Hello and welcome to the history of the Germans, episode 134, Tunnenberg.

This week we look at the reasons the golden age of the Teutonic Knights came to an abrupt end at the beginning of the 15th century.

It is a sequence of events that involve some remarkable

Polish and Lithuanian princes, the Templars and, of course, the brothers of the

House of St. Mary of the Germans in Jerusalem. Ah, and a very famous battle. But before we start,

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Now, back to the show.

Last week we heard about the great chivalric adventure holidays

the Trotonic Knights staged for their wealthy aristocratic guests.

These were nominally crusades against the pagan Lithuanians,

but their military benefit paled into insignificance compared to the economic impact the free

spending tourists had on the order state. These Lithuanian crusades, or Poison Reisen,

did serve, however, another important purpose, a purpose that was even more crucial

for the survival of the order than the economic or military benefit. And that has to do with something

that happened, not in Northern Europe, not in the Empire, but way over on the other side of Europe,

...