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M225 - Livonian Brother of the Sword

ref. EK Castings Zinnfigur – M225 - Livonian Brother of the Sword

EK castings M225 - Livonian Brother of the Sword -  1202-1237
 
The Order of the Sword, or Brothers of Christ hosts (Latin: Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae, German: Schwertbrüderorden - German Catholic military order in Livonia (present-day Latvia and Estonia.), Which existed in the years 1202-1237; the predecessor of the Livonian Order.
In 1201 the fortress city of Riga was founded by Germans. A year later, Bishop Albert von Buxhowden Riga (1165-1229) and his brother and named Deputy Theodoric (Dietrich) with the support of Pope Innocent III established the Order of the Brothers of the sword. Order of the united German (mostly Saxon) Knights and was intended to capture the eastern Baltic to the appeal of the local pagan population to the Catholic faith. In new territories platypus built fortified castles and captured a significant portion of the land transferred to the bishop of Riga. In 1207 Livonia was recognized as a province of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in 1225 - margraviate and Bishop Albert was given the title of Imperial Prince.
The Order of the Sword on the Charter of the Order of the Knights Templar. Ribbons brothers were divided into knights, priests and officials. Knights made a vow of celibacy, and brought the oath of allegiance to the pope and the bishops. At the head of the Order was a master. He obeyed Commanders (The commanders) in charge of military affairs, collection of church taxes, secular court and supervision of subordinate area. The Master and The commanders were part of the governing body - the chapter. Knights wore distinctive white robes with a scarlet cross and the image of the sword. The first was the Master of the Order Wine background Rohrbach (1202-1208), the second and last - Folkvin Vintershtatten background (background Vintershtayn, Volguin von Naumburg) (1208-1236).
Activities Sword constantly overlap with the interests of the western Russian principalities and cities in the Baltic States, especially Novgorod and Pskov. Their interests here were the Danes, based in northern Livonia in 1219 the fortress of Revel (Tallinn). In 1234 Novgorod Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich defeated the army of the Order under Yuriev (Dorpat), and concluded with the knights of the world on favorable terms. In 1236, Pope Gregory IX declared a crusade against Lithuania. At the Battle of Saule (Siauliai) September 22 troops of the Lithuanian prince Vykinta Order dealt a heavy defeat. Master and 48 knights were killed, and the surviving brothers came under the patronage of the Teutonic Order.
May 12, 1237 in Viterbo (Italy), Pope Gregory IX and the grandmaster of the Teutonic Knights Hermann von Salza made a ritual of joining the remnants of the Order of the Sword to the Teutonic Order. In Livonia arrived detachment of the Teutonic Knights, led by Hermann Balke, who became landmeysterom Livonia. Updated Order became known as the Order of the Teutonic House of Saint Mary in Livonia and the Livonian Order. Order of Pope symbolism of the Order of the Sword was abolished.
 
Alternative names of the Order include Christ Knights, Sword Brethren, and The Militia of Christ of Livonia.