The cross-border region to the east of Berlin is characterised above all by the nature along the rivers Oder and Warta, which come together at the former fortress of Küstrin in Kostrzyn nad Odra. Much of this region was owned by the Order of St. John for many centuries and the St. John's cross can still be found in many town coats of arms, on churches or in castles and palaces.
Discover tranquil towns and villages, legendary castles and palaces or historic churches on the traces of the Knights of St John. Visit the castle ruins in Słońsk and revive the splendour of past times with our augmented reality app. Celebrate the Moritz Festival in Słońsk or one of the many St John's festivals in the region. Make a pilgrimage to Templar and Knights of St John churches and learn more about the exciting history of the Order of Knights.
The Order of Knights of St. John of the Hospital of Jerusalem (Order of St. John) was the legal successor to the Order of the Knights Templar, which was dissolved in 1312. In 1382, the "Balley Brandenburg" was formed as an independent "regional branch" of the Order of Saint John with its centre in Sonnenburg (Słońsk). The Balley focused on the cultivation of large estates and thus gradually separated itself from the main Order, which, finally as the Order of Malta, waged war until the 18th century. In 1538 the Balley of Brandenburg converted to the Protestant faith, in contrast to the rest of the Order.
The Knights of St John were responsible for the construction of the Order's Sonnenburg Castle and other Order castles, administrative headquarters and churches on both sides of the Oder, for example in Friedland, Łagów, Świebodzin or Sulęcin. The work of the knights of the Order had a decisive influence on the development of the Oder-Warta region. After the 30 Years' War, they ensured reorganisation and reconstruction. In the 18th century, they were instrumental in draining the Warthebruch marshland and founded about 40 new villages and outworks. They created work and income and provided a certain amount of health care for the population.
In 1806, the Order's large estates were dissolved and transferred to the Kingdom of Prussia. Since then, the Johanniter have concentrated on nursing the sick and charitable tasks, especially during the world wars. Today, the Johanniter are the sponsors of care facilities for the elderly and hospitals or Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe.
The history of the Order of St John in the Oder-Warthe region is exciting and multifaceted and can be easily traced in many places. In 2020-23, as part of a German-Polish funding project, the "Traces of St John" in the Oder-Warthe region were divided into four sub-areas and connected via local and regional circular routes. The centre of this offer is the ruins of the former order castle Sonnenburg in Słońsk, which has been developed for tourism.
