Topic summary
Teutonic Knights
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Teutonic Order.
Foundation 1143–1192
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, elevated his close friend Hermann von Salza to the status of Reichsfürst, or "Prince of the Empire", enabling the Grand Master to negotiate with other senior princes as an equal. During Frederick's coronation as King of Jerusalem in 1225, Teutonic Knights served as his escort in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; von Salza read the emperor's proclamation in both French and German. However, the Teutonic Knights were never as influential in Outremer as the older Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller.