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German States: Brandenburg and Prussia - the Teutonic Knights

Last modified: 2000-01-07 by marcus wendel
Keywords: germany | prussia | elbing | danzig | poland | komturia | teutonic knights |
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FLAGS OF GERMAN STATES

From the middle ages to the present

Most images contributed by Jaume Ollé, reduced to FOTW standard by Jorge Candeias.

Part I: Brandenburg and Prussia (1)

The Teutonic Knights

Among the groups of knights organized during the Crusades (e.g Templars, Hospitallers) was a group, largely and later exclusively German, called in German the Deutschen Orden and in English the Teutonic Knights. In 1225, after the failure of the attempt to reconquer the Holy Land, Pope Gregory IX ordered the Teutonic Knights to convert the Prussians, a people related to the Lithuanians and Latvians and who were the last remaining pagans in Europe. This action apparently pleased the Poles, especially the Duke of Mazovia, to whom the Prussians were not only non-believers, but also warlike pains-in-the-neck. In a long war the Order finally conquered the Prussians by 1285, killing some, converting and subjecting others, and set up a unique feudal state. BTW, the Prussians as a unique ethnic group ceased to exist with the final end of their language at the end of the 17th century, although probably, the bulk of them merged with the German-speaking colonists.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

The following are the best known of their flags (see source for history of these flags):

1) Flag of the Teutonic Knights

by Jaume Ollé, 2 September 1998

Black "scandinavian" cross on white field. Frequently shown with fly half of flag cut into three "ribbons" (up to center). Occasionally, but rarely, cross is shown as St. George type (as in flag of England) [Illustrated Smith, STAAW, p.115] . Also, flag is sometimes shown with a narrow blue stripe along the hoist. 5]
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

2) Grand Master of Teutonic Knights

by Jaume Ollé, 2 September 1998

Similar to no.1 except cross is gold fimbriated black and cross is a cross potent (i.e. it has rectangular "feet" at each end. At the point where the arms cross, a shield with the Imperial arms--black eagle on gold field. Frequently shown with fly half of flag cut into three "ribbons" (up to center). Occasionally, but rarely, cross is shown as St. George type (as in flag of England) [Illustrated Smith, STAAW, p.115]
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

The branch of the Knights in Prussia (there was another in Livonia and one back home in Germany) had 35 komturias - roughly counties. I have flags for about half of them (thanks to Miller's Choragwie i Flagi Polskie, Warsaw: Instytut Wydawniczy Nasza Ksiegarna, 1962). All flags are shown by Miller as 5:8, but this may not be specifically intended.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

3) Komturia Graudenz

by Jaume Ollé, 2 September 1998

White field with black ox with red tongue and yellow horn (rotated 270 degrees).
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

4) Komturia Rheden

by Jaume Ollé, 2 September 1998

Top 2/3 of flag red, bottom 1/3 white on red field a white ram with black hooves carrying a white 3-tailed flag on a gold pole with cruciform top.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

5) Komturia Schlochau

by Jaume Ollé, 2 September 1998

Similar to no. 4, but with a gold goblet in front of ram.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

6) Komturia Strassberg

by Jaume Ollé, 6 September 1998

White field with red deer (rotated 90 degrees)
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

7) Komturia Nessau

by Jaume Ollé, 6 September 1998

Vertical black-white-black triband.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

8) Komturia Gollub

by Jaume Ollé, 6 September 1998

Red field with a white dove with gold beak and feet and carrying a green twig.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

9) Komturia Stargard

by Jaume Ollé, 6 September 1998

Divided quarterly black and white.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

10) Komturia Danzig

by Jaume Ollé, 6 September 1998

Black bend on a white field.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

11) Komturia Schwetz

by Jaume Ollé, 8 September 1998

Divided quarterly white and red.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

12) Komturia Tuchel

by Jaume Ollé, 8 September 1998

Vertically divided white and red. At center of each field a narrow stripe of opposite color.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

13) Komturia Mewe

by Jaume Ollé, 8 September 1998

A red field at the center crossed arrows, one with spade shaped point in white.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

14) Komturia Stuhm

by Jaume Ollé, 8 September 1998

Horizontal red-white-red triband (like present Austrian flag).
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

15) Komturia Elbing

by Jaume Ollé, 8 September 1998

White-red bicolor with crosses in opposite color in each field (Cross bars slightly larger than vertical).
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

16) Komturia Elbing (alternative)

by Jaume Ollé, 9 September 1998

by Mario Fabretto, 19 July 1998

White-red bicolor with crosses formy in opposite color in each field.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

17) Komturia Zulawy

by Jaume Ollé, 9 September 1998

Red over white over black tricolor.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

18) Komturia Osterode

by Jaume Ollé, 9 September 1998

Divided quarterly red and white.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

19) Komturia Ortelsburg

by Jaume Ollé, 9 September 1998

Divided by fess white and Red.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

20) Komturia Ragnit

by Jaume Ollé, 9 September 1998

On white field 3 red hats in a vertical line.
Norman Martin (1998-01-20)

Sources

The source is for these flags is:
Jan Miller, Choragwie i Flagi Polskie.Warsaw:Instytut Wydawniczy Nasza Ksiegarnia,1962

It is very likely that the original source for the images cited by Norman came from "Banderia Prutenorum" a manuscript made by Jan Dlugosz (1415-1480) containing 56 images of flags captured from the Teutonic Knights by the Polish after the battle of Tannenberg (Grunwald) (15 July 1410) and designed in 1448 by the Polish painter Stanislao Durink. The flags were still conserved in the Wawel cathedral in Krakow until 1603, later they disappeared. The manuscript has always been considered a very important document: on 19 May 1940 the German General Governor for Poland, Frank, gave it, with a solemn ceremony, to the Gauleiter of Danzig and East Prussia, Forster, to be conserved in the Knights' castle in Marienburg. This way the Germans wanted to celebrate their revenge toward the Polish. Today the manuscript is conserved in the library of Krakow University.

Most of the flags reproduced in the manuscript are higher than longer, as was common at the time, sometimes with a "schwenkel". The flag of Elbing Norman describes is quoted in the manuscript as "Flag of Elbing citizens, under which some mercenaries fought". Another Elbing flag has the following caption: "Second flag of the city of Elbing, carried by the Hauskomtur Ulrich von Stoffeln". In this case the crosses are of slightly different shape. The quarterly red and white flag of the district of Osterode has been adopted in 1996 by the Polish town of Ostroda (adding the figure of St. George killing the dragon in the upper hoist quarter).

Mario Fabretto, 19 July 1998

See also: