Order of the Swan

The Order our dear women swan or swan or goose religious order of knighthood is the oldest orders of knighthood of the Prussian house. He was endowed on 29 September 1440 Following on from the legend of the Swan Knight by Elector Frederick II of Brandenburg in the city of Brandenburg and should give the nobility there common political and social goal under the leadership of Hohenzollern. In 1459 the Order established a branch in southern Germany.

Order statutes

The late medieval order had set itself in 1440 religious but also political objectives, especially in the foundation. In addition to prayer and charitable works, he called the nobility in Brandenburg on the loyalty alliance. Also, women were able to become a member.

On August 15, 1443 the order was granted an extension of its articles of incorporation. The Order was intended to act against the demoralization of the Brandenburg nobility and elsewhere and to get him back to godliness and honesty, especially to curb the Up and feud pleasure.

South German branch

In 1459 built Margrave Albrecht Achilles, a South German branch.

Medal badge

As religious insignia was the image of the Mother of God on a golden chain, including the swan as a symbol of purity of heart, surrounded by a white sash that hung swallowed down into two fringes.

Order of churches

The religious meeting point of the rapidly through the north and south propagating Order was the house of God on the Harlungerberg at Altbrandenburg.

1459 donated Margrave Albrecht Achilles for the members of the Order from its heartlands in Franconia, a second church in the Order of St. George's Chapel Gumpertuskirche his residence in Ansbach.

History in the Modern Age

Since the Reformation fell into the Order.

1843 summed Friedrich Wilhelm IV to plan a revival of the Order, however, was never carried out. He wanted to renew the Order as a community open to members of all classes and denominations and give it as a goal a social and moral improvement of society.

For the Berlin Victory Avenue of the sculptor Alexander Calandrelli designed the monument Group 16 with a statue of Frederick II in the center. On the wide ermine collar of the jacket, the Elector figure wears the chain of the swan Order.

Since 1980, the Order is again emerged as a registered non-profit association for cultural and welfare and has its headquarters in Nuremberg