Landmeister of Prussia

The office was created at the same time as the beginning of the conquest and the forcible Christianization of the Prussians in the summer of 1230. The first Landmeister, Hermann von Balk, received the Kulmer Land from the Duke Konrad I of Masovia as the nucleus of the Teutonic Orders in Prussia and started advancing north along the Vistula river. His successors completed the conquest of the country under considerable setbacks and established the protection of the districts and the defeat of rebellious Prussians in fortified houses, the forerunners of the later brick fortresses known as Ordensburgs. The last Landmeister of Prussia residing in Elbing was Heinrich von Plötzke. In 1309, after the death of Plötzke, the office became held in union with that of the Grand Master (held by Siegfried von Feuchtwangen residing in Marburg Castle at the time) and continued as such until 1525. ==List==

The Landmeisters of Prussia were: • Hermann Balk, 1230–1239 • Heinrich von Wida, 1239–1244 • Poppo von Osterna, 1244–1246 • Dietrich von Grüningen, 1246–1249 • ? • Burkhard von Hornhausen, 1257–1259 • Hartmund von Grumbach, 1259–1261 • Helmerich von Rechenberg, 1262–1263 • Ludwig von Baldersheim, 1263–1269 • ? • Dietrich von Gattersleben, 1271–1273 • Konrad von Thierberg the Elder, 1273–1279 • Konrad von Feuchtwangen, 1279–1280 • Mangold von Sternberg, 1280–1283 • Konrad von Thierberg the Younger, 1284–1288 • Meinhard von Querfurt, 1288–1299 • Konrad von Babenberg, 1299 • Ludwig von Schippen, 1299–1300 • Helwig von Goldbach, 1300–1302 • Konrad Sack, 1302–1306 • Siegfried von Schwarzburg, 1306 • Heinrich von Plötzke, 1307–1309 • ? • Friedrich von Wildenberg, 1317–1324 ==See also==