Gerhard von Malberg
Encyclopedia
Gerhard von Malberg was the sixth Grand Master of the Teutonic Order
, serving from 1240 to 1244. After being forced to resign, he joined the Knights Templar
.
. His father was Margrave Theodoric von Aere, who married Agnes von Malberg and took her last name and the castle Malberg
. Von Malberg did not plan to join the priesthood. He was married and had two sons, Thedoric and Otto.
After the death of his wife, von Malberg traveled to Outremer
, where his kinsmen were members of the Knights Templar
. He joined the Teutonic Knights
in Acre
in 1217 and had become the Komtur
of Toron
by 1227 at the latest. In 1240 he became the Grand Marshal of the Order in Acre
. His position in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
and his ties with the Templars brought von Malberg into conflict with Grand Master Hermann von Salza
during the Sixth Crusade
. Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II
and von Salza supported the movement of most of the Teutonic Knights to Prussia
, while von Malberg wanted the Order to focus on the Holy Land
.
After the death of von Salza's successor Conrad of Thuringia in 1240, von Malberg was chosen Grand Master in 1240 or 1241 in order to build closer ties with the Middle East; Dietrich von Grüningen was the president of the electoral chapter. Von Malberg had clear support from Pope Innocent IV
, although von Malberg was also favored by the emperor. Frederick II dispatched the new Grand Master, the Archbishop of Bari, and the Magister Roger Porcastrello to pressure the papal conclave
to elect Otto of St. Nicholas as pope, but Pope Celestine IV
was chosen instead.
In 1243 Pope Innocent IV
gave an apostolic ring, representing Prussia as a papal fief of the knights, to von Malberg, in return for annual tribute from the Order; Frederick had also claimed the territory. The knights fought against Świętopełk II of Pomerania during von Malberg's service.
As tension grew from the splintering of the Order's forces between Prussia, Livonia
, and Outremer, support for von Malberg among the Order fell; the Grand Master traveled to Montfort in Outremer after Innocent fled to Lyon
. The Teutonic Knights organized a general chapter
in Toron and requested von Malberg's resignation. Although he initially proceeded with this, von Malberg then rejected the demand and appealed to the pope. After a papal investigation revealed the Grand Master's poor leadership, he and some of his followers were allowed to leave the Teutonic Order and join the Knights Templar
.
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, serving from 1240 to 1244. After being forced to resign, he joined the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
.
Life
Von Malberg hailed from what is now Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
. His father was Margrave Theodoric von Aere, who married Agnes von Malberg and took her last name and the castle Malberg
Malberg, Bitburg-Prüm
Malberg is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
. Von Malberg did not plan to join the priesthood. He was married and had two sons, Thedoric and Otto.
After the death of his wife, von Malberg traveled to Outremer
Outremer
Outremer, French for "overseas", was a general name given to the Crusader states established after the First Crusade: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and especially the Kingdom of Jerusalem...
, where his kinsmen were members of the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
. He joined the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
in Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
in 1217 and had become the Komtur
Komtur
Komtur was a rank within military orders, especially the Teutonic Knights. In the State of the Teutonic Order, the Komtur was the commander of a basic administrative division called Kommende . A Komtur was responsible for the alimentation of the Knights by the yield from the local estates, he...
of Toron
Toron
Toron, now Tibnin or Tebnine in southern Lebanon, was a major Crusader castle, built in the Lebanon mountains on the road from Tyre to Damascus....
by 1227 at the latest. In 1240 he became the Grand Marshal of the Order in Acre
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
. His position in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
and his ties with the Templars brought von Malberg into conflict with Grand Master Hermann von Salza
Hermann von Salza
Hermann von Salza was the fourth Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1210 to 1239...
during the Sixth Crusade
Sixth Crusade
The Sixth Crusade started in 1228 as an attempt to regain Jerusalem. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade. It involved very little actual fighting...
. Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
and von Salza supported the movement of most of the Teutonic Knights to Prussia
Prussia (region)
Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe extending from the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the Masurian Lake District. It is now divided between Poland, Russia, and Lithuania...
, while von Malberg wanted the Order to focus on the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
.
After the death of von Salza's successor Conrad of Thuringia in 1240, von Malberg was chosen Grand Master in 1240 or 1241 in order to build closer ties with the Middle East; Dietrich von Grüningen was the president of the electoral chapter. Von Malberg had clear support from Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
, although von Malberg was also favored by the emperor. Frederick II dispatched the new Grand Master, the Archbishop of Bari, and the Magister Roger Porcastrello to pressure the papal conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
to elect Otto of St. Nicholas as pope, but Pope Celestine IV
Pope Celestine IV
Pope Celestine IV , born Goffredo da Castiglione, was pope from October 25, 1241 to November 10, 1241.Born in Milan, Goffredo or Godfrey is often referred to as son of a sister of Pope Urban III , but this information is without foundation...
was chosen instead.
In 1243 Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV
Pope Innocent IV , born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was pope from June 25, 1243 until his death in 1254.-Early life:...
gave an apostolic ring, representing Prussia as a papal fief of the knights, to von Malberg, in return for annual tribute from the Order; Frederick had also claimed the territory. The knights fought against Świętopełk II of Pomerania during von Malberg's service.
As tension grew from the splintering of the Order's forces between Prussia, Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
, and Outremer, support for von Malberg among the Order fell; the Grand Master traveled to Montfort in Outremer after Innocent fled to Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. The Teutonic Knights organized a general chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
in Toron and requested von Malberg's resignation. Although he initially proceeded with this, von Malberg then rejected the demand and appealed to the pope. After a papal investigation revealed the Grand Master's poor leadership, he and some of his followers were allowed to leave the Teutonic Order and join the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
.