Ordensburg
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An Ordensburg (plural in German: Ordensburgen) was a fortress built by crusading German military orders during the Middle Ages. "Ordensburg" was also used during Nazi Germany to refer to training schools for Nazi leaders.
[edit] Medieval Ordensburgen
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The Ordensburgen were originally constructed by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (merged into the Teutonic Knights in 1237) to fortify territory in Prussia and Livonia against the pagan aboriginals. Later, Ordensburgen were used to defend against Poland and Lithuania.
[edit] Notable medieval Ordensburgen
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[edit] NS-Ordensburgen (National Socialist Germany)
The term Ordensburg was later applied to schools for elite Nazi military ranks. There were strict requirements for admission to the school. Junker candidates had to be aged between 25 and 30 years old, belong to either the Nazi Party, the Hitler Youth, the Sturmabteilung, or the Schutzstaffel, be physically completely healthy, and be pure-blooded with no hereditary defects. The schools themselves were typically stark, modern structures with basic utilities and ample room for the young men training to go to war.
The three institutions for education of political leaders were:
- Ordensburg Vogelsang in North Rhine-Westphalia
- Ordensburg Sonthofen in Bavaria, Allgäu, built 1934 and was used by Germany's Bundeswehr until end of 2007.
- Ordensburg Krössinsee in Pomerania
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