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Die Balley Brandenburg des rittlichen Ordens St Johannis vom
Spital zu Jerusalem As early as the Rhodian period of the Order, the Bailiwick of Brandenburg had gained a degree of autonomy with the right to elect its own Herrenmeister with a seat in Sonneberg in 1428. The Reformation saw the division of Germany into Catholic and Lutheran camps and, in 1538, the Bailiwick followed their Hohenzollern Margraves of Brandenburg in adopting the Lutheran faith with the Margraves as Herrenmeisters. By 1580, Brandenburg had separated from the Order in Malta which in turn recovered five commanderies in 1648 to create a Catholic Bailiwick of Brandenburg. A reconciliation, falling short of recognition, between Grandmaster Pinto and the Herrenmeister, Prince Ferdinand of Prussia in his capacity as Margrave of Brandenburg followed in 1763 when the Bailiwick resumed its responsions to the Order in Malta. The chaotic state of the Order in 1810 may have persuaded Frederick William III of Prussia to abolish the Bailiwick in 1811 which he replaced with the Prussian Order of St John. The Bailiwick had ceased to create new knights from 1800 but, following its restoration by Frederick William IV, the few survivors attempted to resume its continuity with the pre-1811 order and met in Sonneberg in 1853 to elect a new elector, choosing the king's nephew, Prince Frederick Karl. Overtures for reconciliation between the two branches of the Order were rejected by the Lieutenancy in Rome and a new Order called Die Balley Brandenburg des rittlichen Ordens St Johannis vom Spital zu Jerusalem was formed under which title it continues its charitable works today. The Johanniterorden is recognised by the Federal Republic of Germany as a charitable institution rather than as an Order of Chivalry. The Johanniterorden in Germany has a commandery in Austria, a sub-commandery in Canada and autonomous commanderies in Finland, Switzerland, Hungary and France. |
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