Heinrich Reuß von Plauen

Heinrich Reuss von Plauen ( * 1400, † January 2, 1470 in Morag ) was from 1467 and governor from 1469 to 1470 the 32th Grand Master of the Teutonic Order.

Family

He came from the family of Reichsvögte Plauen, Weida ( younger line) in the Vogtland, which since the 13th century resulted in the nickname Reuss ( Reuss = Russian); Heinrich von Plauen Vogtland, † before 1309, spent many years in Russia.

Life

Already with a young age he joined the Teutonic Order and spent the first years in a monastery in Germany. Around 1420 he entered the Prussian Order of the country and took over the office of a bailiff in the city Dirschau. In 1433 he was appointed Commander of Balga, and 1440 he was steward of the landscape Natangen. From 1441 was of Plauen top Spittler and Commander of Elbing.

During the Thirteen Years' War (1454-1466, also war of the cities called ) between the allies of Poland Prussian Confederation and the Order he led the army of the Order and made ​​a name for IV by a resounding victory over the host of the General Adel banns of the Polish King Casimir at the Battle of Konitz on 17 September 1454th he accompanied the Duke of Saxony, William the brave, to Jerusalem, where he received a knighthood in 1461 a Knight of the Holy grave. 1466 was appointed commander of Prussian von Plauen to Holland.

Was funded and supported by Plauen by his uncle, Ludwig von Erlichshausen, who was since 1450 the Grand Master of the Order. When he died in 1467, took over from Plauen, without having been first elected as Grand Master, as governor of the leadership of the Order. As had been lost Marienburg, the former seat of the Grand Master by the Second Peace of Thorn in Poland, settled from Plauen in Morag.

He managed the reorganization of the difficult shook Order. Many pledged to mercenary leader places could be recovered.

On October 17, 1469 was appointed against his will formally the 32nd Grand Master of the Teutonic Order Heinrich Reuss von Plauen. He wanted to avoid having to make as Grand Master of the King of Poland Casimir IV Jagiello allegiance to it namely.

He died eleven weeks later on January 2, 1470 following a stroke he suffered on his return from a trip to Petrikau, where he had served the Polish king, the imposed by the 2nd Peace of Thorn allegiance. He was buried in Königsberg Cathedral. In memory of the action of the Grand Master in Morag the same county in 1928 took the Plauensche lion on his coat of arms.