History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 225. Episode 224, the Baltic Crusades, the Prussian Crusade, the Prussian Crusade Part 6, the Golden Bull of Rimini.

Hello again.

Last week we examined the recent history of the Teutonic Order and the activities it had undertaken since Hermann Vallezalza became its Grand Master in the year 1210.

In particular, we saw how the Teutonic Knights were invited to occupy a small part of Transylvania

by King Andrew II of Hungary. The venture started off in a promising way with the order building

defensive structures to protect against invading pagans and German peasants moving in to work the land.

However, it all started to unravel when the order repeatedly pushed into lands outside its original charter, and when Hermann

Vonsalza tried to stave off future problems with King Andrew's successor by placing the lands occupied

by the order under Papal Control, King Andrew expelled the order from Hungary. So in summary the Hungarian experience saw a

European ruler invite the Teutonic order to take up arms against local pagans in return for land and income.

That experience had gone very badly for the Teutonic Order.

A huge amount of effort, blood and money had been expended by the Order in Hungary,

and it all pretty much came to nothing.

In his book The Teutonic Knights, a military history, William Urban states that the Hungarian experience shook the confidence of the

order, was a blot on the order's reputation and may have even resulted in financial losses in the form of

withdrawals of donations and other financial support to the order from

prominent European backers. Now the Grand Master of the Order,

Hermann Vonsalza, is being presented with a formal offer from Duke Conrad of Mesovia which looks suspiciously similar to the offer made by King Andrew.

Duke Conrad of Mesovia, with the support of Bishop Christian of Prussia, is offering to give

land and income to the Order in the Region of Kalm in Prussia in return for the order providing arms and men to fight

the Prussian pagans.

...