The Teutonic Order (aka Deutschorden, or officially Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem) was founded in 1190 to help pilgrims to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals. From 1220 onwards it set to conquer and convert the southern coast of the Baltic. So, what was it doing in present day Belgium?
By the 16th century, the Teutonic Knights had lost their lands in Prussia and the Baltic, but had possessions in the Holy Roman Empire. Their land holdings were combined into commanderies, and several of these were administered as a bailiwick that then reported to the Grand Master of the Order in Bad Mergentheim in present-day Baden-Württemberg.
There were up to 19 Teutonic bailiwicks, most in the Holy Roman Empire, but at different times extending from Sicily to Utrecht and Greece. Gradually, most of these were also lost, so that when Napoleon put an end (at least temporarily) to the Order in 1809, essentially only the seat of the Grand Master remained.
The Landcommanderij Alden Biesen was the largest Teutonic commanderie in northern Europe and administrative centre of the bailiwick Biesen administering the land holdings in the Maas and Rhine region. The castle itself is one of the largest between Loire and the Rhine, and was first established in the 11th century. The current buildings date from mid-16th to 18th century – although a fire gutted the interiors in 1970. The castle is now a conference centre of the Flemish Government.
It might be interesting to note that the Teutonic Order was re-established after Napoleon as a purely Catholic religious organisation. It has bestowed honorary knighthoods, among others, to Konrad Adenauer and Otto von Habsburg.
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