The Protestant Orders of St John of Jerusalem

The Order is a member of the German Priory - the Baileywick of Brandenburg, through the Treaty of Heimbach in 1382, having obtained a special autonomy because of its relationship with the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, of which it was a part.

In 1538, the Baileywick of Brandenburg followed the Reformation and thus became a Protestant Order, under the denomination ‘Baileywick of Brandenburg of the Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem’ (see : Baileywick of Brandenburg of the Hospitaller Order of St John).

Today the Baileywick of Brandenburg of the Order of St John has a membership of 3,300 Protestant knights between its 23 German Associations or Commanderies, and non-German Commanderies (Austria, Hungary, Finland, France and Switzerland).

The Swiss Commandery of the Order of St.John has today 130 knights, between six Sub-Commanderies (Basle, Berne, Geneva, Neuchatel, Vaud and Zurich).

Like their confreres in the Order of Malta, the knights of the Baileywick of Brandenburg of the Order of St John demonstrate their Christian faith and carry out humanitarian works for those in need.

In England, the Low Countries and Sweden, there are also other autonomous, non-Catholic hospitaller Orders of St.John. They are united with the Baileywick of Brandenburg as the Alliance of the Orders of St John. The Orders maintain close and cordial links with the Order of Malta, notably in the area of working groups and regular exchanges on matters of mutual interest with those of the Alliance.