Johann von Tiefen (died
25 August 1497) was the 35th
Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights, serving from 1489-97.
Von Tiefen's date of birth is unknown, although it is believed he hailed from
Switzerland. His beginnings in the Teutonic Order start in
Elbing, where he was the right hand man of the
Grand Hospitaller,
Heinrich Reuss von Plauen. In 1474 he became the Komtur of
Memel and two years later, the
Grand Komtur. He represented the Teutonic Order on several diplomatic missions to many European courts.
During the times of Grand Master
Martin Truchseß von Wetzhausen, von Tiefen tried to release the pressure between the Teutonic Order and the
Kingdom of Poland. In 1480 he became the Komtur of
Brandenburg (Frisches Haff) and the Grand Hospitaller of the Order. On
June 25,
1487, von Tiefen issued a
charter in
Drengfurt to establish a church in
Alt Jucha.
In 1489 the Order's
Capitulum named von Tiefen Grand Master. Immediately after being elected, he went to Poland and paid the required
homage as vassal to King
Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland in
Radom on
18 November 1489.
Settling down the political situation with Poland helped him to concentrate on internal affairs of the Order. However,
Lucas Watzenrode, the
Bishop of Warmia, tried to gain independence from the Polish Crown as well as from the Grand Master. In May 1490 von Tiefen sent a written request to Watzenrode to allow him to
consecrate a chapel of
John the Baptist in
Groß Stürlack, as well as to allow a priest from
Schwarzstein to say mass.
In 1492, King
John I Albert of Poland suggested moving the Teutonic Order from
Prussia to
Podolia, but von Tiefen opposed the idea. He understood this would mean the end of the sovereignty of the Teutonic Order. He appealed to
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, and the plan was abandoned.
Called upon by John I Albert, von Tiefen had to lead a crusade against the
Ottoman Empire in order to capture ports along the coast of the
Black Sea. He had an army of 400 knights, but illness started to spread within. Traveling along the river
Dniestr, the Grand Master fell ill from
dysentery. He decided to return to
Lemberg, where he never recovered. Von Tiefen died in 1497 and was buried in
Königsberg Cathedral.
His legacy was the concept of electing an
Imperial Prince as Grand Master, which as subject to the Emperor, could resist having to pay homage to Kings of Poland.
Category:Grand Masters of the Teutonic KnightsCategory:Swiss nobilityCategory:1497 deathsCategory:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)de:Johann von Tiefenet:Johann von Tiefenit:Johann von Tiefenlt:Johanas Tyfenaspl:Johann von Tieffensl:Johann von Tiefen
