Ximenez De Tejada................1773-1775 Emmanuel II De Rohan-Polduc................1775-1797 Ferdinand von Hompesch.....................1797-1798 Thomas di Contara..........................1798.d.1805 First Roman Era ...........................1798-1826 Paul Romanov (Emperor of Russia)...........1798-1801 Gianbattista Tommasi....................................1803 Lieutenant-Generals Innico-Maria Guevara Svardo................1805-1814 Andre DiGiovanni...........................1814-1821 Ferrara Era ...............................1826-1834 Antoine Busca..............................1821-1834 Carlos Candida.............................1834-1845 Philippe di Colloredo-Mels.................1845-1864 Alexandre Borgia...........................1865-1871 Second Roman Era ..........................1834- Gianbattista Ceschi (as Lt. Gen. 1871-1879)1879-1905 Galeazzo von Thun und Hohenstein...........1905-1931 with... Pius Franchi di Cavalieri (Lt. Gen.).......1929-1931 Ludovico Chigi.............................1931-1951 Antonio Hercolani Simonetta (Lt. Gen.).....1951-1955 Ernesto Paterno (Lt. Gen.).................1955-1962 Angelo de Mohana di Cologna................1962-1988 Giancarlo Pullavicini (Lt. Gen.).........Jan.-Apr 1988 Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie............1988- ____________________ Order of St. John: Bailiwick of Sonnenburg Gebhard von Bortfeld.........................1327-1349 Hermann von Warberg..........................1371-1372 Bernhard von Schulenburg.....................1372-1397 Dietrich von Walmede.........................1397-1399 Reimar von Güntersberg.......................1401-1419 Buffo von Alvensleben........................1420-1424 Balthasar von Schlieben......................1424-1437 Nikolaus von Thierbach.......................1437-1459 Heinrich von Reder...........................1459-1460 Liborius von Schlieben.......................1460-1472 Kaspar von Güntersberg.......................1472-1474 Richard von der Schulenburg..................1475-1491 Georg von Schlabrendorf......................1491-1526 Veit von Thümen..............................1527-1544 Joachim von Arnim............................1544-1545 Thomas Runge.................................1545-1564 Franz Neumann................................1564-1569 Martin, Graf von Hohnstein...................1569-1609 Friedrich, Mgf. von Brandenburg..............1610-1611 Ernst, Mgf. von Brandenburg..................1611-1613 Georg Albrecht, Mgf. von Brandenburg.........1614-1615 Johann Georg, Mgf. von Brandenburg...........1616-1623 Joachim Sigismund, Mgf. von Brandenburg......1624-1625 Adam von Schwarzenberg.......................1625-1642 Johann Moritz, Graf von Nassau-Siegen........1652-1679 Georg Friedrich, Graf von Waldeck............1679-1692 Karl Philipp, Mgf. vof Brandenburg...........1693-1695 Albrecht Friedrich, Mgf. von Brandenburg.....1695-1731 Friedrich Karl Albrecht,Mgf. von Brandenburg,1731-1762 August Ferdinand of Prussia.............1762-1811 d. 1813 Heinrich of Prussia.....................1811-1813 d. 1846 Bailiwick dissolved, Properties to Prussia. This Chapter was later (1852) restored as a possession of the Prussian Royal House. I have at present the names of two latter Herrenmeisters: Prince Heinrich of Prussia, 1852-1883 and Prince Albrecht of Prussia, 1883-1906. __________________ ____________________________________________________________ THE MOST VENERABLE ORDER OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM ____________________________________________________________ The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, or Order of St John to use its short title, is a British-based royal order of chivalry, and is found throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as the United States of America and Hong Kong. While members are mainly of the Protestant faith, those of other Christian denominations may be honoured with appointment and be accepted into the Order. Honorary membership is also presented to some distinguished adherents of other religions. Membership of the Order is by invitation only, and individuals may not petition for admission. It is perhaps better known through its largest service organisation, St. John Ambulance, whose membership is not limited to any denomination or religion. In June 1826, the Council of the French Langues, which was an unofficial revival of the Order of Malta in France, sought to raise money by which to restore a homeland for the Order. The Council had decided upon a private venture, funded by subscription. Essentially they sought to create a mercenary army, attracting into its service some of the large numbers of unemployed English soldiers and utilise the cheap war surplus that was available. Philippe de Castelain, a French Knight, had been appointed to negotiate with suitable people in England. Donald Currie, a Scotsman living in England, was given the authority to raise £240,000. Both financial subscribers to the Scheme, and all Commissioned Officers of the mercenary army had the right to become Knights in the Order. Although new Knights were created, little money was raised. The Greek war had been won without the help of the French Knights. Castelain and Currie were authorised by Chevalier de Sainte-Croix to form the Council of the English Langue. This was inaugurated on 12 January 1831. The executive power of the Council was given to a person who called himself 'Count' Alexander Mortara. The address for the Council was the "Auberge of St John, St John's Gate, St John's Square, Clerkenwell". This was none other than the public house "The Old Jerusalem Tavern", which occupied what had been the Gatehouse to the mediæval English Grand Priory. The Reverend Sir Robert Peat, the absentee Perpetual Curate of St Lawrence in Brentford, Middlesex, and one of the many former Chaplains to the Prince Regent (the future King George IV) was recruited as a member of the English Langue. Peat with other British members of the Langue expelled Mortara, accusing him of selling Knighthoods. The Council of the French Langues backed Mortara, and so from early 1832, there were two competing English Langues, the Langue of which Peat was a member, being the unofficial English Langue. The rival organisations co-existed for five years, until the disappearance of Mortara early in 1837, when his organisation also disappeared. Peat is credited as being the first Grand Prior of the Order, yet there is no mention of this in any of his obituaries, and this is a claim which is disputed. W.B.H. writes in the Journal ‘Notes & Queries’ January 1919; “His name is not in the knights list, and he was never “Prior in the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem” : he became an ordinary member of that Order on Nov 11, 1830” 12th series V January 1919, page 23. Whatever the truth of the matter is, the actual beginnings of the Order are shrouded in mystery. Following Peat's death in April 1837, Sir Henry Dymoke became Grand Prior, and under his leadership, contact was re-established with the Knights in France and Germany. The British Order sought official recognition from the Roman Catholic Headquarters of the Order of Malta but this was refused by Lieutenant Grand Master Commander Philippe de Colloredo-Mansfeld (1845-1864). Up to this point, the English organisation had only considered itself to be a Grand Priory and Langue of the Order. In response to the Roman Catholic Order's refusal of recognition, the English Priory declared itself to be the Sovereign Order in England, under the title "The Sovereign and Illustrious Order of St John of Jerusalem, Anglia". The English Order continued in its growth, and had been able to recruit the 7th Duke of Manchester, who became their Grand Prior in 1861. The beginnings of well-established national Hospitaller organisation began when the Order created a corps of Ambulances in the 1860s. In 1871 a new Constitution brought about a further change of name offering a more modest identity; "Order of Saint John of Jerusalem in England". In 1876, the Princess of Wales was recruited into membership, followed by the Prince of Wales. In 1877 the British Priory of the Order established St John Ambulance Associations in large railway centres and mining districts so that railway men and colliers might learn how to treat victims of accidents. This was followed up in 1887 with the creation of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. In 1882 the British Grand Priory founded a Hospice and Ophthalmic Dispensary in Jerusalem. Already to their credit was the very practical and life saving work undertaken by both the Ambulance Brigade and Association. In terms of status, the biggest leap forward was the official recognition conveyed in 1888 by way of the granting of a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria, under the title "The Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in England". The most recent Charter is dated 1955, with a supplemental charter in 1974. The 1974 Charter recognised the world-wide scope of the order by setting its current name and short title. The reigning monarch, at this time Queen Elizabeth II, serves as the Sovereign Head of the Order. While the British Order is ecumenical in membership, and from its early days counted Roman Catholics as members, it is identified with the Reformed tradition, through its Royal Head, who is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The British Order received collateral recognition from the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) in 1963. The Christian ethos of the order is confirmed in the declaration which potential members must make, and which reads in part "and that I will endeavour always to uphold the aims of this Christian Order" __________________ ____________________________________________________ THE IMPERIAL GERMAN ORDER OF THE HOSPITAL OF ST.JOHN OF JERUSALEM ____________________________________________________ ( Imperial Johanniter Order of Germany ) ( Grand Priory of Germany ) The German Knights of Saint John were the smallest group in the Order following the suppression of the Grand Priory of England, as German nobles wishing to make religious profession as knights generally joined the Teutonic Order. Only with the destruction of the latter as an independent institution in the early nineteenth century and its subordination to the Austrian Emperor did a substantial number of Germans join the Order of Malta (indeed the first National Associations to be formed were the Rhine-Westphalian in 1859 and the Silesian in 1867). The first known Grand Prior of Germany was a certain Arleboldus in 1187, but we know little about the early priors before Fra' Henry (Count) of Dockenburg, elected in 1251 and Fra Henry (Count) of Furstenberg elected in 1272. The German knights particularly distinguished themselves in the crusade to halt Sultan Bajazet's campaign through the Balkans in 1397, under the leadership of the then Grand Prior, Fra' Friedrich (Count) of Zollern, elected in 1394. They joined the Grand Master, who had come directly from Rhodes along with the principal commanders of the Order's forces and a large number of knights, in Hungary and proceeded southwards to Bulgaria. The battle of Nicopolis which followed in 1397 was a crushing defeat for the Christian forces, all but twenty-five of the Christian knights (who were held for ransom), including the German Grand Prior, either died in battle or were executed by the victorious Turks afterwards; the Grand Master himself escaped. Bajazet was halted, however, and the Turkish forces did not again successfully invade the territory of the Empire for another one hundred and thirty years. The importance of the German Langue was recognized at the Chapter-General of 23 May 1428 when the title of Grand Bailiff was conferred on its head, with the responsibility of inspecting and superintending all the priories and commanderies in Germany, Bohemia and neighbouring provinces. The Grand Bailiff was also given the task of supervising the inspection of the governor and garrison of the Castle of Saint Peter of Halicarnassus and the coast of Asia Minor, which he was required to visit annually. Unfortunately the preponderance of French knights and their domination of the principal offices of the Order caused some resentment on the part of the smaller Langues, who had already been divided during the great schism (the German Grand Priory was itself split over this issue). The German knights were never powerful enough for their case to succeed and the minor role they played in the affairs of the Order was probably partially responsible for the relatively modest support the Order enjoyed in the northern territories of the Empire. Nonetheless they consistently provided a small group of knights to defend the convent, eight Germans participating in the defense of Rhodes in 1480. With the turmoil generated by Martin Luther and the Hussites, Germany and Bohemia were both in considerable disorder by the time of the second siege of Rhodes in 1522 and only seven Germans, out of a total of just under three hundred and forty knights present, participated in the final defense of the island. The Bailiff of Brandenburg, commanding the light cavalry, himself fell during the first siege, immortalizing the title which is now attached to the Lutheran Order, and the post defended by the Germans (under the command of commander Fra' Christopher Valdner) was the first to be attacked at the second siege. With the acquisition of Malta, the Grand Bailiff, Fra' Georg Schilling von Cannstatt, was given initial responsibility for the defense of Tripoli but warned that the city's physical situation would make it very difficult to defend against a serious attack. Fortunately, when his prediction came true it was the Marshal of the Order, Villars, who bore the blame for abandoning Tripoli in 1551 and who was imprisoned and humiliated by Grand Master de Homedes (he was rehabilitated by Jean de la Valette). Schilling was one of the greatest military commanders the Order had in its history and, as general of the galleys, in the 1530's and 1540's commanded numerous sallies against the Moslem raiders based across North Africa. In September 1541 he led a fleet of four galleys and two well-armed valets (small, fast raiding ships) with some four hundred knights and soldiers to join the Imperial fleet under Andrea Doria. In late October they reached the coast of Algeria and began the siege of the capital. Schilling distinguished himself brilliantly, leading a company of German knights and soldiers in repeated charges at the walls, but although they failed to capture the city they successfully destroyed much of the Moslem pirate fleet. In 1548 Schilling was rewarded by the Emperor with the elevation of the Order's bailiwick at Heitersheim (after 1806 it was incorporated into Baden) to an immediate Principality of the Holy Roman Empire with a seat in the Diet, remaining at the head of the German Langue until his death four years later. Since each new Grand Prior had to be reinvested with the principality the grant of this privilege gave the Emperor greater control over the Langue. The election of Fra' Jean de la Valette in 1557 came at a time of great strain in the Order. The English Langue had been abolished and then temporarily reinstated but was very weak and was to be suppressed again within three years; the German Langue was divided by the conversion of some of its members to the doctrines of Luther and Calvin. Many of the commanderies had ceased to pay responsions and, after the Grand Master complained to the Emperor, the German knights were summoned to a Chapter-General and agreed to send three delegates to Malta to arrange a settlement with the Grand Master. Although problems continued in Germany, with the Lutheran commanderies periodically refusing to pay their responsions, the German knights distinguished themselves at the great siege, sharing with the Portugese knights the responsibility of defending the Mole to the walls of the Castle of Sant' Angelo. The Grand Master and Sacred Council were continually confronted with problems in Germany during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In the mid-1570's a proposal was made in the Imperial Diet to force the unification of the German knights with the Teutonic Order, to provide a more powerful defensive force against further Turkish incursions into Hungary. Fortunately the Order's Ambassador successfully lobbied against this but, in 1578, following the death of the Grand Prior of Bohemia, the Emperor asserted a claim to nominate his successor, although again the Grand Master successfully maintained the Order's rights. Two years later, in 1580, the Emperor once again claimed the prerogative to nominate the Grand Prior of Bohemia and make nominations to commanderies, leading to a break-down in relations over this issue which was settled in the Order's favor in 1598. In the following year the Grand Master and Council augmented the potential number of German knights by permitting Swiss postulants to join the German Langue. In 1580 the Bailiff of Brandenburg and several knights of the Bailiwick of Sonnenburg, in East Prussia, who had abandoned their vows to embrace Lutheranism, effectively detached themselves from the Grand Magistral authority. The Grand Master and Council could not recognize this declaration of secession by the protestant commanderies and the title of Bailiff of Brandenburg continued to be given, as an honorific, to a senior German knight. The loyalty of the remaining German knights to the Grand Master was severely tested in 1608 over the admission into the Langue of Charles, Count of Brie, natural son of Henri, Duke of Lorraine and, in an act of revolt, the Germans removed the Arms of the Grand Master and Order from the front of their Auberge and replaced them with those of the Emperor. The disastrous Thirty Years War worsened the Order's situation in Germany, with members of the Order engaged on opposite sides in the conflict and no responsions being sent to the common treasure for the whole period. Urban VIII, who had been increasing the Papal authority over the Order,then extended to the Polish knights the right to enjoy Bohemian commanderies on the basis that both Priories were members of the same Langue. The Treaties of Munster and Osnabruck of 1648, which effectively ended the war in Germany, were agreed at the expense of the Order and resulted in the definitive loss of the Lutheran commanderies, now permanently separated under the protection of the Elector of Brandenburg. Despite the high rank and prestige of the newly elected Grand Prior, Fra' Friedrich (Landgraf) of Hesse-Darmstadt, a courageous and spiritual knight, the Order was virtually ignored in the Treaty negotiations and a satisfactory settlement of the war was seen as a more important priority than the interests of the Order of Saint John. In 1668, however, the Grand Prior successfully obtained the sum of fifty thousand florins from the State of Holland in the Netherlands in compensation for the seizure of the benefices of the commandery of Haarlem, to which the Order renounced all its claims. Hesse-Darmstadt's and his two successors as Grand Prior died within a month of their appointment and were succeeded by Fra' Herman (Baron) von Wachtendonck in 1683 (who died in 1703). The new Grand Prior was soon faced with the threat of a Turkish invasion of the Empire but the brilliant defense of Vienna by Jan Sobieski, King of Poland, in which several knights participated, drove them back across the Danube and out of the Imperial territories, into which they never ventured again. This great victory inspired a new alliance against the infidel and a brief but successful campaign followed in which the German knights participated with distinction; again in 1694 a further campaign was undertaken, in which the German knight, Fra' Franz-Sigismond (Count) von Thun, was appointed General. The final crusade in which the German knights joined was the campaign in the Morea and the Balkans in 1715-18, culminating in the battle of Passarowitz in which the Christian forces were commanded by the Imperial Field Marshal Prince Eugene of Savoy. The number of German knights of the Order of Malta was never substantial, numbering thirty-seven when Vertot published his great work in 1726. Of these several held more than one commandery, the (titular Catholic) bailiwick of Brandenburg then being held by Fra' Philipp-Wolfgang (Baron) von Guttenberg, along with three other commanderies. In 1726 the Langue had sixty-seven commanderies, excluding the Priories of Bohemia and Hungary, and the protestant Bailiwick at Sonnenburg. Among the German knights were several whose families are today represented in the Order, namely the then Grand Prior, Fra' Goswin-Herman-Othon (Baron) von Merveldt and Fra' Herman-Adolf (Baron) von Merveldt (there are three Counts von Merveldt in the Rhine-Westphalian Association and one in the British), Fra' Johann (Baron) von Freyberg (there are four Freybergs in the Rhine-Westhpalian and one in the Silesian Associations), and Fra' Albrecht-Franz (Count) von Fugger-Kirchberg (the Prince of Fugger-Babenhausen is a member of the Rhine-Westphalian Association). At the fall of Malta the last Grand Prior of Germany and Prince of Heitersheim was Fra Ignaz-Balthasar (Baron) Rinck von Baldenstein, elected in 1796 in succession to Fra Johann-Josef-Benedict (Count) of Reinach. The Grand Priory of Germany, was formally revived from dormancy by Imperial Decree of His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, Duke of Swabia, in His formal capacity as the de jure Emperor Charles VIII, King of Germany, on the 25th of October in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Five, who formally assumed the Titles, Rank and Dignity of Grand Prior of Germany and Prince of Heitersheim and is thus formally held under the Supreme Sovereign Protection of the Imperial Crown of Germany and of His Imperial Highness, the Johanniter Order of Germany was granted the Style, Title and Dignity of an Imperial Order of The Holy Roman Empire, The Order is a ceremonial Order of Knighthood and as such is part of the patrimony of the Imperial and Royal Crown of Holy Roman Empire of The German Nation. The Present Grand Prior of the Imperial Johanniter Order of Germany and Prince of Heitersheim is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, Duke of Swabia, The Present Grand Chancellor and Knight of Justice of the Imperial Johanniter Order of Germany is His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Henry of Germany, Duke of Franconia, The Chaplainship of the Grand Priory is formally vested within the Holy See of St. Peter, Rome. ____________________________________________ Decorations of the Imperial German Order ____________________________________________ The Cross of the Johanniter Order is a white maltese cross with a single headed german eagle between each arm, suspended from a long plain black neck ribbon (so that it hangs on the breast). The Crosses of the Herrenmeister (7 cms diameter), commanders (5.5 cms diameter) and the knights of Justice (5.0 cms diameter) have gold Prussian eagles between the arms and are ensigned with a closed royal crown; that of knights of Honor (6 cms) has black eagles with gold heads and no crown. The mantle of the knights of Justice and Honor are identical, a plain black cloak decorated on the left side with the plain white cross, but that of the Herrenmeister is in velvet faced with black satin, the knights of Justice is moire faced with satin and French knights of Honor have a white woollen collar. ________________________ Heraldic Regulations ________________________ The Arms of the Order are: (informally) Gules, a (Greek) cross Argent. By regulations of 16 January 1858 commanders may superimpose their Arms upon the plain Cross of the Order; knights of Justice may quarter the Cross in the 1st and 3rd quarters, if their Arms are already quartered they may place the Cross on an escutcheon of pretense, and if their Arms already include an escutcheon the Cross will be charged above and below the escutcheon. Knights of Honor can only suspend the Cross from below the shield. _______________________________ (Above) The Arms of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici), commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple (French: Ordre du Temple or Templiers) ___________ _____________________________________________ THE HISTORY OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR _____________________________________________ Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici), commonly known as the Knights Templar or the Order of the Temple (French: Ordre du Temple or Templiers), were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders. The organization existed for approximately two centuries in the Middle Ages. It was founded in the aftermath of the First Crusade of 1096, to ensure the safety of the many Europeans who made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem after its conquest. Officially endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church in 1129, the Order became a favored charity across Europe and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights in their distinctive white mantles with red cross were among the best fighting units of the Crusades. Non-combatant members of the Order managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom, inventing or adapting many financial techniques that were an early form of banking,and building many fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land. The Templars' success was tied closely to the Crusades; when the Crusaders suffered defeat and lost the Holy Land, support for the Order faded. Rumors about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created mistrust, and King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, began pressuring Pope Clement V to take action. In 1307, King Philip had many of the Order's members in France arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and burned at the stake. In 1312, Pope Clement V, under continuing pressure from King Philip, disbanded the Order. The abrupt disappearance of a major part of the European infrastructure gave rise to speculation and legends, which have kept the "Templar" name alive until the present. After the First Crusade captured Jerusalem in 1099, many European pilgrims traveled to visit what they referred to as the Holy Places. However, though the city of Jerusalem was under relatively secure control, the rest of the Outremer was not. Bandits abounded, and pilgrims were routinely slaughtered, sometimes by the hundreds, as they attempted to make the journey from the coastline at Jaffa into the Holy Land. Around 1119, two veterans of the First Crusade, the French knight Hugues de Payens and his relative Godfrey de Saint-Omer, proposed the creation of a monastic order for the protection of the pilgrims. King Baldwin II of Jerusalem agreed to their request, and gave them space for a headquarters on the Temple Mount, in the captured Al Aqsa Mosque. The Temple Mount had a mystique, because it was above what was believed to be the ruins of the Temple of Solomon. The Crusaders therefore referred to the Al Aqsa Mosque as Solomon's Temple, and it was from this location that the Order took its name of Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, or "Templar" knights. The Order, with about nine knights, had few financial resources and relied on donations to survive. Their emblem was of two knights riding on a single horse, emphasizing the Order's poverty. The Templars' impoverished status did not last long. They had a powerful advocate in Bernard of Clairvaux, a leading Church figure and a nephew of one of the founding knights. He spoke and wrote persuasively on their behalf, and in 1129 at the Council of Troyes, the Order was officially endorsed by the Church. With this formal blessing, the Templars became a favored charity across Europe, receiving money, land, businesses, and noble-born sons from families who were eager to help with the fight in the Holy Land. Another major benefit came in 1139, when Pope Innocent II's papal bull Omne Datum Optimum exempted the Order from obedience to local laws. This ruling meant that the Templars could pass freely through all borders, were not required to pay any taxes, and were exempt from all authority except that of the With its clear mission and ample resources, the Order grew rapidly. Templars were often the advance force in key battles of the Crusades, as the knights on their heavily armed warhorses would set out to gallop full speed at the enemy, in an attempt to break opposition lines. One of their most famous victories was in 1177 during the Battle of Montgisard, where some 500 Templar knights helped to defeat Saladin's army of more than 26,000 soldiers. Although the primary mission of the Order was military, relatively few members were combatants. The others acted in support positions to assist the knights and to manage the financial infrastructure. The Templar Order, though its members were sworn to individual poverty, was given control of wealth beyond direct donations. A nobleman who was interested in participating in the Crusades might place all his assets under Templar management while he was away. Accumulating wealth in this manner across Europe and the Outremer, the Order in 1150 began generating letters of credit for pilgrims journeying to the Holy Land: pilgrims deposited their valuables with a local Templar preceptory before embarking, received an encrypted document indicating the value of their deposit, then used that document upon arrival in the Holy Land to retrieve their funds. This innovative arrangement may have been the first formal system to support the use of cheques; it improved the safety of pilgrims by making them less attractive targets for thieves, and also contributed to the Templar coffers. Based on this mix of donations and business dealing, the Templars established financial networks across the whole of Christendom. They acquired large tracts of land, both in Europe and the Middle East; they bought and managed farms and vineyards; they built churches and castles; they were involved in manufacturing, import and export; they had their own fleet of ships; and at one point they even owned the entire island of Cyprus. The Templars arguably qualify as the world's first multinational corporation. In the mid-1100s, the tide began to turn in the Crusades. The Muslim world had become united under effective leaders such as Saladin, and dissension arose among Christian factions in and concerning the Holy Land. The Knights Templar were occasionally at odds with two other Christian orders, the Knights Hospitaller and the Teutonic Knights, and decades of internecine feuds weakened Christian positions, politically and militarily. After the Templars were involved in several unsuccessful campaigns, including the pivotal Battle of the Horns of Hattin, Jerusalem was captured by Saladin's forces in 1187. The Crusaders retook the city in 1229, although without Templar aid, but held it only briefly. In 1244, the Khwarezmi Turks recaptured Jerusalem, and the city did not return to Christian control until 1917 when the British captured it from the Ottoman Turks. The Templars were forced to relocate their headquarters to other cities in the north, such as the seaport of Acre, which they held for the next century. But they lost that too in 1291, followed by their last mainland strongholds, Tortosa (in what is now Syria), and Atlit. Their headquarters moved to Limassol, Cyprus and a garrison on tiny Arwad Island, just off the coast from Tortosa. In 1300, there was some attempt to engage in coordinated military efforts with the Mongols via a new invasion force at Arwad. In 1302/1303, however, the Templars were defeated on that island as well, their last foothold in the Holy Land. With the Order's military mission now less important, European support for the organization began to dwindle. The situation was complex—over the two hundred years of their existence, the Templars had become a part of European daily life. The organization's Templar Houses, hundreds of which were dotted around Europe, gave them a widespread presence at the local level. The Templars still managed many businesses, and many Europeans had daily contact with the Templar network, for instance working at a Templar farm or vineyard, or using the Order as a bank in which to store personal valuables. The Order continued to not be subject to local government, making it everywhere a "state within a state." It also had a standing army that could pass freely through all borders, but that no longer had a well-defined mission. This situation heightened tensions with some European nobility, especially as the Templars were indicating an interest in founding their own monastic state, just as the Teutonic Knights had done in Prussia,and the Knights Hospitaller were doing with Rhodes. In 1305, the new Pope Clement V, based in France, sent letters to both the Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay and the Hospitaller Grand Master Fulk de Villaret to discuss the possibility of merging the two Orders. Neither was amenable to the idea but Pope Clement persisted, and in 1306 he invited both Grand Masters to France to discuss the matter. De Molay arrived first in early 1307, but de Villaret was delayed for several months. While waiting, De Molay and Clement discussed charges that had been made two years prior by an ousted Templar. It was generally agreed that the charges were false but Clement sent King Philip IV of France a written request for assistance in the investigation. King Philip was already deeply in debt to the Templars from his war with the English and decided to seize upon the rumors for his own purposes. He began pressuring the Church to take action against the Order, as a way of freeing himself from his debts. On Friday October 13, 1307 (a date linked with the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition), Philip ordered de Molay and scores of other French Templars to be simultaneously arrested. The Templars were charged with numerous heresies and tortured to extract false confessions of blasphemy. The confessions, despite having been obtained under duress, caused a scandal in Paris. After more bullying from Philip, Pope Clement then issued the bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae on November 22, 1307, which instructed all Christian monarchs in Europe to arrest all Templars and seize their assets. Pope Clement called for papal hearings to determine the Templars' guilt or innocence, and once freed of the Inquisitors' torture, many Templars recanted their confessions. Some had sufficient legal experience to defend themselves in the trials, but in 1310 Philip blocked this attempt, using the previously forced confessions to have dozens of Templars burned at the stake in Paris. With Philip threatening military action unless the Pope complied with his wishes, Pope Clement finally agreed to disband the Order, citing the public scandal that had been generated by the confessions. At the Council of Vienne in 1312, he issued a series of papal bulls, including Vox in excelso, which officially dissolved the Order, and Ad providam, which turned over most Templar assets to the Hospitallers. As for the leaders of the Order, the elderly Grand Master Jacques de Molay, who had confessed under torture, retracted his statement. His associate Geoffrey de Charney, Preceptor of Normandy, followed de Molay's example, and insisted on his innocence. Both men were declared guilty of being relapsed heretics, and they were sentenced to burn alive at the stake in Paris on March 18, 1314. De Molay reportedly remained defiant to the end, asking to be tied in such a way that he could face the Notre Dame cathedral, and hold his hands together in prayer. According to legend, he called out from the flames that both Pope Clement and King Philip would soon meet him before God. Pope Clement died only a month later, and King Philip died in a hunting accident before the end of the year. With the last of the Order's leaders gone, the remaining Templars around Europe were either arrested and tried under the Papal investigation (with virtually none convicted), absorbed into other military orders such as the Knights Hospitaller, or pensioned and allowed to live out their days peacefully. Some may have fled to other territories outside Papal control, such as excommunicated Scotland. Templar organizations in Portugal simply changed their name, from Knights Templar to Knights of Christ. In 2001, a document known as the "Chinon Parchment" was found in the Vatican Secret Archives, apparently after having been filed in the wrong place in 1628. It is a record of the trial of the Templars, and shows that Clement initially absolved the Templars of all heresies in 1308, before formally disbanding the Order in 1312. In October 2007, the Scrinium publishing house, which publishes documents for the Vatican, published secret documents about the trial of the Knights Templar, including the Chinon Parchment. It is currently the Roman Catholic Church's position that the medieval persecution of the Knights Templar was unjust; that there was nothing inherently wrong with the Order or its Rule; and that Pope Clement was pressured into his actions by the magnitude of the public scandal and the dominating influence of King Philip IV. The Templars were organized as a monastic order, similar to Bernard's Cistercian Order, which was considered the first effective international organization in Europe. The organizational structure had a strong chain of authority. Each country with a major Templar presence (France, England, Aragon, Portugal, Poitou, Apulia, Jerusalem, Tripoli, Antioch, Anjou, and Hungary) had a Master of the Order for the Templars in that region. All of them were subject to the Grand Master (always a French knight), appointed for life, who oversaw both the Order's military efforts in the East and their financial holdings in the West. No precise numbers exist, but it is estimated that at the Order's peak there were between 15,000 and 20,000 Templars, of whom about a tenth were actual knights. It was Bernard de Clairvaux and founder Hugues de Payens who devised the specific code of behavior for the Templar Order, known to modern historians as the Latin Rule. Its 72 clauses defined the ideal behavior for the Knights, such as the types of robes they were to wear and how many horses they could have. Knights were to take their meals in silence, eat meat no more than three times per week, and were not to have physical contact of any kind with women, even members of their own family. A Master of the Order was assigned "4 horses, and one chaplain-brother and one clerk with three horses, and one sergeant brother with two horses, and one gentleman valet to carry his shield and lance, with one horse." As the Order grew, more guidelines were added, and the original list of 72 clauses expanded to several hundred in its final form. There was a threefold division of the ranks of the Templars: the aristocratic knights, the lower-born sergeants, and the clergy. Knights were required to be of knightly descent, and to wear white mantles. They were equipped as heavy cavalry, with three or four horses, and one or two squires. Squires were generally not members of the Order, but were instead outsiders who were hired for a set period of time. Beneath the knights in the Order and drawn from lower social strata were the sergeants. They were either equipped as light cavalry with a single horse, or served in other ways such as administering the property of the Order or performing menial tasks and trades. Chaplains, constituting a third Templar class, were ordained priests who saw to the Templars' spiritual needs. The knights wore white robes with a red cross, and a white mantle; the sergeants wore a black tunic with a red cross on front and back, and a black or brown mantle.The white mantle was assigned to the Templars at the Council of Troyes in 1129, and the cross was most probably added to their robes at the launch of the Second Crusade in 1147, when Pope Eugenius III, King Louis VII of France, and many other notables attended a meeting of the French Templars at their headquarters near Paris. According to their Rule, the knights were to wear the white mantle at all times, even being forbidden to eat or drink unless they were wearing it. Initiation, known as Reception (receptio) into the Order, was a profound commitment and involved a solemn ceremony. Outsiders were discouraged from attending the ceremony, which aroused the suspicions of medieval inquisitors during the later trials. New members had to willingly sign over all of their wealth and goods to the Order and take vows of poverty, chastity, piety, and obedience. Most brothers joined for life, although some were allowed to join for a set period. Sometimes a married man was allowed to join if he had his wife's permission, but he was not allowed to wear the white mantle. The red cross that the Templars wore on their robes was a symbol of martyrdom, and to die in combat was considered a great honor that assured a place in heaven. There was a cardinal rule that the warriors of the Order should never surrender unless the Templar flag had fallen, and even then they were first to try and regroup with another of the Christian orders, such as that of the Hospitallers. Only after all flags had fallen were they allowed to leave the battlefield. This uncompromising principle, along with their reputation for courage, their excellent training, and their heavy armament, made the Templars one of the most feared combat forces in medieval times. Starting with founder Hugues de Payens in 1118–1119, the Order's highest office was that of Grand Master, a position which was held for life, though considering the martial nature of the Order, this could mean a very short tenure. All but two of the Grand Masters died in office, and several died during military campaigns. For example, during the Siege of Ascalon in 1153, Grand Master Bernard de Tremelay led a group of 40 Templars through a breach in the city walls. When the rest of the Crusader army did not follow, the Templars, including their Grand Master, were surrounded and beheaded. Grand Master Gérard de Ridefort was beheaded by Saladin in 1189 at the Siege of Acre. The Grand Master oversaw all of the operations of the Order, including both the military operations in the Holy Land and Eastern Europe, and the Templars' financial and business dealings in Western Europe. Some Grand Masters also served as battlefield commanders, though this was not always wise: several blunders in de Ridefort's combat leadership contributed to the devastating defeat at the Battle of Hattin. The last Grand Master was Jacques de Molay, burned at the stake in Paris in 1314 by order of King Philip IV. With their military mission and extensive financial resources, the Knights Templar funded a large number of building projects around Europe and the Holy Land. Many of these structures are still standing. Many sites also maintain the name "Temple" due to centuries-old association with the Templars. For example, some of the Templars' lands in London were later rented to lawyers, which led to the names of the Temple Bar gateway and the Temple tube station. Two of the four Inns of Court which may call members to act as barristers are the Inner Temple and Middle Temple. Distinctive architectural elements of Templar buildings include the use of the image of "two knights on a single horse", representing the Knights' poverty, and round buildings designed to resemble the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Knights Templar have become associated with legends concerning secrets and mysteries handed down to the select from ancient times. Rumors circulated even during the time of the Templars themselves. Freemasonic writers added their own speculations in the 19th century, and further fictional embellishments have been added in modern movies and best-selling novels such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Ivanhoe, National Treasure, Foucault's Pendulum, The Last Templar, and The Da Vinci Code. Many of the Templar legends are connected with the Order's early occupation of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and speculation about what relics the Templars may have found there, such as the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant. That the Templars were in possession of some relics is certain. Many churches still display relics such as the bones of a saint, a scrap of cloth once worn by a holy man, or the skull of a martyr: the Templars did the same. They were documented as having a piece of the True Cross, which the Bishop of Acre carried into battle at the disastrous Horns of Hattin. When the battle was lost, Saladin captured the relic, which was then ransomed back to the Crusaders when the Muslims surrendered the city of Acre in 1191. They also possessed the head of Saint Euphemia of Chalcedon. The subject of relics also came up during the Inquisition of the Templars, as several trial documents refer to the worship of an idol of some type, referred to in some cases as a cat, a bearded head, or in some cases as Baphomet, probably a French misspelling of the name Mahomet (Muhammad). There was particular interest during the Crusader era in the Holy Grail, which was quickly associated with the Templars, even in the 12th century. The first Grail romance, the fantasy story Le Conte du Graal, was written in 1180 by Chrétien de Troyes, who came from the same area where the Council of Troyes had officially sanctioned the Templars' Order. In Arthurian legend, the hero of the Grail quest, Sir Galahad (a 13th-century literary invention of monks from St. Bernard's Cistercian Order), was depicted bearing a shield with the cross of Saint George, similar to the Templars' insignia. In a chivalric epic of the period, Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach refers to Templars guarding the Grail Kingdom. A legend developed that, since the Templars had their headquarters at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, they must have excavated in search of relics, found the Grail, and then proceeded to keep it in secret and guard it with their lives. However, in the extensive documents of the Templar inquisition there was never a single mention of anything like a Grail relic, let alone its possession by the Templars. In reality, most scholars agree that the story of the Grail was a fiction that began circulating in medieval times. One legendary artifact that does have some connection with the Templars is the Shroud of Turin. In 1357, the shroud was first publicly displayed by the family of the grandson of Geoffrey de Charney, a Templar who had been burned at the stake with Jacques de Molay, in 1314. The artifact's origins are still a matter of controversy, but carbon dating finds that the shroud was made between 1260 and 1390, a span that includes the last half-century of the Templars. The present day Order of Templars, the official name of the Order is Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH), commonly known in English as the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ), with the Latin motto Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomine Tuo ad gloriam, (“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your Name give glory” Psalm 115:1). But to most people the Order - OSMTH and SMOTJ - is simply known as the "Knights Templar". the Templar Order has formally achieved United Nations NGO status as a charitable organization In today's world the Order exists as an ecumenical Christian international organisation which was founded in 1804, based on the traditions of the medieval Knights Templar and principles of chivalry first organized in 1118 AD. The traditional weapon of the Knights was the sword. The traditional role of the Knights Templar, which emerged in the middle ages, was to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land. The central figure behind this revival was Fabré-Palaprat, a French physician who took a keen interest in the history of the medieval Knights Templar. In 1808 the Order of the Temple was granted patronage and recognition by Napoleon Bonaparte; this same recognition extended by Napoleon III. Many groups claim to be the sole legitimate "Order of the Temple"; some even connect their spurious claims with medieval Templar lineage. However, it's important to note that very few medieval Orders started as anything more than fellowships; the status of "Chivalric Order" was earned though results-driven hard work. Which leads us to the Templars of today, the Present Prince Grand Master is Fernando Campello Pinto Pereira de Sousa Fontes, being Grand Master from 1960 to the present day and is formally recognized by His Imperial Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, as Prince Grand Master of the Worlds Knights Templars, under the overlordship of His Imperial Highness as the Supreme Sovereign and Protector of the Knights Templar Universal. ______________ ___________________________________________________ THE GRAND MASTERS OF THE TEMPLARS ORDER Past-Present 1118-2007 ___________________________________________________ Hugh de Payens.................................1118-1136 Robert I de Craon..............................1136-1146 Everard des Barres.............................1146-1149 Bernard de Tormelai............................1149-1153 Andre de Montbard..............................1153-1156 Bertrand de Blanchefort........................1156-1169 Philippe I de Milly............................1169-1171 Eudes de St. Amand.............................1171-1179 Arnold de Toroga...............................1179-1184 Acre (Akko) Era ...............................1191-1291 Gerard de Ridfort..............................1185-1189 vacant.........................................1189-1191 Robert II de Sable.............................1191-1193 Gilbert Erail..................................1193-1200 Philippe II de Plessiez........................1201-1208 Guillaume I de Chartres........................1209-1219 Pierre de Montaigu.............................1219-1230 Herman de Perigord.............................1231-1244 Richard de Bures...............................1245-1247 Guillaume II de Sonnac.........................1247-1250 Reynald de Vichiers............................1250-1256 Thomas Berard..................................1256-1273 Guillaume III de Beaujeu...................... 1273-1291 Cyprus era ....................................1291-1314 Tibald de Gaudin...............................1291-1293 Jacques de Molay...............................1293-1314 Order suppressed in France and elsewhere, 1307-1314 Jacques de Molay appoints just before his execution Jean-Marc Larmenius to the Grand Mastership. Larmenius survives the suppression, and collects what scattered remnants of the Templars he can find, and establishes a secret society dedicated to preserving the traditions of the Templars. Jean-Marc Larmenius de Jerusalem...............1314-1324 François-Thomas-Thibaut d'Alexandrie...........1324-1340 Arnould de Braque..............................1340-1349 Jean de Clermont...............................1349-1357 Bertrand du Guesclin...........................1357-1381 Jean (III, Count d'Armagnac 1384-1391).........1381-1391 Bernard (VII, Count d'Armagnac 1391-1418)......1391-1418 Jean (IV, Count d'Armagnac 1418-1450)..........1418-1450 Jean de Croy...................................1450-1472 Regent Bernard Imbault.........................1472-1478 Robert de Lenoncourt de Lorraine...............1478-1497 Galéas de Salazar..............................1497-1516 Philippe de Chabot.............................1516-1544 Gaspard de Saulx et de Tavennes................1544-1574 Henri de Montmorency...........................1574-1615 Charles de Valois..............................1615-1651 Jacques Rouxel de Grancey......................1651-1681 Jacques-Henri de Durfort, Duc de Duras .........1681-1705 After nearly 400 years, A general meeting of the Templars is called at Versailles, and the Grand Master Philippe de Bourbon (later Regent of France) confirmed in March of 1705. Philippe de Bourbon, Duc de Orléans.............1705-1724 Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, Duc de Maine..........1724-1737 Louis-Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Condé.........1737-1741 Louis-François de Bourbon, Prince de Conti......1741-1776 Louis-Hercules-Timoléon de Cossé, Duc de Brissac1776-1792 Claude-Mathieu Radix de Chevillon...............1792-1804 Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat..................1804-1813 Charles-Antoine-Gabriel, Duc de Choiseul........................................1813-1813 Charles-Louis Le Peletier, Comte d'Aunay........1813-1827 Bernard-Raymond Fabré-Palaprat (restored).......1827-1838 Charles-Antoine-Gabriel ........................1838-1838 Charles-Fortune Ct. de Moréton & de Chabrillan.1838-1839 Sir William Sidney Smith........................1839-1840 Jean-Marie Raoul................................1840-1850 Narcisse Valleray...............................1850-1866 Dr. A. G. H. Vernois............................1866-1892 Joseph Péledan..................................1892-1894 "Secrétariat International des Templiers".......1894-1934 "Conseil de regénce"............................1934-1935 Theodore Covias..........................1935-1935 Emile-Clement-J. I. Vandenberg..................1935-1942 Antonio Campello Pinto de Sousa Fontes..........1942-1960 Fernando Campello Pinto Pereira de Sousa Fontes.1960- The Prince Grand Master of The Knights Templar Universal , being formally recognized by His Imperial Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, under the overlordship of His Imperial Highness as the Supreme Sovereign and Protector of the Knights Templar Universal. _______________________________________________________ THE SUPREME SOVEREIGN AND PROTECTOR OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR UNIVERSAL ( 2007- ) _______________________________________________________ His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany , de jure Emperor Charles VIII of Germany. Supreme Sovereign and Protector of the Knights Templar Universal (2007- ) Knight Grand Cross of the Templar Order (2007) Templar Order of Merit (2007). ______________________________________________________________ THE PROTECTOR AND GRAND PRIOR OF CROATIA FOR THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF THE TEMPLE OF JERSALEM ______________________________________________________________ H.S.H. Prince Alfred von Krupa-Tarnawa , Prince of Senj, Duke of Senj, Count von Krupa Tarnawa , Protector and Grand Prior of the Sovereign Grand Priory of Croatia of the Knights Templar, Knight Grand Cross of the Templar Order. _______________ ____________________________________________________________________ THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF THE TEMPLE OF JERSALEM ( Sovereign Grand Priory of Croatia ) ____________________________________________________________________ His Imperial and Royal Highness Prince Karl Friedrich of Germany, issued an Imperial Decree on the 10th of September in the year of Lord Two Thousand and Seven, that His Imperial Highness, has granted Sovereign Status under the formal Protection of Imperial Law of the Holy Roman Empire upon The Grand Priory of Croatia of the Knights Templar, headed by His Excellency Alfred Krupa h.Tarnawa , Nobleman of the Polish Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania, Grand Cross of The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, Grand Prior of Croatia, for the said Order. His Imperial Highness, also issued further Decrees that henceforth His Imperial Highness, assumed full Authority under the Imperial Laws and Patrimony of the Holy Roman Empire, over the Knights Templar Universal and as such assumed the Rank, Title and Honour of the Supreme Sovereign and Protector of the Knights Templar Universal, and that henceforth the Said Alfred Krupa h.Tarnawa, shall became a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, as Prince of Senj in the Kingdom of Croatia, together with the formal Appellation of Serene Highness , with the Templar Titles of Protector and Grand Prior of the Sovereign Grand Priory of Croatia of the Knights Templar, the said Imperial Decrees will take immediate affect. Please see the official website below for the Sovereign Grand Priory of Croatia of the Knights Templar. ____________________ __________________________________________________________ "CHRISTUS VINCIT, CHRISTUS REGNAT, CHRISTUS IMPERIT" __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ For Further Information The Correspondence Address is: The Imperial and Royal Society of The Almanach de Chivalry, Royal Mail Post Office Box 276, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0UL, United Kingdom. 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