The Teutonic Knights
The Rise and Fall of a Religious Corporation
An incisive introduction to the Teutonic Knights, from crusaders to powerful rulers
This book provides a concise and incisive introduction to the Teutonic Knights, or Teutonic Order, the last of the great military orders established in the twelfth century. Evolving into a powerful religious institution, the Knights left a profound and enduring legacy. Pluskowski traces the Order’s journey from a field hospital outside the walls of Acre during the Third Crusade to its remarkable rise as a major territorial ruler and power in northeastern Europe. He charts the three centuries of theocratic rule by this remarkable religious corporation and examines the Order’s notable accomplishments, as well as its failures.
From constructing distinctive fortified convents, including the largest castle in Christendom as its headquarters, to the Order’s decline in the fifteenth century due to a devastating war with Poland-Lithuania and the secularisation of its Prussian and Livonian branches during the Reformation, The Teutonic Knights is a compelling look at a pivotal force in European history.
Published by Reaktion in 2024.
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What have people said about this book?
“it is no surprise that this survey of the Teutonic Order is not only well researched, but a delight to read” — William Urban, Speculum
“The Teutonic Knights is a concise, soberly written and authoritative survey of the military order that fought in both the Holy Land and Europe’s eastern borderlands, becoming in the process one of the continent’s most powerful religious institutions” —— Tony Barber, Financial Times
“Pluskowski has pulled off a remarkable feat. Combining up-to-date international scholarship, detailed narrative and shrewd assessment of complex evidence with close analysis of the full range of economic, political, environmental, ideological, artistic and architectural contexts, his succinct account of the Teutonic Order provides a comprehensive new standard reference.”
— Christopher Tyerman, author of God’s War
“Fluent, fresh and confident, this clever blend of history and archaeology brings the story of the Teutonic Knights sharply into focus. Pluskowski incisively steers us through the emergence, expansion and decline of this mighty organization, enabling us to appreciate their profound influence on the faith, politics and landscape of northeastern Europe.”
— Jonathan Phillips, author of The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin
“The Teutonic Knights provides solid scholarly value as a foundational overview for general medievalists and their students who lack familiarity with late medieval central Europe” — Richard Hoffmann, Medieval Review
