Crusades in the Baltic 1147 to 1410: Popes grant crusader privileges for wars against Wends, Prussians, Livonians and Lithuanians; the bishop of Riga founds a military order to conquer the land

During the Second Crusade in 1147, north German crusaders received the crusaders' privileges for attacking the pagan Wends east of the Elbe. In Livonia Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Order of the Brothers of the Sword in 1201 as an instrument for the conquest of the land; according to the Britannica the order spread the Christian religion by the sword. A crusade was preached against the pagan Prussians, and the bishop of Prussia called on the Teutonic Order for help. From 1229 the order conquered Prussia, surrendered its territories to the Holy See in 1234 and received them back as a fief; the pope granted all participants the privileges of crusaders. The conquered Prussians became serfs and the land was Germanised. The wars against pagan Lithuania lasted into the late 14th century.

Period

1147-1410 (263 years)

Country

Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland

Institutions

Holy See
Teutonic Order
Order of the Brothers of the Sword
Diocese of Riga

Category

Colonialism, Crusade, Persecution

Level of evidence

B two independent scholarly sources · what does this mean?

Background

Course of events

1. The north German participants in the Second Crusade never went to the Holy Land; they were allowed the crusaders' privileges for attacking the Wends east of the Elbe. The Britannica sees this as anticipating the long crusade of the Teutonic Knights on the Baltic.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Crusades, Second Crusade

   „they were allowed the crusaders’ privileges for attacking the Wends to the east of the Elbe“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Crusades, Second Crusade

   „anticipates the age of the Teutonic knights and their long Crusade on the Baltic“

2. Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Order of the Brothers of the Sword in 1201 as an instrument under his control for the conquest of the land; Innocent III recognised the order. According to the Britannica the order spread the Christian religion by the sword among the natives and waged uninterrupted wars against the Russian republics and Lithuania. In 1237 it was merged into the Teutonic Order.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „This was an order founded by Albert, 3rd bishop of Riga, in 1201, to serve as an instrument, under his control, for the conquest of the land.“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Livonia

   „Innocent III. recognized the order of Brothers of the Sword“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Livonia

   „spreading the Christian religion by the sword among the natives“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „But in 1237 the Knights of the Sword were merged into the Teutonic Order“

3. A crusade was preached against the pagan Prussians. Christian, bishop of Prussia, tried to subdue them with a military order of his own and in 1228 called on the Teutonic Order for help, granting it Kulmerland and any land it should conquer. From 1229 the order conquered Prussia, securing each conquest with fortresses; according to the Catholic Encyclopedia the struggle lasted 25 years, supported by a whole army of crusaders from Germany.
   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia (1912), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „To avenge these Christians a crusade had been preached“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „was attempting with its aid to subdue the heathens of Prussia“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „with such lands as it should conquer (1228)“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „In 1229 the Order began the conquest of Prussia, founding fortresses at each step to rivet its conquests“

   Evidence: The Catholic Encyclopedia (1912), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „a whole army of crusaders from Germany began this struggle which lasted twenty-five years“

Response of the Church

1. In 1234 the order surrendered its territories to the Holy See and received them back as a fief; from then on it was subject only to the papacy. The pope gave those who joined in the work of the order the privileges of crusaders. By 1260 the order ruled the eastern bank of the Vistula to its mouth and the coast as far as Königsberg.
   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „by surrendering its territories to the Holy See and receiving them back again as a fief“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „The pope gave to those who joined in the work of the Order the privileges of Crusaders“

   Evidence: Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911), Artikel Teutonic Order

   „By 1260 they ruled the eastern bank of the Vistula from Kulm to its mouth“

See also

• 1095-1291 · 196 years

  Crusades to the East

  • Germany
  • France
  • Israel
  • Lebanon
  • Palestine
  • Syria
  • Turkey
  • Anti-Judaism
  • Violence
  • Crusade
  • Murder
• 17 Mar 1230-27 May 1234 · 4 years

  Crusade against the Stedingers 1232 to 1234, peasants on the Lower Weser declared heretics for refusing to pay dues

  • Germany
  • Crusade
  • Persecution

Scholarly literature and reference works

1. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Crusades, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
2. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Teutonic Order, The, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
3. Reference work
   Encyclopædia Britannica, 11. Auflage (1911): Livonia, 1 January 1911. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
4. Reference work
   The Catholic Encyclopedia (1912): Teutonic Order, 1 January 1912. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)

Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.