Teutonic Knights

Teutonic Knights, group of German crusaders. Founded in the Middle East at the end of the 12th century, this organization of knights worked to conquer and convert areas of central and eastern Europe to Christianity. Prussia was converted in the 1200s as were the neighboring countries of Estonia and Livonia, where the Livonian Knights were founded. Lithuania was eventually converted (1387), but with Poland later defeated the Teutonic Knights (1410). The order continued to weaken and, beginning in Prussia (1525), its various branches were eventually dissolved.

See also: Knighthood, Orders of.