What is the Difference Between Templars and Hospitallers?
The Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller were the two most important of the medieval military religious orders. Both were founded in the Holy Land in the aftermath of the First Crusade, both were dedicated to the defense of the Latin East, and both developed into major international organizations. The best treatment of both orders in English is Malcolm Barber’s The New Knighthood (1994) and Jonathan Riley-Smith’s Hospitallers: The History of the Order of St. John (1999); for the comparison specifically, the older works by Régine Pernoud and the more recent essays in the Routledge Crusades volumes are the places to start. The two orders, however, had different origins, different missions, and different fates. The differences between them are significant, and they have shaped the modern perception of both orders.
For the broader context, see the main article on the Knights Templar, the main article on the Knights Hospitaller, and who destroyed the Knights Templar.
The Origins
The Knights Hospitaller were founded in 1099, immediately after the First Crusade and the capture of Jerusalem. The Order traces its origins to a hospital established by Italian merchants from Amalfi near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The hospital provided care for Christian pilgrims, and it gradually developed into a religious order. The Knights Templar, by contrast, were founded around 1119, twenty years after the Hospitallers, by a French knight named Hugues de Payens. The Templars were established near the site of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, from which they took their name.
The difference in origins shaped the two orders in important ways. The Hospitallers were originally a hospital order, with a strong commitment to the care of the sick and the poor. The Templars were a military order from the start, with a strong commitment to the defense of the Holy Land. The Hospitallers gradually took on a military role, but they always retained their original mission of caring for the sick. The Templars never had a hospital mission in the same way.
The Mission
The mission of the Knights Templar was primarily military. The Order was dedicated to the defense of the Holy Land and to the protection of pilgrims. The Templars were the most disciplined and best-trained military force in the Latin East, and they were involved in almost every major military campaign of the Crusades. The Order’s military reputation was a key factor in its success, and it was a major source of the Order’s prestige.
The mission of the Knights Hospitaller was dual: medical and military. The Order was originally dedicated to the care of the sick and the poor, and it ran a famous hospital in Jerusalem. The Order gradually took on a military role, especially in the 12th century, and it became a major military force. The Order’s medical and military roles were not in conflict: the Order saw both as part of its religious vocation. The combination of medical and military work gave the Order a unique character, and it was a major factor in the Order’s success.
The Symbol
The Knights Templar are famous for their red cross on a white background, which was adopted in 1147 when Pope Eugene III granted the Templars the right to wear the red cross. The red cross was a symbol of the Order’s willingness to shed blood for the defense of the Christian faith. The Knights Hospitaller wore a white cross on a black background, which was a symbol of the Order’s purity and its commitment to the care of the sick and the poor. The different crosses allowed the two orders to be distinguished on the battlefield.
The Knights Templar also had a famous war banner, the Beauséant, which was black and white. The banner was a symbol of the Order’s discipline and its dual nature. The Knights Hospitaller had their own banner, the Cross of Saint John, a white Latin or Maltese cross on a black field in the medieval period (the white-on-red version familiar from St. John Ambulance and the modern Order of Malta is a later development). The different banners of the two orders were an important part of their military traditions.
The Organization
The two orders had different organizational structures. The Knights Templar were organized as a centralized order, with a single Grand Master who was elected for life and who resided in the Holy Land. The Order was divided into provinces and commanderies, with provincial commanders in every part of Christendom. The Order’s organization was effective, but it was also somewhat inflexible.
The Knights Hospitaller were also organized as a centralized order, with a single Grand Master who was elected for life. The Order was divided into provinces and commanderies, with provincial commanders in every part of Christendom. The Order’s organization was similar to the Templars’ in many ways, but it was more flexible and more focused on the care of the sick.
The two orders also had different relationships with the papacy. The Knights Templar were directly responsible to the Pope, and they were exempt from the jurisdiction of local bishops. The Knights Hospitaller had a similar relationship with the Pope, but they were more closely tied to the local church. The difference is significant, and it shaped the two orders’ relationships with the secular powers.
The Fate
The two orders had very different fates. The Knights Templar were suppressed in 1312 by Pope Clement V, on charges of heresy, blasphemy, and sexual immorality. The Order’s properties were transferred to the Knights Hospitaller, and the Order’s members were subjected to a series of trials. The last Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, was burned at the stake in Paris in 1314. The trial of the Templars is examined in the trial of the Knights Templar article.
The Knights Hospitaller survived the destruction of the Templars, and they inherited many of the Templar properties. The Hospitallers went on to rule Rhodes from 1310 to 1522, and they ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798. The Order was without a territorial base after the loss of Malta in 1798, but it continued to operate in some form. The modern Order is known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and it is still active today. The Order’s survival is examined in are the Knights Hospitaller still around.
The Legacy
The legacy of the two orders is complex. The Knights Templar have been the subject of intense mythology, especially in the modern period. The Order’s trial and suppression have been the basis for numerous legends and conspiracy theories, and the Order has been a major part of Western popular culture. The Knights Hospitaller have a less dramatic story, but their survival into the modern world is itself a remarkable legacy.
The two orders’ legacies are also significant for the development of the modern world. The Knights Templar developed the first international banking system, and they were a major factor in the development of the medieval economy. The Knights Hospitaller developed a sophisticated system of medical care, and they were a major factor in the development of the medieval hospital. The two orders’ legacies continue to shape our understanding of the medieval world.