Thomas Kieslinger: The Order of Knights of Santiago

Dr Thomas Kieslinger, formerly an assistant at the RIGG, then at the Dingolfing City Museum and now at the Museum St Afra of the diocese of Augsburg, has published his Erlangen dissertation "Der Ritterorden von Santiago (ca. 1170-1310)" in the "Spanischen Forschungen" published by the Görres-Gesellschaft.

The Order of Knights of Santiago was one of the most important players in the Reconquista (reconquest of Spain) in the 12th and 13th centuries. Within a very short time, this association of knights succeeded in advancing to the status of a papally approved knightly order and in gaining the favour of the Iberian rulers. In their self-portrayal, they clearly used the propaganda of the Crusades and only in exceptional cases referred to the rhetoric of monastic orders.

This volume deals with the rules of the order and the concrete circumstances of life in the order - from the novitiate, weapons, horses and warfare to clothing, prayer and memoria for the dead. The main sources are in the National Historical Archives in Madrid.

In the preface, Kieslinger thanks the Görres Society, which "generously" sponsored the volume, the RIGG and, in particular, Dr Ignacio García, his predecessor as assistant at the RIGG, who "always stood by him with his outstanding knowledge of the history of the knightly orders of the Middle Ages".

The volume is thus ultimately also a fine testament to the special care of the Middle Ages at the RIGG, for which Dr Jörg Voigt is now available to all interested parties as a special contact person.

the book

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Category: Recommended reading