Remarks on the Process of Institutionalisation of Mendicant Orders and their Role in Pastoral Work Based on the Example of the Dominion of the Teutonic Order in Prussia from the 13th to the Early-16th Century

Abstract

The conditions and the environment of the mendicant religious orders (Dominicans, FranciscanConventuals, Franciscan Observants, Carmelites, and Augustinians) in the holdings of the TeutonicOrder in Prussia differed from those in Western Europe. In newly built castles and newly foundedcities, German and Polish-speaking communities predominated; while Prussians, unfamiliar withthe basics of Christianity, prevailed in rural territories. The network of parish churches declinedtowards the eastern and northern boundaries of the state. Therefore, the mendicant orders operatedthere on a different model. An examination of its characteristics is carried out by means of ananalysis of the stages, development and dynamics of the settlement of mendicant orders in Prussia.An attempt is made to identify the organisation of their provision and the supporting milieu. Particularattention is paid to the impact of mendicant orders on the deepening of the faith of the localPrussian population in the eastern part of the Teutonic Order’s holdings. Key words: Teutonic Order, Prussia, mendicant orders, Dominicans, Christianisation, Prussians,monks. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181/ ahuk.v29i0.1063