The Grand Prior's Palace in the Lesser Town, seat of the Grand Priory of Bohemia
The Grand Prior's Palace in the Lesser Town, seat of the Grand Priory of BohemiaPhoto: VitVit, 2021 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Suverénní řád maltézských rytířů; Order of Malta, also known as the Knights Hospitaller or Order of St John) is a Catholic religious order of knighthood. It was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century and has had its seat in Rome since 1834. It is not subject to any state or international organisation.[1] The name Knights of Malta refers to the island of Malta, which the order acquired in the 16th century.[1]*

Mission and organisation

Traditionally the order concentrated on running hospitals.[1] In Czechia today it mainly helps the elderly, people with health disabilities and others in need, working through the centres of the public-benefit company Maltézská pomoc and Česká maltézská pomoc in České Budějovice.[1] The Grand Priory of Bohemia is one of the order's six grand priories; the others are based in Rome, Naples and Venice, and England and Austria also have their own. The order has national associations in 46 countries.[1]

The order in Bohemia

The Knights Hospitaller were brought to Bohemia by Duke Vladislaus II, who had come to know the order during the Second Crusade.[2] Between 1156 and 1159 they acquired land at the Lesser Town end of the Judith Bridge, the predecessor of Charles Bridge. Their centre became the church of Our Lady beneath the Chain.[2] Further commanderies were founded in Strakonice, Horažďovice, Manětín and Český Dub, among other places.[2] In 1402 the order acquired the whole of Strakonice castle, which became its centre in Bohemia after the Hussites drove the Hospitallers out of Prague.[2] From 1626 the order's highest superior in Bohemia held the title of Grand Prior. The convent and the Grand Prior returned to Prague in 1694. The Grand Priors' residence was built in 1726–1727 and the convent building in 1728–1731.[2]

Modern history

In 1881 Emperor Franz Joseph I raised the Grand Prior of Bohemia and Austria to the rank of Austrian prince.[2] During the First World War Grand Prior Othenio Lichnowsky-Werdenberg had eight hospital trains set up; according to the order they carried 359,945 wounded from the front.[2] In 1938 the grand priory was divided into a Bohemian and an Austrian one.[2] The communist regime suppressed the order's activities in 1950 and the grand priory continued in exile. It was restored in Prague on 20 April 1990.[2] Its seat is on Grand Prior's Square (Velkopřevorské náměstí) in the Lesser Town.[3] From 2004 to 2011 it was headed by Karel Eduard Paar, who died in September 2026.[4]

Pages linking here

Sources

  1. Suverénní řád maltézských rytířů, České velkopřevorství (snímek Internet Archive) — 15 June 2026
  2. Suverénní řád maltézských rytířů, České velkopřevorství (snímek Internet Archive) — 15 June 2026
  3. Suverénní řád maltézských rytířů, České velkopřevorství (snímek Internet Archive) — 31 August 2026
  4. Seznam Zprávy (ČTK) — 25 September 2026