History of the Crusades

the Crusades Episode 225, the Baltic Crusades, the Prussian Crusade Part 7, Fogglesung. Hello again.

Last week we saw Grand Master Herman von Salzer,

counter Duke Conrad of Mesovia's formal invitation for the Teutonic Order to subdue Prussia in return for land around

Calm with a radical move.

Instead of accepting or rejecting the formal offer, Hermann

Salzer, in conjunction with Emperor Frederick II, came up with a document of his own. The Golden Bull of Rimini effectively

authorized the Teutonic Order to conquer Prussia and then keep any land they conquered.

In his book Poland a history Adam Zamoyski likens the situation to Duke Conrad offering the Teutonic Order a lease on a house, and then the Teutonic

order producing a document authorizing them to purchase the property outright.

So the Golden Bull of Rimini means that from the outset the Prussian Crusade is going to be quite a different venture from the Levonian Crusade.

The Levonian Crusade was very much Bishop Albert's undertaking with the Sword Brothers mostly, and you would have to say reluctantly, under Bishop Albert's control. But the opposite will be occurring in Prussia.

The Prussian Crusade will be managed, financed and operated by the Teutonic Order and not by Bishop Christian.

In fact, in his book The Prussian Crusade, William Urban states that the Teutonic Order even attempted to circumvent

Bishop Christian and the Sustertian monks entirely.

Although the Knights of the Teutonic Order were effectively

warrior monks, their principal mission in a crusade was to protect missionaries who preached to the non-Christians and to protect those who

had converted to Christianity.

The role of the Order was not to make converts themselves.

Hermann von Salzer thought that perhaps it might be a good idea to circumvent the Bishop of Prussia and his

sastertian missionaries and instead invite a new order into Prussia to perform the work of preaching to and converting the pagans.

So to which order did Hermann von Salzter turn to undertake this task? Well, he chose the Dominicans.

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