ORDER OF MALTA
See also MALTA
SOVEREIGN MILITARY AND HOSPITALLER ORDER OF SAINT JOHN OF JERUSALEM, OF RHODES AND OF MALTA
The origin of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, lied in a hospice for christian pilgrims in Jerusalem and dedicated to St John the Baptist - hence the first name of the Order - founded in the course of the 11th century by Italian merchants. In 1113 this small community was recognised as a separate religious order under direct authority and protection of the Pope and a few years later it became also a military order, one of its main tasks becoming the defence of Christian Palestine against Islam. At the same time the Order grew in importance and wealth, acquering, in the course of the following centuries different possessions in many Roman Catholic countries of Europe and later also briefly in the Americas. After the fall of Christian Palestina the Order - having the island of Malta as its headquarters since 1530 - remained one of the leading forces in the struggle against Islam. This didn't however prevent it to continue also its charitable and social tasks, the hospitals of the Order and their medical staff being, for instance, among the best of Europe. The abolition of the Order in Portugal in 1790 was the first of a serial of events which badly desorganised it and nearly led to its disappearance. The crisis was however overcome and by the end of the 19th century the Order had completly recovered, assuming now fully its initial tasks of charity and social involvement.(1)
See A CHRONOLOGY OF THE ORDER OF MALTA 1790 - 1879 for more information on these periods.
(1) Modern charity work started immediately after the Order fixed itself in Rome (1834) and organised the hospice "Dei Cento Preti". In 1873, after nearly 7 centuries, the Order resumed its activities in Palestina, establishing an hospital at Tantur near Jerusalem. In the course of the following years the members of the Order expanded their tasks, taking not only care of the individual sick but also intervening in cases of earthquakes (1908), epidemias (1883) and wars (the different Balkan Wars, the Italian-Turkish War, the First and Second World Wars, ...) ____________________________________________________________________________HEADS OF STATE
Grand Masters (held again the dignity of Prince and Cardinal since 1880 and 1888 respectively) 1805 -1879 vacant Lieutenants 1865 - 1872 Fra Alessandro Borgia 1783 - 1872 1872 - 1879 Fra Giovanni Bttista Ceschi a Santa Croce 1827 - 1905 1879 - 1905 Fra Giovanni Battista Ceschi a Santa Croce s.a. 1905 - 1931 Fra Galeazzo, Graf von Thun und Hohenstein 1850 - 1931 Lieutenant due to illness of the Grand Master 1929 - 1931 Pio Franchi de' Cavalieri 1869 - 1960 1931 - 1951 Fra Ludovico Chigi Della Rovere Albani, Principe de Farnese 1866 - 1951 ____________________________________________________________________________CENTRAL HIGH OFFICIALS
The major High Officials of the Order included : - the Grand Commanders, responsible for the regional organisation of the Order. - the Grand Chancellors, responsible for general administration and diplomatie - the Grand Hospitallers, responsible for the Order's charitable and social works - the Receivers of the Common Treasure, responsible for finances. - the Prelates of the Order, heads of the Order's Clergy. The Pope was represented to the Order by a Cardinal Protector ____________________________________________________________________________REGIONAL HIGH OFFICIALS
GRAND PRIORS
Grand Priories (also called "Langues" or "Tongues") had been the regional administrative divisions of the Order since the 13th century. Some of them - such as the German - disappeared during the period of Napoleonic conquest. Others survived or were restored once the troubled times wwere over. Grand Priors of Bohemia-Austria, of Austria and of Bohemia The Grand Priory of Bohemia-Austria was established in 1626. In 1938, after the German annexation of Austria, in was divided into two separate priories. Grand Prior of Bohemia-Austria 1867 - 1873 Fra Franz, Graf von Kolowrat-Krakowsky Princes Grand Priors of Bohemia-Austria 1874 - 1887 Fra Othenio, Graf von Lichnowsky-Werdenberg 1826 - 1887 1887 - 1904 Fra Guido, Graf von Thun und Hohenstein 1904 - 1914 Fra Heinrich, Prinz von und zu Liechtenstein 1914 - 1927 Fra Johann Rudolf, Graf zu Hardegg auf Glatz und im Machlande 1927 - 1938 Fra Carl, Edler Herr von Ludwigstorff, Freiherr von Goldlamb Prince Grand Prior of Austria (of "Ostmark" till 1939 ; of the "Alpine and Danubian Gauen" 1939 - 1945) 1938 - 1955 Fra Carl, Edler Herr von Ludwigstorff, Freiherr von Goldlamb s.a. Grand Priors of Bohemia 1938 - 1941 Fra Karl, Cardinal Kaspar, Prince - Archbishop of Prague 1870 - 1941 1941 - 1981 none Regent 1941 - 1981 Fra Karl, Furst zu Schwarzenberg 1911 - 1986 Grand Priors of Lombardy and Venice The Grand Priories of Lombardy and Venice were both established in the 13th century. They were abolished by Napoleon in 1806, but restored as one Grand Priory in 1839 1870 - 1876 Fra Pietro Alvise Mocenigo 1876 - 1884 Fra Cesare Antonio Altan 1884 - 1915 Fra Guido Sommi Picenardi 1915 - 1923 Fra Antonino Casati 1923 - 1925 Fra Lorenzo Cusani Visconti Botta Adorna 1925 - 1931 Fra Carlo Torrigiani 1931 - 1937 Fra Luigi del Drago 1937 - 1958 Fra Alessandro da Porto Grand Priors of Naples and Sicily The Grand Priory of Naples and Sicily was established in 1785. It was abolished in 1811, but restored in 1839 Grand Priors of Rome The Grand Priory of Rome was established in 1350. It was abolished by Napoleon, but already restored in 1816. 1860 - 1876 Fra Constantino, Cardinal Patrizi, Bishop of Ostia since 1870 1798 - 1876 1876 - 1885 Fra Flavio, Cardinal Chigi 1810 - 1885 1885 - 189. Fra Francesco, Cardinal Ricci-Paracciani 1830 - 189. - 1896 Fra Raffaele, Cardinal Monaco La Valetta, Bishop of Ostia 1827 - 1896 1896 - 1913 Fra Mariano, Cardinal Rampolla, Marchese del Tindaro 1843 - 1913 1914 - 1937 Fra Gaetano, Cardinal Bisletti 1856 - 1937 1937 - 1948 Fra Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte, Bishop of Ostia and Albano 1851 - 1948 ____________________________________________________________________________PRESIDENTS OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
National Associations were set up, by symphatisers of the Order, in countries where the former Grand Priories were not restored after 1815 or where the Order had no activities before. In the course of the period 1859 - 1945 the following Associations were set up : Belgium (1930), France (1891), Germany (1859 and 1867), Great-Britain (1875), Hungary (1928), Ireland (1934), Italy (1877), the Netherlands (1911), Poland (1920), Portugal (1899), Spain (1885) and the USA (1927) Presidents of the Belgian Association 1930 - 1932 Auguste Marie Gustave, Prince de Croy-Solre 1872 - 1932 1932 - 1957 Albert Edouard Eugène, Prince de Ligne 1874 - 1957 Presidents of the British Association 1875 - 1889 George Arthur Hastings, Earl of Granard 1889 - 1913 Bertram, Earl of Ashburnham 1913 - 1932 William Henry John, Baron North 1932 - 1947 Edmond Bernard FitzAlan-Howard, Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent 1855 - 1947 Presidents of the French Association 1891 - 1907 Charles Guy Fernand, Comte de Rohan-Chabot 1828 - 1907 1908 - 1913 Arthur Marie Paul, Duc de Caylus, Comte de Rougé 1844 - 1913 1913 - 1939 Timothée, Comte de Bonneval 1939 - 19.. Hector, Comte de Gallard de Brassac de Béarn President of the Hungarian Association 1928 - 19.. Joseph August Viktor, Erzherzog von Österreich 1872 - 1962 Presidents of the Irish Association 1934 - 1939 Charles Hugh O'Conor 1939 - 19.. Valentin MacSwiney, Marquess of Mashanaglass Presidents of the Italian Association 1877 - 1914 Mario, Principe (Reichsfürst) Chiggi Della Rovere-Albani 1832 - 1914 1915 - 1922 Prospero Collona di Paliano, Principe di Sonnino, Duca di Rignano e di Calcata 1858 - 1937 1922 Paolo, Duca Thaon di Revel 1859 - 1948 1923 - 1937 Prospero Collona di Paliano, Principe di Sonnino, Duca di Rignano e di Calcata (2x) 1937 - 1942 Mario, Conte di Cossilla 1942 - 1945 Francesco, Marchese Mattei dei Principe Gentile Presidents of the Netherlands Association 1911 - 1930 J. G. G., Baron van Voorst tot Voorst 1930 - 1936 F., Baron van Hövell tot Westerflier 1936 - 1939 L. F. J. M., Baron van Voorst tot Voorst 1939 - 1942 ... 1942 - Z. Th. J. F., Baron van Dorth tot Medler Presidents of the Polish Association 1920 - 1926 Ferdynand, Prince Radziwill 1834 - 1926 1926 - 1937 Bogdan, Count Hutten Czapski 1937 - 1939 Alfred Chlapowski 1939 - 1948 none Chairman of the Committee of Management (in exile) 1939 - 1948 Olgierd, Prince Czartoryski Presidents of the Rheinisch - Westfalische Association (1) 1864 - 1874 Franz Egon, Reichsgraf und Markgraf von und zu Hoensbroech 1875 - 1898 Friedrich Ludolf, Graf von Landsberg - Velen und Gemen 1... - 1898 1899 - 1922 Wilhelm Franz, Reichsgraf und Markgraf von und zu Hoensbroech 1922 - 1924 Alfred, Fürst von Salm-Reiffenscheidt- Krautheim und Dyck 1863 - 1914 1924 - 1933 Engelbert, Freiherr von Kerckerinck zur Borg 1933 - 1936 Franz Josef, Fürst und Altgraf zu Salm-Reiffenscheidt-Krautheim und Dyck 1899 - 1958 1937 - 1971 Rudolf, Freiherr von Twickel-Havixbeck (1) The first of the two German associations, covering the Western provinces of Prussia. Presidents of the Silesian Association (1) 1867 - 1873 Viktor, Herzog von Ratibor und Prinz von Corvey 1818 - 1893 1873 - 1909 Friedrich, Graf Praschma 18.. - 1909 1910 Franz, Graf von Ballestrem 18.. - 1910 1911 - 1914 Lazarus IV "Lazy", Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck 1835 - 1914 1914 - 1919 Arthur, Graf Strachwitz* 18.. - 1919 1919 - 1920 Valentin, Graf von Ballestrem 18.. - 1920 1920 - 1925 Edwin Hugo, Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck 1865 - 1929 1925 - 1931 Anton, Graf von Magnis 1... - 1944 1931 - 1953 Hermann, Fürst zu Hatzfeldt und Herzog zu Trachenberg 1... - 1959 (1) The second of the German Associations, covering the Prussian province of Silesia. Presidents of the Spanish Assembly (1) 1885 - 1889 Mariano Roca de Togores y Carrasco, Marqués de Molins, Vizconde de Rocamora 1812 - 1889 1890 - 1898 Carlos Martínez de Irujo y del Alcázar, Duque de Sotomayor, Marqués de Casa Irujo, y de Los Arcos. 1898 - 1912 Francisco Javier Azlor de Aragón e Idiáquez, Duque de Granada de Ega, Duque de Villahermosa, Marqués de Valdetorres, Conde de Xavier, Vizconde de Zolina y de Muruzábal de Andión. 1912 - 1958 Don Fernando María de Baviera y Borbón, Principe de Baviera, Infante de España (1) In 1798 the Spanish Tongues of Aragón and Castille had declared their independence of the Grand Master and in 1802 the Spanish kings assumed the title of Grand Master : (for he full names see Spain) 1871 - 1873 Amadeo I 1820 - 1890 1873 - 1875 vacant 1875 - 1885 Alfonso XII 1857 - 1885 In 1885 relations with the Grand Magistry were restored by the King and the Spanish assembly was set up. HOME INDEX