Grand Master of the Teutonic Order

Coat of arms

The coat of arms representing the grand master (Deutschmeisterwappen) is shown with a golden cross fleury or cross potent superimposed on the black cross, with the imperial eagle as a central inescutcheon. The golden cross fleury overlaid on the black cross becomes widely used in the 15th century. A legendary account attributes its introduction to Louis IX of France, who on 20 August 1250 granted the master of the order this cross as a variation of the Jerusalem cross, with the fleur-de-lis symbol attached to each arm. While this legendary account cannot be traced back further than the early modern period (Christoph Hartknoch, 1684) there is some evidence that the design does indeed date to the mid 13th century.

Before the Reformation

Compared to other medieval governments, transfer of power within the Teutonic Knights was run efficiently. Upon the death of a grand master, the vice master called a capitulum of the leading officers of the order. The general chapter would select a twelve-person electoral college composed of seven knights, four sergeants, and one priest. Once a majority-candidate for grand master was chosen, the minority electors would concede to support unanimity. These elections usually provided a succeeding grand master within three months.

Candidates for the position of grand master had experience as senior administrators for the order and were usually chosen on merit, not lineage. This changed only after the order had entered a steady decline, with the selection of Frederick of Saxony and Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, members of the powerful Wettin and House of Hohenzollern dynasties.

When the Teutonic Knights were originally based in Acre in Outremer, the grand masters spent much of their time at the papal and imperial courts. The grand masters were most powerful after the order's 13th century conquest of Prussia during the Northern Crusades and the creation of the militarized State of the Teutonic Order (Ordenstaat), which lasted until 1525. After the order's capital moved from Venice to Marienburg in 1309, the grand master's power was at its height. He had ultimate control over Prussia, which gave him command over the Prussian commanders. When the general chapter would meet in Elbing, he was able to use this influence to ratify administrative measures he proposed. The grand master also served as the castellan of Marienburg and was aided by the order's treasurer. He was also a member of the Hanseatic League, allowing him to receive some of the league's custom dues.

Excavations in the church of Kwidzyn (Marienwerder) performed in 2007 yielded the skeletal remains of three Grand Masters of the late medieval period, Werner von Orseln (1324–30), Ludolf König (1342–45) and Heinrich von Plauen (1410–13). The church had been known as the burial place of the bishops of Pomesania, but the discovery of the grand masters' burials was unexpected. The bodies had been buried in gold-painted wooden coffins draped in silk robes.

Leaders of the early Brotherhood, 1190–1198

The Teutonic Order as a hospice brotherhood in Outremer:

1190 Master Sibrand

1190—1192 Konrad

1192 Gerhard

1193/94 Heinrich, prior

1195–1196 Ulrich

1196 Heinrich, preceptor (probably identical with Heinrich Walpot, the first Grand Master-see below; German article at Heinrich Walpot von Bassenheim)

Grand Masters of the Order, 1198–1525

The Teutonic Order as a spiritual military order had a total of 37 grand masters between 1198 and 1525.

Several armorials of the 15th and early 16th century depict the coat of arms of the grand masters. These include the Chronica by Ulrich Richenthal, an armorial of St. Gallen kept in Nuremberg, an armorial of southwest Germany kept in Leipzig and the Miltenberg armorial. Conspicuously absent from these lists are three grand masters, Gerhards von Malberg (1241-1244) and his successors Heinrich von Hohenlohe (1244-1249) and Gunther von Wüllersleben (1250-1252), so that pre-modern historiographical tradition has a list of 34 grand masters for the time before 1525 (as opposed to 37 in modern accounts).

1. 1198–sometime before 1208 Heinrich Walpot von Bassenheim2. documented for 1208 Otto von Kerpen3. 1208–1209 Heinrich von Tunna4. 1209–1239 Hermann von Salza. As a friend and councillor of emperor Frederick II, Hermann achieved the recognition of the order as of equal status with the older military orders of the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar by Pope Honorius III. In 1237, he also oversaw the incorporation of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword into the Teutonic order.5. 1239–1240 Konrad von Thüringen  (6.) 1240–1244 Gerhard von Malberg  (7.) 1244–1249 Heinrich von Hohenlohe  (8.) 1249–1252 Günther von Wüllersleben6. (9.) 1252–1256 Poppo von Osterna (the pretender Wilhelm von Urenbach (1253-1256) was chosen in opposition to Poppo von Osterna).7. (10.) 1256–1273 Anno von Sangershausen8. (11.) 1273–1282 Hartmann von Heldrungen9. (12.) 1282 or 1283 –1290 Burchard von Schwanden10. (13.) 1290–1297 Konrad von Feuchtwangen. After the fall of Acre, Konrad moved the Order's headquarters to Venice.11. (14.) 1297–1303 Gottfried von Hohenlohe12. (15.) 1303–1311 Siegfried von Feuchtwangen, of the same family as his pre-predessor Konrad von Feuchtwangen. Siegfried moved the order's headquarters to Prussia in 1309.13. (16.) 1311–1324 Karl von Trier14. (17.) 1324–1330 Werner von Orseln15. (18.) 1331–1335 Luther von Braunschweig (Lothar)16. (19.) 1335–1341 Dietrich von Altenburg17. (20.) 1342–1345 Ludolf König18. (21.) 1345–1351 Heinrich Dusemer19. (22.) 1351–1382 Winrich von Kniprode20. (23.) 1382–1390 Conrad Zöllner von Rothenstein21. (24.) 1391–1393 Konrad von Wallenrode22. (25.) 1393–1407 Konrad von Jungingen23. (26.) 1407–1410 Ulrich von Jungingen24. (27.) 1410–1413 Heinrich von Plauen25. (28.) 1414–1422 Michael Küchmeister von Sternberg26. (29.) 1422–1441 Paul von Rusdorf27. (30.) 1441–1449 Konrad von Erlichshausen28. (31.) 1449 or 1450–1467 Ludwig von Erlichshausen29. (32.) 1467–1470 Heinrich Reuß von Plauen30. (33.) 1470–1477 Heinrich Reffle von Richtenberg31. (34.) 1477–1489 Martin Truchseß von Wetzhausen32. (35.) 1489–1497 Johann von Tiefen33. (36.) 1497–1510 Frederick, Duke of Saxony34. (37.) 1510–1525 Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Duke of Prussia

After the Reformation

Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach converted to Lutheranism and turned the Ordenstaat into the secular, Lutheran Duchy of Prussia in 1525. The Teutonic Order retained its holdings in Germany and autonomous Livonia, however. Due to being limited to their possessions in other parts of Germany, which were led by the Deutschmeister, the titles Hochmeister and Deutschmeister were combined during the reign of Walter von Cronberg, who was appointed by Emperor Charles V. This dual-title lasted until 1923. For centuries the "Jägerregiment Wien" of the Military of Austria was known as the "Hoch- und Deutschmeister Regiment".

Hoch- und Deutschmeister, 1530–1929

1527–1543 Walter von Cronberg

1543–1566 Wolfgang Schutzbar

1566–1572 Georg Hundt von Weckheim

1572–1590 Heinrich von Bobenhausen

1590–1618 Maximilian of Austria

1619–1624 Karl I of Austria

1625–1627 Johann Eustach von Westernach

1627–1641 Johann Kaspar von Stadion

1641–1662 Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria

1662–1664 Archduke Karl Josef of Austria

1664–1684 Johann Caspar von Ampringen

1685–1694 Ludwig Anton of Palatinate–Neuburg

1694–1732 Ludwig Franz of Palatinate–Neuburg

1732–1761 Prince Clemens August of Bavaria

1761–1780 Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine

1780–1801 Archduke Maximilian Franz of Austria

1801–1804 Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen

1804–1835 Archduke Anton Victor of Austria (office becomes hereditary to Imperial House of Austria)

1835–1863 Archduke Maximilian of Austria–Este

1863–1894 Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria

1894–1923 Archduke Eugen of Austria (end of hereditary status)

1923–1929 Norbert Klein

1929 – present-day

Time of the Teutonic Order as a clerical Roman Catholic religious order

1929–1933 Norbert Klein

1933–1936 Paul Heider

1936–1948 Robert Schälzky

1948–1970 Marian Tumler

1970–1988 Ildefons Pauler

1988–2000 Arnold Othmar Wieland

2000–present Bruno Platter