Metamorphoses of the military orders - conference

On Wednesday, 24 September, the 23rd conference in the series ‘Ordines Militares. Colloquia Torunensia Historica’, co-organised by the Faculty of Historical Sciences of Nicolaus Copernicus University, will begin in Vienna.

The theme of the conference, ‘Military Orders in the Face of Loss and New Beginnings – The 'Rediscovery' and Metamorphoses of the Military Orders from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era,’ refers to the 500th anniversary of the Treaty of Krakow (8 April 1525) and the dissolution of the Prussian branch of the Teutonic Order (Teutonic Knights) in 2025. This marked the beginning of far-reaching changes, both in the structures of the organisation and in the self-perception of its members. It can be described as the gradual ‘rediscovery’ of the Order in new circumstances, new political conditions and in the face of new expectations of the secular and ecclesiastical circles of the time. The emerging tendency to limit the Order's activities to the areas of the Reich and the various metamorphoses that the monastic corporation underwent from the 16th to the 18th century ultimately led to the transfer of the corporation's headquarters to Vienna in the early 19th century. The organisers of the conference also wish to refer to this fact by moving the proceedings from Toruń to Vienna, which is exceptional in the more than 40-year history of the conference series.

During the two-day conference (25–26 September), 17 papers will be presented on various aspects of the functioning of military orders in times of change. The conference will be attended by speakers from 12 countries, as well as numerous discussants from various parts of Europe.

On the eve of the conference, 24 September, the 12th Forum for Young Researchers of Military Orders, organised by dr hab. Katharina Kemmer (Forschungsstelle Deutscher Orden, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg) and dr Piotr Kołodziejczak (Institute of History and Archival Science, Faculty of Historical Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University), will be held.

The conference is organised by dr hab. Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, NCU Prof. (Institute of History and Archival Sciences, Faculty of History, Nicolaus Copernicus University), Professor Jürgen Sarnowsky (Historisches Seminar, Universität Hamburg) and Professor Helmut Flachenecker (Institut für Geschichte/Forschungsstelle Deutscher Orden, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg). The project is co-financed from the state budget, allocated by the Minister of Education and Science as part of the ‘Excellent Science II’ programme.

Conference programme