Teutonic Order - Bailiwick of Utrecht

Info

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Geschiedenis

Teutonic Order - Bailiwick of Utrecht - Ridderlijke Duitsche Orde - Balije van Utrecht.

Following the loss of Prussia and the transfer of the Grand Magistery of the Order to Mergentheim, the majority of members of the Order in the Netherlands were converted to the Lutheran faith. In 1580 the members of the Bailiwick of Utrecht, composed of several Dutch commanderies, rejected the jurisdiction of Mergentheim. Now autonomous, the knights placed themselves under the protection of the United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1637, continuing to function as an hospitaller Order but without its Catholic character. The suppression of the Order in the territories of the Confederation of the Rhine in 1809 was followed by the abolition of the Order and the confiscation of its estates in the Kingdom of Holland by command of the French occupying forces on 27 February 1811.

The return of the House of Orange and the institution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the former Stadtholder, Prince William of Nassau, prompted the revival of the Bailiwick as a Dutch Royal Order, effected by Royal Decree of 8 August 1815. Membership of the Bailiwick was limited to Lutheran noblemen who, until recently, were required to prove sixteen noble quarterings. This requirement has been reduced more recently to proof of four noble grandparents,of which the nobility of the families of the paternal and maternal line must precede 1795. Most members are admitted as Edel-expectanten without any insignia, becoming Ridder-expectant at the age of twenty-one. On reaching the age of thirty they are eligible for membership of the Chapter, representing each of the ten Commanderies of the Order. The admission of German nationals was forbidden after 1938 and all remaining German knights were expelled in 1945. The head of the Bailiwick is the landcommandeur, who serves with a coadjutor, while there are tencommanders, a first "chapter knight", second "chapter knight", eight Ridders-Expectant and eleven Edel-Expectanten. The badge of the Order is almost identical to that of the Knights of Honour of the Catholic Order and is suspended from a plain black ribbon, the knights also wears a breast badge.

The present Landcommander is P.A. baron van der Borch tot Verwolde (elected in 1977),the Coadjutor Landcommander is Mr. A. baron van Harinxma thoe Slooten (also elected in 1977). The Commanders are Count W.C. van Rechteren-Limburg (Dieren 1973), A. baron van Harinxma thoe Slooten (Maasland 1977), Jonkheer Mr R.E.W. van Weede (Tiel 1977), Count A.R.E.L. van Rechteren-Limburg (Rhine 1984), Mr. L.R.J. ridder van Rappard (Leiden en Katwijk 1984), Mr F.L.S.F. baron van Tuyll van Serooskerken (Schoten 1984), R.M. ridder van Rappard (Doesburg 1984), J.A. baron de Smeth (Schelluinen 1984), C.G. baron van Boetzelaer (Middelburg 1984), and Jonkheer J.D.C. van Weede (Schoonhoven 1984). There are thirty-three members of the Order.