View source for Grand Master of the Teutonic Order

{{Short description|Leader of the Teutonic Order, a medieval sect of Roman Catholicism}}
{{Redirect|Hochmeister|the Czech footballer|Radek Hochmeister|the [[Wehrmacht]] Infantry division|44th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = {{nowrap|Grand Master of the Teutonic Order}}
| native_name = {{small|{{lang|de|Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens}}}}
| insignia = Template - Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.svg
| flagsize = 
| insigniacaption = Coat of arms of a Grand Master
| image = Hochmeister Frank Bayard.jpg
| imagesize = 
| alt = 
| incumbent = [[Frank Bayard]]
| incumbentsince = 22 August 2018
| type = 
| status = 
| department = 
| style = 
| member_of = 
| reports_to = [[Holy See]]
| residence = 
| seat = {{plainlist|
* [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] (1190–1291)
* [[Venice]] (1291–1309)
* [[Malbork Castle|Marienburg]] (1309–1466)
* [[Königsberg]] (1466–1525)
* [[Bad Mergentheim|Mergentheim]] (1525–1809)
* [[Vienna]] (1809–present)
}}
| nominator = 
| appointer = 
| appointer_qualified = 
| termlength = Six years
| termlength_qualified = 
| constituting_instrument = 
| precursor = 
| formation = 1198
| first = [[Heinrich Walpot von Bassenheim]]
| last = 
| abolished = 
| succession = 
| abbreviation = 
| unofficial_names = 
| deputy = 
| salary = 
| website = 
}}
{{Catholic Church hierarchy sidebar|Organization titles}}

The '''grand master of the Teutonic Order''' ({{langx|de|Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens}}; {{langx|la|Magister generalis Ordo Teutonicus}}) is the supreme head of the [[Teutonic Order]]. It is equivalent to the [[Grand master (order)|grand master]] of other [[Military order (religious society)|military order]]s and the [[superior general]] in non-military [[Religious order (Catholic)|Roman Catholic religious order]]s. ''Hochmeister'', literally "high master", is only used in reference to the Teutonic Order, as ''Großmeister'' ("grand master") is used in German to refer to the leaders of other orders of knighthood.

An early version of the full title in [[Latin]] was ''Magister Hospitalis Sanctae Mariae [[Alemanni|Alemannorum]] Hierosolymitani''. Since 1216, the full title ''Magister Hospitalis Domus Sanctae Mariae [[Teutons|Teutonicorum]] Hierosolymitani'' ("Master of the Hospital House of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Germans of Jerusalem") was used.

The offices of ''Hochmeister'' and ''Deutschmeister'' (''Magister Germaniae'') were united in 1525. The title of ''Magister Germaniae'' had been introduced in 1219 as the head of the bailiwicks in the [[Holy Roman Empire]], from 1381 also those in Italy, raised to the rank of a prince of the Holy Roman Empire in 1494, but merged with the office of grand master under Walter von Cronberg in 1525, from which time the head of the order had the title of ''Hoch- und Deutschmeister''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dr-bernhard-peter.de/Heraldik/Galerien2/galerie1533.htm |title=Bernhard Peter (2011) |access-date=2015-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923220548/http://www.dr-bernhard-peter.de/Heraldik/Galerien2/galerie1533.htm |archive-date=2015-09-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 1466 to 1525, the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order were vassals and princes of the [[Crown of the Kingdom of Poland|Polish Crown]].<ref name=kg1>{{Cite book|last=Górski|first=Karol|title=Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych|year=1949|publisher=Instytut Zachodni|location=[[Poznań]]|language=Polish, Latin|pages=96–97, 103, 214–215, 221}}</ref>

==Coat of arms==

The coat of arms representing the grand master (''Deutschmeisterwappen'') is shown with a golden [[cross fleury]] or [[cross potent]] superimposed on the black cross, with the [[Reichsadler|imperial eagle]] as a central inescutcheon.
The golden cross potent overlaid on the black cross becomes widely used by the 14th century, developing into a golden cross fleury by the 15th century.
A legendary account attributes the introduction of the cross potent to [[John of Brienne]], King of Jerusalem, who granted the master of the order this cross as a variation of the [[Jerusalem cross]], while the [[fleur-de-lis]] was supposedly granted on  20 August 1250 by [[Louis IX of France]]. While this legendary account cannot be traced back further than the early modern period (Christoph Hartknoch, 1684) there is some evidence that the design does indeed date to the mid 13th century.<ref>
Helmut Nickel, "Über das Hochmeisterwappen des Deutschen Ordens im Heiligen Lande", ''Der Herold'' 4/1990, 97–108 ([http://www.mgh-bibliothek.de/dokumente/b/b038670.pdf mgh-bibliothek.de]).
[[Marie-Luise Heckmann]], "Überlegungen zu einem heraldischen Repertorium an Hand der Hochmeisterwappen des Deutschen Ordens" in: Matthias Thumser, Janusz Tandecki, Dieter Heckmann (eds.) ''Edition deutschsprachiger Quellen aus dem Ostseeraum (14.-16. Jahrhundert)'', Publikationen des Deutsch-Polnischen Gesprächskreises für Quellenedition. Publikacje Niemiecko-Polskiej Grupy Dyskusyjnej do Spraw Edycij Zrodel 1, 2001,  315–346 ([http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~harsch/germanica/Chronologie/14Jh/GoldeneBulle/Wappen.htm online edition]). 
"Die zeitgenössische Überlieferung verdeutlicht für dieses Wappen hingegen einen anderen Werdegang. Der Modelstein eines Schildmachers, der unter Hermann von Salza zwischen 1229 und 1266 auf der Starkenburg ([[Montfort Castle|Montfort]]) im Heiligen Land tätig war, und ein rekonstruiertes Deckengemälde in der Burgkapelle derselben Festung erlaubten der Forschung den Schluss, dass sich die Hochmeister schon im 13. Jahrhundert eines eigenen Wappens bedient hätten. Es zeigte ein auf das schwarze Ordenskreuz aufgelegtes goldenes Lilienkreuz mit dem bekannten Adlerschildchen. Die Wappensiegel des Elbinger Komturs von 1310 bzw. 1319, ein heute in Innsbruck aufbewahrter Vortrageschild des Hochmeisters Karl von Trier von etwa 1320 und das schlecht erhaltene Sekretsiegel desselben Hochmeisters von 1323 sind ebenfalls jeweils mit aufgelegtem goldenem Lilienkreuz ausgestattet."</ref> Each quarter divided by black cross could be fitted with either coat of arms of the Teutonic Order or the personal coat of arms of the grand master, the imperial eagle have also added coat of arms on chest between 18th–20th centuries.

==Before the Reformation==
[[File:Hermann von Salza Painting.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Hermann von Salza]], fourth Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, in a Baroque-era portrait]]
[[File:Wappenbuch Rösch csg-1084 047.jpg|thumb|200px|Coats of arms of the 29 grand masters (until 1470, [[Heinrich Reuß von Plauen]]) in the St. Gallen armorial (Cod. sang. 1084)]]
[[File:Kolbe 1825 Siegfried von Feuchtwangen enters Malbork castle.jpg|thumb|200px|Grand Master [[Siegfried von Feuchtwangen]] enters [[Malbork Castle|Marienburg]] with his knights on 14 September 1309, representing the move of the order's main seat to Prussia (1825 [[history painting]])]]
[[File:Siegel Grossmeister Deutschritterorden.jpg|thumb|200px|Historic seal of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. This seal was in use for more than 200 years, from the 13th century until it was replaced by [[Duke Frederick of Saxony|Frederick, Duke of Saxony]] in 1498.{{Efn|In [[Latin]]: (''Sigillum Magistri Generalis Hospitalis Sancte Marie Theutonicorum Ier(oso)l(o)m(i)tan(i)''. <ref>
Friedrich August Vossberg, ''Geschichte der preussischen Münzen und Siegel von frühester Zeit bis zum Ende der Herrschaft des Deutschen Ordens'', 1843,  [https://books.google.com/books?id=JyAPAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA112 p. 191].</ref>}}]]

Compared to other medieval governments, transfer of power within the Teutonic Knights was run efficiently. Upon the death of a grand master, the vice master called a [[chapter (religion)|capitulum]] composed of the leading officers of the order. The general chapter would select a twelve-person electoral college composed of seven knights, four sergeants, and one priest. Once a majority-candidate for grand master was chosen, the minority electors would concede to support unanimity. These elections usually provided a succeeding grand master within three months.<ref>Christiansen, 203</ref>

Candidates for the position of grand master had experience as senior administrators for the order and were usually chosen on merit, not lineage.<ref name=C204>Christiansen, 204</ref> This changed only after the order had entered a steady decline, with the selection of [[Duke Frederick of Saxony|Frederick of Saxony]] and [[Albert, Duke of Prussia|Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach]], members of the powerful [[House of Wettin|Wettin]] and [[House of Hohenzollern]] dynasties.

When the Teutonic Knights were originally based in [[Acre, Israel|Acre]] in [[Outremer]], the grand masters spent much of their time at the [[Pope|papal]] and [[Holy Roman Emperor|imperial]] courts.<ref>Christiansen, 78</ref> The grand masters were most powerful after the order's 13th century conquest of [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]] during the [[Northern Crusades]] and the creation of the militarized [[State of the Teutonic Order]], which lasted until 1525 (from 1466 to 1525 as part of the Kingdom of Poland as a [[fief]]).<ref name=kg2>Górski, pp. 96–97, 214–215</ref> After the order's capital moved from [[Republic of Venice|Venice]] to [[Malbork Castle|Malbork (Marienburg)]] in 1309, the grand master's power was at its height. He had ultimate control over Prussia, which gave him command over the Prussian commanders. When the [[chapter (religion)|general chapter]] would meet in [[Elbląg]] (Elbing), he was able to use this influence to ratify administrative measures he proposed.<ref name="C204"/> The grand master also served as the [[castellan]] of Marienburg and was aided by the order's [[treasurer]]. He was also a member of the [[Hanseatic League]], allowing him to receive some of the league's custom dues.<ref>Christiansen, p. 205</ref>

Excavations in the church of [[Kwidzyn|Kwidzyn (Marienwerder)]] performed in 2007 yielded the skeletal remains of three Grand Masters of the late medieval period, [[Werner von Orseln]] (1324–1330), [[Ludolf König von Wattzau]] (1342–1445) and [[Heinrich von Plauen]] (1410–1413). The church had been known as the burial place of the [[Bishopric of Pomesania|bishops of Pomesania]], but the discovery of the grand masters' burials was unexpected. The bodies had been buried in gold-painted wooden coffins draped in silk robes.<ref>Bartosz Gondek, Dorota Karaś, "Mistrzowie pochowani w jedwabiach", ''[http://wyborcza.pl/1,75476,6067274,Mistrzowie_pochowani_w_jedwabiach.html Gazeta Wyborcza]'', 2008-12-16.
[http://www.deutscher-orden.at/content/site/home/article/185.html Segnung der Hochmeister-Krypta im Dom zu Kwidzyn/Marienwerder, deutscher-orden.at, 7 August 2010].</ref>

Since the 1466 [[Second Peace of Toruń]], the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order were vassals of the Kingdom of Poland, and every Grand Master of the Teutonic Order was obliged to swear an oath of allegiance to the reigning Polish king within six months of taking office.<ref name=kg2/> The Grand Masters were also princes and counselors of the Polish kings and the Kingdom of Poland.<ref name=kg1/> The State of the Teutonic Order was a part of Poland as a [[fief]].<ref name=kg2/>

=== Leaders of the early Brotherhood, 1190–1198 ===
The Teutonic Order as a [[Palliative care|hospice]] brotherhood in [[Crusader states|Outremer]]:
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="75%"
|-
!Name
!Reign
!Born
!Death
!Notes
|-
|[[Master Sibrand|Sibrand]]
|1190
|1157
|1191
|
|-
|Konrad
|1190–1192
|
|
|
|-
|Gerhard
|1192
|
|
|
|-
|Heinrich
|1193/1194
|
|
|[[Prior (ecclesiastical)|Prior]]
|-
|Ulrich
|1195–1196
|
|
|
|-
|Heinrich
|1196
|
|
|[[preceptor]]{{efn|Probably identical with Heinrich Walpot, the first Grand Master (see below)<ref name="NDB">{{Cite encyclopedia |year=1969 |title=Heinrich Walpot |encyclopedia=Neue Deutsche Biographie |publisher=Duncker & Humblot |location=Berlin |url=http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/ppn137318847.html |editor=Fritz Wagner |editor-link=:de:Fritz Wagner (Historiker) |volume=8 |page=377 [online edition] |quote=Die Identität H.s mit dem Bruder Heinrich, der 1193 und 1194 als Prior, 1196 als „Preceptor“ des Deutschen Hospitals in Akkon genannt wird, ist wahrscheinlich. Er empfängt als solcher Schenkungen für das Hospital und darf, da man über die Amtsbezeichnungen in diesem Hospital in jener Frühzeit sonst fast nichts weiß, wohl als Oberhaupt des Hospitals gelten. Als das Deutsche Hospital in Akkon am 5.3.1198 durch die Führer des deutschen Kreuzzugsheeres, das Heinrich VI. vorausgeeilt war, in einen Ritterorden verwandelt wurde, war es nur natürlich, daß man H. als ersten Hochmeister ausersah. Der Orden wurde 1199 von Papst Innozenz III. bestätigt. [...] Über die Dauer seiner Amtszeit ist nichts Sicheres bekannt. Sein Nachfolger Otto von Kerpen amtierte im September 1208 [...] |author=Kurt Forstreuter}}</ref>}}
|}

=== Grand Masters of the Order, 1198–1525 ===
The Teutonic Order as a spiritual [[Military order (society)|military order]] had a total of 37 grand masters between 1198 and 1525.

Several armorials of the 15th and early 16th century depict the coat of arms of the grand masters. These include the ''Chronica'' by Ulrich Richenthal,<ref>Ulrich von Richental, Chronik des Constanzer Concils 1414 bis 1418, ed. Michael Richard Buck (1882, ND 1962), p. 184.</ref> an armorial of St. Gallen kept in Nuremberg,<ref>Nürnberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Graphische Sammlung Hz 603b, Kapsel 1384 a [St. Gallen, c. 1470: Wappen der Herren von Erlichshausen]</ref> an armorial of southwest Germany kept in [[Leipzig]]<ref>Leipzig, Universitätsbibliothek, Ms. 03 (formerly 2121), fol. 131v [1473/74, Schild der Herren von Erlichshausen)</ref> and the Miltenberg armorial.<ref>'' L'armorial Miltenberg, un armorial de la fin du XVe siècle'', ed. Jean-Claude Loutsch,   Schweizer Archiv für Heraldik 103 (1989) S. 95&ndash;165 (fol. 44r).</ref> Conspicuously absent from these lists are three grand masters, Gerhards von Malberg (1241–1244) and his successors Heinrich von Hohenlohe (1244–1249) and [[Gunther von Wüllersleben]] (1250–1252), so that pre-modern historiographical tradition has a list of 34 grand masters for the time before 1525 (as opposed to 37 in modern accounts).<ref>Marie-Luise Heckmann, "Überlegungen zu einem heraldischen Repertorium an Hand der Hochmeisterwappen des Deutschen Ordens" in: Matthias Thumser, Janusz Tandecki, Dieter Heckmann (eds.) ''Edition deutschsprachiger Quellen aus dem Ostseeraum (14.–16. Jahrhundert)'', Publikationen des Deutsch-Polnischen Gesprächskreises für Quellenedition. Publikacje Niemiecko-Polskiej Grupy Dyskusyjnej do Spraw Edycij Zrodel 1, 2001,  315–346 ([http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~harsch/germanica/Chronologie/14Jh/GoldeneBulle/Wappen.htm online edition]). "Die vorwissenschaftliche Tradition kennt also für die Zeit bis 1525 statt 37 Hochmeistern nur 34 Träger des höchsten Ordensamtes" fn. 68: "Dieselbe Tradition spiegeln folgende Hochmeisterlisten ohne Wappen: Berlin, GStA XX. HA OF 275, fol. 66r-68v, bes. fol. 66r; ebd., OBA 29095, fol. Iv-2r [Hochmeisterliste in Reinschrift], 2v-3r [Landmeisterliste in Reinschrift] 5r-7r [Hochmeisterliste als Konzept], 7v-8r [Landmeisterliste als Konzept], [unpaginiert vor 9]v-14r [Berechnungen der Regierungsjahre der Hochmeister]. Schrift und Inhalt weisen mit einer Ausnahme auf das 16. Jahrhundert als Entstehungszeitraum für diese Stücke, die erst im Nachhinein durch Bleistiftpaginierung zusammengefügt wurden."</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" width="75%"
|-
!{{abr|#|Number}}
!{{abr|Mod|Modern number}}
!Name
!Reign
!Born
!Death
!Notes
|-
| 1
| 1
| [[Heinrich Walpot von Bassenheim]]<ref name=NDB/>
| 1198–sometime before 1208 
|
| 24 Sep 1200
| 
|-
| 2
| 2
| [[Otto von Kerpen]]<ref name=NDB/>
| Documented for 1208
| 
| 1208
|
|-
| 3
| 3
| [[Heinrich von Tunna]]
| 1208–1209
| 
| 1209
|
|-
| 4
| 4
| [[Hermann von Salza]]
| 1209–1239
| {{circa}} 1165
| 20 March 1239
| As a friend and councillor of emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], Hermann achieved the recognition of the order as of equal status with the older military orders of the [[Knights Hospitaller]] and the [[Knights Templar]] by [[Pope Honorius III]]. In 1237, he also oversaw the incorporation of the [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword]] into the Teutonic order.
|-
| 5
| 5
| [[Konrad von Thüringen]]
| 1239–1240 
| {{circa}} 1206
| 24 July 1240
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | {{center|-}}
| 6
| [[Gerhard von Malberg]]
| 1240–1244 
| {{circa}} 1200
| After 1245
|
|-
| 7
| [[Heinrich von Hohenlohe]]
| 1244–1249 
| {{circa}} 1200
| 15 July 1249
|
|-
| 8
| [[Gunther von Wüllersleben]]
| 1249–1252 
|
| 3 or 4 May 1252
|
|-
| 6
| 9
| [[Poppo von Osterna]]
| 1252–1256
| 
| 6 Nov 1266 or 1267
| The pretender [[Wilhelm von Urenbach]] (1253–1256) was chosen in opposition to Poppo von Osterna).<ref>Klaus Militzer. Poppo von Osterna (Osternohe) 1252–1256. In: Arnold, Udo (Ed.), ''Die Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens 1190–1994'' (1998), p.&nbsp;27.</ref>
|-
| 7
| 10
| [[Anno von Sangershausen]]
| 1256–1273 
|
| 8 July 1273
|
|-
| 8
| 11
| [[Hartmann von Heldrungen]]
| 1273–1282 
|
| 19 Aug 1282
|
|-
| 9
| 12
| [[Burchard von Schwanden]]
| 1282 or 1283–1290 
|
| 1310
| [[Burchard von Schwanden]]'s first year in office is given as 1282 on the Teutonic Order's German site and 1283 on the Austrian site.
|-
| 10
| 13
| [[Konrad von Feuchtwangen]]
| 1290–1297 
| Before 1230
| 4 July 1296
| After the [[Siege of Acre (1291)|fall of Acre]], Konrad moved the Order's headquarters to [[Republic of Venice|Venice]].
|-
| 11
| 14
| [[Gottfried von Hohenlohe]]
| 1297–1303 
| 1265
| 19 Oct 1310
|
|-
| 12
| 15
| [[Siegfried von Feuchtwangen]]
| 1303–1311
|
| 1311
| Of the same family as his predecessor Konrad von Feuchtwangen. Siegfried moved the order's headquarters to Prussia in 1309.
|-
| 13
| 16
| [[Karl von Trier]]
| 1311–1324 
| 1265
| 11 Feb 1324
|
|-
| 14
| 17
| [[Werner von Orseln]]
| 1324–1330
| {{circa}} 1280
| 18 Nov 1330
|
|-
| 15
| 18
| [[Luther von Braunschweig]]
| 1331–1335
| {{circa}} 1275
| 18 April 1335
| Also spelled Lothar
|-
| 16
| 19
| [[Dietrich von Altenburg]]
| 1335–1341
|
| Oct 1341
|
|-
| 17
| 20
| [[Ludolf König von Wattzau]]
| 1342–1345
| Between 1280 and 1290
| 1348 or later
|
|-
| 18
| 21
| [[Heinrich Dusemer]]<ref>Andrzej Nowakowski (1994). [https://books.google.com/books?id=ThshAQAAIAAJ ''Arms and armour in the medieval Teutonic Order's state in Prussia'']. Volume 2 of Studies on the history of ancient and medieval art of warfare. Łódź: Oficyna Naukowa MS. {{ISBN|978-8385874010}}. p.&nbsp;33.Hans Koeppen (1969). [http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz29152.html Heinrich Dusemer] (in German). ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'', volume 8. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. {{ISBN|3428001893}}. p.&nbsp; 378.</ref>
| 1345–1351
| {{circa}} 1280
| 1353
|
|-
| 19
| 22
| [[Winrich von Kniprode]]
| 1351–1382
| 1310
| 1382
|
|-
| 20
| 23
| [[Konrad Zöllner von Rotenstein]]
| 1382–1390 
| {{circa}} 1325
| 20 Aug 1390
|
|-
| 21
| 24
| [[Konrad von Wallenrode]]
| 1391–1393 
| {{circa}} 1330s
| 23 July 1393
|
|-
| 22
| 25
| [[Konrad von Jungingen]]
| 1393–1407
| {{circa}} 1355
| 30 March 1407
|
|-
| 23
| 26
| [[Ulrich von Jungingen]]
| 1407–1410
|
| 15 July 1410
|
|-
| 24
| 27
| [[Heinrich von Plauen]]
| 1410–1413
| 1360
| 
|
|-
| 25
| 28
| [[Michael Küchmeister von Sternberg]]
| 1414–1422
| {{circa}} 1370
| 1429
|
|-
| 26
| 29
| [[Paul von Rusdorf]]
| 1422–1441
| {{circa}} 1385
| 1441
|
|-
| 27
| 30
| [[Konrad von Erlichshausen]]
| 1441–1449
| 1390 or 1395
| 1449
|
|-
| 28
| 31
| [[Ludwig von Erlichshausen]]
| 1449 or 1450–1467
| {{circa}} 1410
| 4 April 1467
| [[Ludwig von Erlichshausen]]'s first year in office is given as 1449 on the Teutonic Order's German site and 1450 on the Austrian site.
|-
| 29
| 32
| [[Heinrich Reuß von Plauen]]
| 1467–1470
| {{circa}} 1400
| 2 Jan 1470
|
|-
| 30
| 33
| [[Heinrich Reffle von Richtenberg]]
| 1470–1477
| 1415
| 1477
|
|-
| 31
| 34
| [[Martin Truchseß von Wetzhausen]]
| 1477–1489
| 1435
| 3 Jan 1489
|
|-
| 32
| 35
| [[Johann von Tiefen]]
| 1489–1497
|
| 25 Aug 1497
|
|-
| 33
| 36
| [[Frederick of Saxony (Teutonic Knight)|Frederick, Duke of Saxony]]
| 1497–1510
| 26 Oct 1473
| 14 Dec 1510
|
|-
| 34
| 37
| [[Albert, Duke of Prussia|Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach]]
| 1510–1525
| 17 May 1490
| 20 March 1568
|
|}

==After the Reformation==
The last ''Hochmeister'', Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, converted to [[Lutheranism]] and, with the consent of his overlord and uncle, King [[Sigismund I of Poland]], turned the State of the Teutonic Order into the secular [[Duchy of Prussia]] per the [[Treaty of Kraków]], which was sealed by the [[Prussian Homage]] in [[Kraków]] in 1525. The commanderies in the autonomous Livonian [[Terra Mariana]] likewise were lost by 1561, as that region also became Protestant. However, the Order retained its bailiwicks in the Holy Roman Empire ([[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]] and [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Italy]]), which had been administered by the ''Deutschmeister'' since 1219.

As the Order was now limited to its possessions in the German kingdom, incumbent ''Deutschmeister'' [[Walter von Cronberg]] was also appointed ''Hochmeister'' by Emperor [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] in 1527. The administrative seat was moved to [[Mergentheim]] Castle in [[Franconian Circle|Franconia]]. The ''Hoch- und Deutschmeister'' was ranked as one of the ecclesiastical [[Princes of the Holy Roman Empire]] until 1806; when Mergentheim fell to the newly established [[Kingdom of Württemberg]], their residence was relocated to the ''Deutschordenshaus'' in [[Vienna]]. The dual title lasted until in 1923, when the last secular Grand Master, [[Archduke Eugen of Austria]], resigned from office.

A Franconian {{ill|4th Infantry Regiment "Hoch- und Deutschmeister"|de|k.u.k. Infanterieregiment „Hoch- und Deutschmeister“ Nr. 4|lt=''Teutschmeister'' regiment}} of the [[Imperial Army (Holy Roman Empire)|Imperial Army]] was formed under [[Count Palatine Francis Louis of Neuburg]] in 1696; organized as 4th Infantry Regiment in 1769 and deployed at Vienna, it was known as the [[Lower Austria]]n ''Hoch- und Deutschmeister'' regiment from 1814. Chiefly known for its popular [[military band]], the regiment's tradition was adopted by the Wehrmacht [[44th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|44th Infantry Division]] in 1938 and today is maintained by the {{ill|1st Jäger Battalion "Hoch- und Deutschmeister"|de|Jägerbataillon Wien 1 „Hoch- und Deutschmeister“|lt=1st Jäger Battalion}} of the [[Austrian Armed Forces]].

=== Hoch- und Deutschmeister, 1527–1929 ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|-
!Name
!Reign
!Born
!Death
!Notes
|-
| [[Walter von Cronberg]]
| 1527–1543
| 1477 or 1479
| 4 April 1543
|
|-
| [[Wolfgang Schutzbar]]
| 1543–1566
| {{circa}} 1483
| 11 Feb 1566
|
|-
| [[Georg Hund von Wenkheim]]
| 1566–1572
| {{circa}} 1520
| 17 June 1572
|
|-
| [[Heinrich von Bobenhausen]]
| 1572–1590
| {{circa}} 1514
| 21 March 1595
|
|-
| [[Maximilian III, Archduke of Austria]]
| 1590–1618
| 12 Oct 1558
| 2 Nov 1618
|
|-
| [[Charles of Austria, Bishop of Wroclaw]]
| 1619–1624
| 7 Aug 1590
| 28 Dec 1624
|
|-
| [[Johann Eustach von Westernach]]
| 1625–1627
| 16 Dec 1545
| 25 Oct 1627
|
|-
| [[Johann Kaspar von Stadion]]
| 1627–1641
| 21 Dec 1567
| 21 Nov 1641
|
|-
| [[Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria]]
| 1641–1662
| 5 Jan 1614
| 20 Nov 1662
|
|-
| [[Archduke Charles Joseph of Austria]]
| 1662–1664
| 7 Aug 1649
| 27 Jan 1664
|
|-
| [[Johann Caspar von Ampringen]]
| 1664–1684
| 19 Jan 1619
| 9 Sep 1684
|
|-
| [[Ludwig Anton von Pfalz-Neuburg]]
| 1685–1694 
| 1660
| 1694
|
|-
| [[Francis Louis of Palatinate-Neuburg]]
| 1694–1732
| 18 July 1664
| 6 April 1732
|
|-
| [[Clemens August of Bavaria|Prince Clemens August of Bavaria]]
| 1732–1761
| 17 Aug 1700
| 6 Feb 1761
|
|-
| [[Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine]]
| 1761–1780
| 12 Dec 1712
| 4 July 1780
|
|-
| [[Archduke Maximilian Francis of Austria]]
| 1780–1801 
| 8 Dec 1756
| 26 July 1801
|
|-
| [[Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen]]
| 1801–1804
| 5 Sep 1771
| 30 April 1847
|
|-
| [[Archduke Anton Victor of Austria]]
| 1804–1835 
| 31 Aug 1779
| 2 April 1835
| Office becomes hereditary to the [[House of Habsburg-Lorraine|Imperial House of Austria]]
|-
| [[Archduke Maximilian of Austria-Este]]
| 1835–1863
| 14 July 1782
| 1 June 1863
|
|-
| [[Archduke Wilhelm Franz of Austria]]
| 1863–1894
| 21 April 1827
| 29 April 1894
|
|-
| [[Archduke Eugen of Austria]]
| 1894–1923 
| 21 May 1863
| 30 Dec 1954
| End of hereditary status
|-
| [[Norbert Klein]]
| 1923–1929
| 25 Oct 1866
| 10 March 1933
| [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Brno|Bishop of Brno]] from 1916 until 1926
|}

=== 1929–present ===
Time of the Teutonic Order as a clerical [[Religious order (Catholic)|Roman Catholic religious order]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|-
!Name
!Reign
!Born
!Death
!Notes
|-
| [[Norbert Klein]]
| 1929–1933
| 25 Oct 1866
| 10 Mar 1933
| [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Brno|Bishop of Brno]] from 1916 until 1926
|-
| Paul Heider
| 1933–1936
|
|
|
|-
| Robert Schälzky
| 1936–1948
|
|
|
|-
| Marian Tumler
| 1948–1970
|
|
|
|-
| Ildefons Pauler
| 1970–1988
|
|
|
|-
| Arnold Wieland
| 1988–2000
|
|
|
|-
| [[Bruno Platter]]
| 2000–2018
| 
|
|
|-
| [[Frank Bayard]]
| 2018–present
| 11 Oct 1971
|
|
|}

==See also==
* [[Bailiwick of Utrecht of the Teutonic Order]]
* [[Grand master (order)]]
* [[Grand Master of the Order of Saint Lazarus]]
* [[Grand masters and lieutenancies of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre]]
* [[List of grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller]]
* [[List of grand masters of the Knights Templar]]
* [[Mergentheim#History|Mergentheim ''(History)'']], a former residence

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* Arnold, Udo (ed.), ''Die Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens 1190–1994''. Quellen und Studien zur Geschichte des Deutschen Ordens 40 = Veröffentlichungen der Internationalen Historischen Kommission zur Erforschung des Deutschen Ordens 6. Marburg, 1998.
*Borchert Friedrich, "Die Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens in Preußen." In: ''Preußische Allgemeine Zeitung'', 6 October 2001.
*{{cite book|last=Christiansen|first=Erik|title=The Northern Crusades|year=1997|publisher=Penguin Books|location=London|isbn=0-14-026653-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/northerncrusades00eric/page/287 287]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/northerncrusades00eric/page/287}}
*Urban, William, ''The Teutonic Knights: A Military History''. Greenhill Books. London, 2003. {{ISBN|1-85367-535-0}}.

==External links==
*{{cite web | last=Deutscher-Orden.de | title=Die Hochmeister | url= http://www.deutscher-orden.de/_pages/_orden_allgemein/geschichte/hochmeister.html | access-date = 2007-03-31 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070205232836/http://www.deutscher-orden.de/_pages/_orden_allgemein/geschichte/hochmeister.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-02-05|language=de}}

{{Papal orders, decorations, and medals}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Grand masters of the Teutonic Order| ]]
[[Category:Lists of grand masters|Teutonic]]