Landmeister of Prussia was a high office in the
Teutonic Order. The Landmeister administered the land of
Prussia of the Teutonic Order. It was in existence as a separate office from 1230 to 1309, later being held in union with the office of
Grand Master until 1525.[1]
History
The office was created at the same time as the beginning of the conquest and the forcible Christianization of the
Prussians in the summer of 1230. The first Landmeister,
Hermann von Balk, received the
Kulmer Land from the Duke
Konrad I of Masovia as the nucleus of the
Teutonic Orders in Prussia and started advancing north along the
Vistula river.[2] His successors completed the conquest of the country under considerable setbacks and established the protection of the districts and the defeat of rebellious Prussians in
fortified houses, the forerunners of the later
brick fortresses known as
Ordensburgs. The last Landmeister of Prussia residing in
Elbing was
Heinrich von Plötzke. In 1309, after the death of Plötzke, the office became held in
union with that of the
Grand Master (held by
Siegfried von Feuchtwangen residing in
Marburg Castle at the time) and continued as such until 1525.[3]
^Zimmerling, Dieter (1988). Der Deutsche Ritterorden [The Teutonic Order of Knights] (in German). Düsseldorf: ECON Verlag. p. 111.
ISBN9783430199599.
^Sonthofen, Wolfgang (1995). Der Deutsche Orden : 800 Jahre Geschichte [The Teutonic Order : 800 year history] (in German). Augsburg: Weltbild. p. 83.
ISBN9783893507139.
Boockmann, Hartmut (1994). Der Deutsche Orden : zwölf Kapitel aus seiner Geschichte [The Teutonic Order : twelve chapters from its history] (in German). München: Beck.
ISBN9783406381744.
Das Ordensbuch: die Regeln und Statuten des Ordens der Brüder und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus Sankt Mariens in Jerusalem [The order book: the rules and statutes of the Order of Brothers and Sisters of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem] (in German). Wien: Verlag des Deutschen Ordens. 2001.
ISBN9788870733136.
Maschke, Erich (1942). Der deutsche Ordensstaat : Gestalten seiner groβen Meister [The state of the Teutonic Order : profiles of its great masters] (in German). Hamburg: Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt.
OCLC492127526.
Schreiber, Hermann (2003). Preussen und Baltikum unter den Kreuzrittern : die Geschichte des Deutschen Ordens [Prussia and the Baltic under the Crusaders : the history of the Teutonic Order] (in German). Gernsbach: Casimir Katz.
ISBN9783925825835.
OCLC51984600.
Ziegler, Uwe (2003). Kreuz und Schwert : die Geschichte des Deutschen Ordens [Cross and sword : the history of the Teutonic Order] (in German). Köln: Böhlau.
ISBN9783412134020.
Landmeister of Prussia was a high office in the
Teutonic Order. The Landmeister administered the land of
Prussia of the Teutonic Order. It was in existence as a separate office from 1230 to 1309, later being held in union with the office of
Grand Master until 1525.[1]
History
The office was created at the same time as the beginning of the conquest and the forcible Christianization of the
Prussians in the summer of 1230. The first Landmeister,
Hermann von Balk, received the
Kulmer Land from the Duke
Konrad I of Masovia as the nucleus of the
Teutonic Orders in Prussia and started advancing north along the
Vistula river.[2] His successors completed the conquest of the country under considerable setbacks and established the protection of the districts and the defeat of rebellious Prussians in
fortified houses, the forerunners of the later
brick fortresses known as
Ordensburgs. The last Landmeister of Prussia residing in
Elbing was
Heinrich von Plötzke. In 1309, after the death of Plötzke, the office became held in
union with that of the
Grand Master (held by
Siegfried von Feuchtwangen residing in
Marburg Castle at the time) and continued as such until 1525.[3]
^Zimmerling, Dieter (1988). Der Deutsche Ritterorden [The Teutonic Order of Knights] (in German). Düsseldorf: ECON Verlag. p. 111.
ISBN9783430199599.
^Sonthofen, Wolfgang (1995). Der Deutsche Orden : 800 Jahre Geschichte [The Teutonic Order : 800 year history] (in German). Augsburg: Weltbild. p. 83.
ISBN9783893507139.
Boockmann, Hartmut (1994). Der Deutsche Orden : zwölf Kapitel aus seiner Geschichte [The Teutonic Order : twelve chapters from its history] (in German). München: Beck.
ISBN9783406381744.
Das Ordensbuch: die Regeln und Statuten des Ordens der Brüder und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus Sankt Mariens in Jerusalem [The order book: the rules and statutes of the Order of Brothers and Sisters of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem] (in German). Wien: Verlag des Deutschen Ordens. 2001.
ISBN9788870733136.
Maschke, Erich (1942). Der deutsche Ordensstaat : Gestalten seiner groβen Meister [The state of the Teutonic Order : profiles of its great masters] (in German). Hamburg: Hanseatische Verlagsanstalt.
OCLC492127526.
Schreiber, Hermann (2003). Preussen und Baltikum unter den Kreuzrittern : die Geschichte des Deutschen Ordens [Prussia and the Baltic under the Crusaders : the history of the Teutonic Order] (in German). Gernsbach: Casimir Katz.
ISBN9783925825835.
OCLC51984600.
Ziegler, Uwe (2003). Kreuz und Schwert : die Geschichte des Deutschen Ordens [Cross and sword : the history of the Teutonic Order] (in German). Köln: Böhlau.
ISBN9783412134020.