The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation.
Livonian Order | |
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![]() ![]() Seal of the Livonian Order's master VTOIINLIVONIA MENDATORIS•DOM and the coat of arms of Teutonic Knights in the Livonian Order [] | |
Active | 1237–1561 |
Country |
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Branch | Teutonic Order |
Garrison/HQ | (Wenden) (Cēsis), (Fellin) (Viljandi) |
Battle honours | Livonian Crusade, Battle of the Ice, (Wesenberg), Livonian War |
![image](https://www.wikiquery.en-us.nina.az/image/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2lraXF1ZXJ5LmVuLXVzLm5pbmEuYXovaW1hZ2UvYUhSMGNITTZMeTkxY0d4dllXUXVkMmxyYVcxbFpHbGhMbTl5Wnk5M2FXdHBjR1ZrYVdFdlkyOXRiVzl1Y3k5MGFIVnRZaTgxTHpVNEwxUmxkWFJ2Ym1salQzSmtaWEl4TkRJeUxuQnVaeTh5TWpCd2VDMVVaWFYwYjI1cFkwOXlaR1Z5TVRReU1pNXdibWM9LnBuZw==.png)
History
The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after their defeat by Samogitians in 1236 at the (Battle of Schaulen (Saule)). They were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights and became known as the Livonian Order in 1237. In the summer of that year, the Master of Prussia (Hermann Balk) rode into Riga to install his men as castle commanders and administrators of Livonia.
In 1238, the Teutonic Knights of Livonia signed the Treaty of Stensby with the Kingdom of Denmark. Under this agreement, Denmark would support the expansion ambitions of the order in exchange for northern maritime Estonia.
In 1242, the Livonian Order tried to take the city of Novgorod. However, they were defeated by Alexander Nevsky in the Battle on the Ice.
Fortresses as Paide in land ceded by Denmark in the Treaty of Stensby allowed the order to contain the threat of Russian troops. For that reason, the order focused on its southern borders and Semigallia.
Semigallia was a strategic territory for the Livonian Order. Lithuanians passed through Semigallia to raid settlements in Livonia, and they took advantage of the winter ice pack in the Gulf of Riga to reach Oesel Island. Also, this territory kept the Livonian Branch of the Teutonic Order separated from the Prussian Branch.
Between 1237 and 1290, the Livonian Order conquered all of Courland, Livonia, and Semigallia. In 1298, Lithuanians took Karkus Castle north of Riga, and defeated the order in the (Battle of Turaida), killing Livonian Land Master Bruno and 22 knights. In 1346, the order bought the from King Valdemar IV of Denmark. Life within the order's territory is described in the Chronicle of Balthasar Russow (Chronica der Provinz Lyfflandt).
The Teutonic Order fell into decline following its defeat in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 and the secularization of its Prussian territories by Albert of Brandenburg in 1525, while the Livonian Order managed to maintain an independent existence.
The Livonian Order's defeat in the (Battle of Święta) (Wiłkomierz) on September 1, 1435, which claimed the lives of the master and several high-ranking knights, brought the order closer to its neighbors in Livonia. The Livonian Confederation agreement (eiine fruntliche eyntracht) was signed in Walk on December 4, 1435, by the Archbishop of Riga, the (bishops of Courland), (Dorpat), Ösel-Wiek and (Reval); the representatives of the Livonian Order and vassals, and the deputies of Riga, Reval and Dorpat city municipal councils.
During the Livonian War, however, the order suffered a decisive defeat by troops of Muscovite Russia in the (Battle of Ergeme) in 1560. The Livonian Order then sought protection from Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, who had intervened in a war between Bishop (William) of Riga and the Brothers in 1557.
After coming to an (agreement) with Sigismund II, Augustus and his representatives (especially ), the last Livonian Master, Gotthard Kettler, secularized the order and converted to Lutheranism. In the southern part of the Brothers' lands he created the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia for his family. Most of the remaining lands were seized by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The north of Estonia was taken back by Denmark and Sweden.
From the 14th to the 16th centuries, Middle Low German as spoken in the towns of the Hanseatic League was the established language, but was subsequently succeeded by High German as official language in the course of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Masters of the Livonian Order
The Livonian Master, like the grandmaster of the Teutonic Order, was elected by his fellow knights for a life term. The grandmaster exercised supervisory powers and his advice was considered equal to a command. The grandmaster of Teutonic knights did not limit local autonomy, he rarely visited Livonia or sent ambassadors for oversight.
● (Hermann Balk) 1237–1238
● (Dietrich von Grüningen) 1238–1242
● (Dietrich von Grüningen) 1244–1246
● 1248–1253
● (Anno von Sangershausen) 1253–1256
● (Burkhard von Hornhausen) 1256–1260
● 1261–1263
● 1263–1266
● (Otto von Lutterberg) 1266–1270
● 1270–1273
● (Ernst von Rassburg) 1273–1279
● (Konrad von Feuchtwangen) 1279–1281
● 1281–1287
● 1288–1290
● –1293
● 1295–1296
● Bruno 1296–1298
● 1298–1307
● 1309–1322
● 1322–1324
● 1324–1328
● 1328–1340
● 1340–1345
● 1345–1359
● 1359–1364
● 1364–1385
● 1385–1389
● 1389–1401
● 1401–1413
● 1413–1415
● 1415–1424
● 1424–1433
● 1433–1435
● 1435–1437
● 1438–1450
● (Johann Osthoff von Mengede) 1450–1469
● 1470–1471
● 1471–1483
● (Johann Freytag von Loringhoven) 1483–1494
● (Wolter von Plettenberg) 1494–1535
● 1535–1549
● 1549–1551
● 1551–1557
● 1557–1559
● Godert (Gotthard) Kettler 1559–1561
Commanderies of the Livonian Order
Across modern territory of Estonia and Latvia
Estonia
- (Komturei) (Reval)
- Komturei (Pernau)
- Komturei (Jerwen)
- Komturei (Fellin)
- Komturei (Talkhof)
Latvia
References
- Urban, William (2005). The Teutonic Knights: A Military History. pp. 259–273. ISBN .[]
- Frucht, Richard C. (2005). Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 69. ISBN .
- Turnbull, Stephen R. (2004). Crusader castles of the Teutonic Knights. 2, The stone castles of Latvia and Estonia 1185–1560. Dennis, Peter, 1950–. Oxford: Osprey. pp. 17–22. ISBN . OCLC 56426711.
- www.gaumina.lt, e-solution: Gaumina. . m.ldkistorija.lt. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- (Raudkivi, Priit) (2007). Vana-Liivimaa maapäev. Argo. pp. 118–119. ISBN .
- Koch, Kristine (2002). Deutsch als Fremdsprache im Russland des 18. Jahrhunderts. Die Geschichte des Deutschen als Fremdsprache (in German). Vol. 1. Berlin/New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 59. ISBN .
- Urban, William L (2004). Livonian Crusade. Lithuanian Research and Studies Center. pp. 12, 14. ISBN .