History UsefulNotes / TheTeutonicKnights

The Teutonic Knights, who were actually an organization dedicated to conversion rather than colonization (even if they did mix the two together), were later appropriated by the most radical of German nationalists as representatives of the fabled ''Drang nach Osten'' ("Drive to the East"). (Note that in some older works, this is [[ValuesDissonance actually viewed as a positive characterization]].) This has led to the real Teutonic Knights, nasty people as they may have been, like most mediæval warriors, being subjected to a HistoricalVillainUpgrade or worse, as an example showing that AllGermansAreNazis. Ironically, despite the Nazis appropriating the Teutonic Order's symbols for its propaganda, the Order itself, which, by 1930s, was dedicated purely to peaceful endeavors, was violently suppressed during the Third Reich. It was reconstituted only with the defeat of the Nazis in 1945 and currently has about 1,000 members providing spiritual guidance and care for the physically infirm, mostly in German speaking lands.

* ''VideoGame/ConquerorsBlade'' introduced the Order of the Sword, a Teutonic-Order {{expy}}, as the focus of ''Season XVII: Knightfall''. Players got access to Teutonic-themed cosmetics as well as three Teutonic units: Schutzdiener [[HealingShiv healing archers]], Kriegsbruder cavalry, and [[BFS Zweihander]] swordsmen.

The ''Deutsche Orden'' (Latin, ''Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ Theutonicorum Hierosolymitanorum'' (OT) or the "Order of the House of St. Mary of the Germans in Jerusalem") is a Roman Catholic and monastic religious order, more commonly known as "'''The Teutonic Knights'''." They are considered to be the ancestor for the popular set of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_virtues virtues]] known as ''GermanicEfficiency''. Traditionally founded ''c.'' 1190 A.D. by merchants from Bremen and Lübeck in Acre as a hospital service for Germans in the Holy Land (on the grounds that neither Richard the Lionheart nor Philip of France particularly liked or cared about the German crusaders), by 1198 it imitated the older crusading orders, the [[UsefulNotes/TheKnightsHospitallers Hospitallers]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheKnightsTemplar Templars]], in acquiring knightly brothers whose original mission was to protect pilgrims, but who soon expanded their activities to include military actions against Muslim enemies of the Crusading states. Like the Templars, whose rule they substantially adopted, they wore as their habit a white mantle with a cross, but a black rather than a red one. (It would be some time before the form was standardized into the ''Tatzenkreuz'' or "Cross patée" version borne today;)

* ''Film/AlexanderNevsky'' is a film by Creator/SergeiEisenstein (which ironically is just the sort of surname you'd expect one of the Knights to have). Wildly historically inaccurate, especially since it was created in Russia during the Stalinist era, it is also full of Soviet propaganda (The Knights' helmets even resemble those of 20th century German soldiers). It nevertheless has dominated the contemporary conception of the Teutonic Order, and is a damn fine film.

* The 1960 film adaptation of Henryk Sienkiewicz's ''Krzyżacy''. (''See'' {{Literature}},'' below''.)
* They also appear in the Ridley Scott epic ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven'' as three assassins sent to kill Balian of Ibelin. They are not referred as such, but they do dress like Knights Teutonic.

* The [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI first]] ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' game has them -- even though all of the major targets, Muslim and Christian alike, are actually secret Templars. They can be found harassing street people and threatening Altaïr in German, as opposed to the French spouted by Hospitallers.

* TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}: Inner Circle Knights of the Empire. They even sport the same insignia - black cross on white.
* In TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} the Black Templars are some kind of futuristic Teutonic Order. They are dressed in black and white with crosses of the same color. They love to fight with [[{{BFS}} Swords]], have sometimes altered, more mediæval looking helmets and are very fanatic. One of their High Marshals is called "Sigismund" and they've got other [[AsLongAsItSoundsForeign German names]] like "Gervhart" or "Helbrecht." Even among the other Space Marines they're the best example of {{Warrior Monk}}s as they are constantly crusading around the galaxy, have rules which enforce them using [[AttackAttackAttack extremely aggressive]] [[CloseRangeCombatant close-combat tactics]] and are famously known for [[ExtremeMeleeRevenge charging into suicidal situations to avenge their fallen brothers in arms]]. For comparison, another Space Marine chapter known for maddened melee fighting are the Blood Angels, who have a flaw to their BioAugmentation that makes them susceptible to falling into two examples of UnstoppableRage... the Black Templars however lack such a tangible reason behind their ferocity.
* [[TabletopGame/{{Infinity}} Pan Oceania]] has [[RecycledinSPACE recreated]] this and other [[ChurchMilitant knightly orders]] as elite crack teams. The Teutonic Order is known for being particularly [[BloodKnight brutal]] close up, even in a game which focuses on ranged combat.
* ''TabletopGame/MutantChronicles'' has the Brotherhood who have the Teutonic Knights aesthetics and color schemes.

* ''Literature/{{Wolfbreed}}'' has them raising werewolves as [[SuperSoldier super soldiers]] at first. When that doesn't work out they move onto Plan B: KillThemAll.

The Bailiwick of Utrecht, an extant Protestant branch of the Teutonic Order based in the Netherlands, also appeared in a short scene.

* The Teutonic Order appeared in the VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic fanfic Fanfic/EarthARendezvousWithDestiny
where in an instance of tragic irony survivors of the Sith Holocaust were put to the sword after being discovered by a Lance of the Teutonic Order and were mistaken to be demons.

* The Teutonic Order appeared in the VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic fanfic Fanfic/Earth:ARendezvousWithDestiny

* On ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' the [[MoeAnthropomorphism character]] UsefulNotes/{{Prussia}} ''was'' the Teutonic Order before becoming Brandenburg-Prussia. At least one strip shows him and several Teutonic Knights in battle with Poland. He "grows up" having gained Baltic territory -- his child-form interacts with Hungary and gallivants around the Burzenland.

* The [[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI first]] ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' game has them -- even though all of the major targets, Muslim and Christian alike, are actually secret Templars. They can be found harassing street people nd threatening Altaïr in German, as opposed to the French spouted by Hospitallers.

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'' has them -- even though all of the major targets, Muslim and Christian alike, are actually secret Templars. They can be found harassing street people nd threatening Altaïr in German, as opposed to the French spouted by Hospitallers.

* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' has them -- even though all of the major targets, Muslim and Christian, are actually secret Templars. They can be found harassing street people in German, as opposed to the French spouted by Hospitallers.

* In the ''Kingdoms'' expansion of ''VideoGame/MedievalIITotalWar'', the Teutonic Order is a full-fledged faction in one of the campaigns. They definitely follow Eisenstein's portrayal of the Order, with their most powerful units, the ''Ritterbrüder'', wearing scary looking armor and their sole presence frightening nearby enemy units.

[-[[caption-width-right:300:[[http://www.g-rava.it/opere/medio_evo/55_La%20carica%20dei%20Teutonici%20al%20lago%20Peipus_eng.htm image]] by [[http://www.g-rava.it/ Giuseppe Rava]]]]-]

** It's also possible that if you play long enough, the option becomes available to become {{Prussia}}.

** In the novel ''Literature/RedStormRising'', this film is shown on Russian TV shortly before the main FalseFlagOperation (detonating a bomb at the Kremlin and blaming WestGermany).