Becoming a Teutonic Knight
The process of becoming a knight-brother of the Teutonic Order was long, demanding, and carefully regulated. The candidate was required to satisfy a number of qualifying conditions relating to noble birth, legitimate descent, physical and mental health, marital status, and personal obligations. The candidate was then required to undergo a formal application, supported by testimonials and reviewed by the local Komtur, the convent, and the chapter general. The candidate was then admitted to the novitiate for a period of two to three years, at the end of which the candidate was either admitted to the full profession of vows or was sent home. The process is described in detail in the Statuten of the Order, and the process is one of the most carefully documented procedures of the medieval Latin Church. For the broader context of the three estates of brethren, see the article on the brothers and sisters of the Order.
The Qualifying Conditions
The candidate for admission as a knight-brother was required to satisfy a number of conditions set out in the Statuten. The candidate was required to be of free birth, of legitimate descent, and of a minimum of four generations of noble ancestry on both the paternal and the maternal sides, supported by documentary evidence. The candidate was required to be of sound physical and mental health, as certified by a physician appointed by the Komtur, and of unimpeachable moral character, free of any criminal conviction, any public scandal, or any excommunication.
The candidate was required to be unmarried, with no prior betrothal or other marital obligation. The candidate was required to have no debts, no legal obligations, and no outstanding feudal or familial claims on his person. The candidate was required to be of an age suitable for the Order’s life: the customary minimum age was fourteen, the customary maximum was forty, and the customary age for the actual profession of vows was in the late teens or early twenties. The candidate was, in many cases, the second or third son of a noble family without prospect of inheritance.
The Application
The process of admission began with a formal application to the Komtur of the local Komturei. The application was supported by testimonials from the candidate’s family, from the candidate’s local clergy, and from two or more knight-brothers of the Order. The testimonials from the family were usually provided by the father, the eldest brother, and the head of the local noble family. The testimonials from the clergy were usually provided by the parish priest, the rural dean, and the bishop of the diocese. The testimonials from the knight-brothers were provided by brothers who knew the candidate personally and who were willing to vouch for his character and qualifications.
The application was reviewed by the Komtur, by the convent of the local Komturei, and by the chapter general of the Order. The review at the level of the Komtur and the convent involved the verification of the testimonials, the examination of the candidate by the physician, and a personal interview. The review at the level of the chapter general involved the receipt of the application, the review of the testimonials, and the formal acceptance of the candidate to the novitiate.
The Novitiate
The candidate, on acceptance by the chapter general, was admitted to the Order’s house as a novice. The novitiate was a period of probation, typically lasting two to three years, during which the candidate was expected to live the full life of the brethren. The novice attended the canonical hours in the chapel, took meals in the refectory, slept in the dormitory, and participated in the work of the convent castle. The novice was, however, distinguished from the professed brethren by a number of customary marks: the novice wore a black habit rather than the white habit, the novice carried a copy of the Rule of St Augustine and of the Statuten, and the novice sat at a separate table in the refectory.
The Profession of Vows
At the end of the novitiate, the candidate was either admitted to the full profession of vows or was sent home. The profession of vows was a solemn ceremony, performed in the chapel of the convent castle in the presence of the Komtur and the convent. The candidate was questioned by the Komtur as to his willingness to take the three monastic vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience, and having answered in the affirmative, was conducted to the principal seat of the chapel, where he was formally professed.
The profession of vows was, from that moment, a binding contract between the candidate and the Order. The candidate was, from that moment, a professed brother of the Order, bound to it for life, and entitled to the full rights and duties of the knight-brothers. The candidate was, in the canonical sense, a persona ficta of the Order, and the Order , was the principal subject of the professed brother’s civil and legal existence. The transformation was, the most important constitutional act of the candidate’s life.
Sources
- Boockmann, Hartmut. Der Deutsche Orden: Zwölf Kapitel aus seiner Geschichte. Munich: Beck, 1981.
- Favreau-Lilie, Marie-Luise. Die Ritterbrüder im livländischen Zweig des Deutschen Ordens. Cologne: Böhlau, 2003.
- Strehlke, Ernst, ed. Tabulae ordinis Theutonici. Berlin: Weidmann, 1869.
Related Reading
For the broader context of the three estates of brethren, see the article on the brothers and sisters of the Order. For the priestly estate, see the article on the priestly brothers. For the constitutional framework, see the parent pillar on the structure and daily life of the Order and the article on the hierarchy of the Order. For the rule followed by the professed brothers, see the article on the Rule of St Augustine and the article on the three monastic vows. For the formal statutes governing the profession, see the article on the Statuten of the Order. For the habit assumed at profession, see the article on the black cross of the Order.