Coat of arms of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.
The
grand master (; ) is the holder of the supreme office of the
Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the
grand master of other
military orders and the
superior general in non-military
Roman Catholic religious orders.
Hochmeister, literally "high master", is only used in reference to the Teutonic Order, as
Großmeister ("grand master") is used in German to refer to the leaders of other orders of knighthood.
An early version of the full title in
Latin was
Magister Hospitalis Sancte Marie Alemannorum Jerosolimitani. Since 1216, the full title
Magister Hospitalis Domus Sancte Marie Theutonicorum Jerosolimitani ("Master of the Hospital House of St. Mary of the Germans at Jerusalem") was used.
Compared to other medieval governments, transfer of power within the Teutonic Knights was run efficiently. Upon the death of a grand master, the vice master called a
capitulum of the leading officers of the order. The general chapter would select a twelve-person electoral college composed of seven knights, four sergeants, and one priest. Once a majority-candidate for grand master was chosen, the minority electors would concede to support unanimity. These elections usually provided a succeeding grand master within three months.
Candidates for the position of grand master had experience as senior administrators for the order and were usually chosen on merit, not lineage.
[Christiansen, 204] This changed only after the order had entered a steady decline, with the selection of
Frederick of Saxony and
Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, members of the powerful
Wettin and
House of Hohenzollern dynasties.
When the Teutonic Knights were originally based in
Acre in
Outremer, the grand masters spent much of their time at the
papal and
imperial courts. The grand masters were most powerful after the order's 13th century conquest of
Prussia during the
Northern Crusades and the creation of the militarized
monastic state (
Ordenstaat), which lasted until 1525. After the order's capital moved from
Venice to
Marienburg in 1309, the grand master's power was at its height. He had ultimate control over Prussia, which gave him command over the Prussian commanders. When the
general chapter would meet in
Elbing, he was able to use this influence to ratify administrative measures he proposed.
The grand master also served as the
castellan of Marienburg and was aided by the order's
treasurer. He was also a member of the
Hanseatic League, allowing him to receive some of the league's custom dues.
Grand Master Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach converted to
Lutheranism and turned the Ordenstaat into the secular, Lutheran
Duchy of Prussia in 1525. The Teutonic Order retained its holdings in Germany and autonomous Livonia, however. Due to being limited to their possessions in other parts of Germany, which were led by the
Deutschmeister, the titles
Hochmeister and
Deutschmeister were combined during the reign of
Walter von Cronberg, who was appointed by Emperor
Charles V. This dual-title lasted until 1923. For centuries the "
Jägerregiment Wien" of the
Military of Austria was known as the "
Hoch- und Deutschmeister Regiment".
The Teutonic Order is still led by a grand master, although the organization is now a clerical Roman Catholic religious order.
List of Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order
Leaders of the early Brotherhood, 1190-1198
The Teutonic Order as a
hospice brotherhood in
Outremer:
Grand Masters of the Order, 1198-1525
The Teutonic Order as a spiritual
military order:
Hoch- und Deutschmeister, 1530-1929
1929 - present-day
Time of the Teutonic Order as a clerical
Roman Catholic religious order
