The Teutonic Knights had erected a first hospital at the confluence of Etsch and
Eisack near Bozen in 1202, followed by several hostels along the mountain road up to the
Brenner Pass, vital for the
Holy Roman Emperors heading for Italy or on
crusades to the
Holy Land. The bailiwick lost its autonomy during the
Napoleonic Wars upon the 1805
Peace of Pressburg, when Tyrol was ceded to the newly established
Kingdom of Bavaria and finally incorporated into the
Austrian Empire in 1814. From the view of the Teutonic Order, the province was never disestablished and up to today
An der Etsch denotes the
lay brothers' organisation in South Tyrol. ==Commandries around 1400==