Deutscher Orden. Amt des Hochmeisters

The Deutscher Orden. Amt des Hochmeisters (Office of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order) is the central administrative office of the Teutonic Order, a Catholic religious order officially known as the Brothers and Sisters of the German House of St. Mary in Jerusalem. The Order was founded in 1190 in Acre (Akkon) as a hospital brotherhood and became a military-religious order in 1198. Today it is a clerical religious institute of the Catholic Church, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, where the Grand Master and his office direct the Order's spiritual, charitable, and cultural activities. The Hochmeisteramt coordinates the governance of the Order under the Grand Master, supported by the General Council, the General Procurator, the General Assistant, the General Secretary, and the General Economist. Its responsibilities include overseeing the Order's provinces, commanderies, and members—both professed brothers and sisters and the Familiaren (lay associates)—as well as managing the Order's properties, guesthouses, treasury, and archives. The office is based at the Ordenshaus in Vienna, which also houses the Church, the Treasury (Schatzkammer), and the Central Archive. The Order's historical arc is long and complex: from its origins in the Holy Land, it moved its headquarters to Venice and then to Marienburg in Prussia, later to Mergentheim, and finally to Vienna after the Napoleonic era. The Office of the Grand Master today preserves this heritage while focusing on pastoral care, charitable work, and scholarly activities, including the Scientific Association for the Teutonic Order and the International Historical Commission. The website deutscher-orden.at serves as the official online presence, providing information on the Order's leadership, history, spirituality, and guesthouses.

The Teutonic Order was founded in 1190 in Acre (Akkon) during the Third Crusade as a hospital brotherhood to care for German pilgrims. In 1198, it was elevated to a military-religious order, following the model of the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar. The Order's early leaders held the title of Magister; from 1216, under Hermann von Salza, the title 'Magister Hospitalis Sancte Marie Alemannorum Jerosolimitani' became official. The Order moved its headquarters to Venice and then to Marienburg in Prussia, where it established a powerful state. After the Order's defeat at Tannenberg in 1410 and the secularization of Prussia in 1525, the Grand Master's seat moved to Mergentheim. In 1809, Napoleon dissolved the Order in the Confederation of the Rhine, and the headquarters eventually relocated to Vienna, where it remains today. The Office of the Grand Master (Hochmeisteramt) continues to administer the Order's affairs, focusing on religious, charitable, and cultural activities. The website deutscher-orden.at provides a detailed overview of the Order's history, including the list of Grand Masters and the Scientific Association for the Teutonic Order.

• 1809

  Napoleon dissolves the Order in the Confederation of the Rhine; headquarters later moves to Vienna.

• Founded in Acre as a hospital brotherhood.

• Elevated to a military-religious order.

• Title 'Magister Hospitalis Sancte Marie Alemannorum Jerosolimitani' becomes official under Hermann von Salza.

Catholic religious order with a centuries-old tradition, dedicated to spiritual, charitable, and cultural work.

Product categories. Religious services · Pastoral care · Charitable activities · Guesthouse accommodation · Treasury and museum visits · Publications

1. 1Deutscher Orden: Brüder und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem - NEUE HOMEPAGEdeutscher-orden.at
2. 2Deutscher Orden: Brüder und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem - Wissenschaftliche Vereinigung für den Deutschen Orden e.V.deutscher-orden.at
3. 3Deutscher Orden: Brüder und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalemdeutscher-orden.at
4. 4Deutscher Orden: Brüder und Schwestern vom Deutschen Haus St. Mariens in Jerusalem - Die Hochmeisterdeutscher-orden.at
5. 5Deutscher Orden. Amt des Hochmeisterswikidata.org