here - Nobility Associations

Both The Hospitallers and the Templars were military orders charged with the
military defense of the Holy Land. However, despite the fact that they had much in
common, they were in fact rivals. They were acknowledged as regular orders, held
the same rank in Church and State, and were granted extensive privileges by
the Vatican. They were exempt from tithes, had their own clergy, chapels and
cemeteries. The Teutonic Knights were relative latecomers to the Holy Land and as
such – trouble carving an out a niche for themselves and gaining lands.
After the Order of the Temple and the Order of St. John (Hospitallers), the
Teutonic Order became the third large order of Christian chivalry. During the
third crusade, burghers from the Northern German cities of Lübeck and
Bremen reached the holy land. Upon their arrival, they were overwhelmed by
the need for medical care among their fellow Germans.
The Teutonic Order
The Hohenstaufen Dynasty - Page 95 of 200