One of the immediate reasons for the decline in German participation was the failure of the Fifth Crusade (September 1217, August 1221). Many German nobles had taken part in this campaign, but its ultimate failure in Egypt left them dispirited. Their reports discouraged future participation, creating an initial wave of apathy towards crusading ventures.
Furthermore, the experience of those who participated in Emperor Frederick II’s crusade (1228–1229) was not particularly encouraging. The local nobility in the Latin East, particularly the Ibelin family, resisted Frederick’s authority, creating an environment of internal conflict that German crusaders may have preferred to avoid. Additionally, German crusaders returning from Acre shared negative accounts of their treatment by the local population, further discouraging further expeditions.
Another factor were political struggles within the Holy Roman Empire itself. By the mid-13th century, the Holy Roman Empire was embroiled in internal conflicts, particularly between the papacy and the Hohenstaufen emperors. The struggle between Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX diverted German noble attention away from the Holy Land. Many potential crusaders were either required to stay in Germany to defend their own lands or were drawn into conflicts in Italy.
The papacy further exacerbated this situation by prioritizing its political conflicts over crusading. Pope Gregory IX (1227-1241), for example, allowed some crusaders to commute their vows and redirect their military efforts towards fighting against the Stedinger peasants in Germany instead of going to the Holy Land.
A third factor was the rise of alternative crusading theaters, particularly in the Baltic and against heretics within Europe. The Teutonic Knights, who had once been heavily involved in the defense of the Latin East, shifted their focus to the conquest and Christianization of Prussia and Livonia. The papacy even endorsed the idea of the Baltic being a "New Holy Land," making it easier for German nobles to justify fighting there instead of traveling to Jerusalem.
Similarly, the Mongol invasions of Hungary and Poland in the 1240s created a sense of urgency in Eastern Europe. Many nobles who might have otherwise gone on crusade to the Levant were now needed at home to protect their own lands from potential Mongol attacks.
There also were economic and logistical challenges. Crusading to the Holy Land required substantial financial resources, and by the mid-13th century, many German nobles found it increasingly difficult to afford such expeditions. The cost of transporting troops and supplies to the Eastern Mediterranean was far higher than participating in a campaign closer to home. This financial burden was exacerbated by the need to maintain defenses in both Germany and Eastern Europe. Additionally, the roads to the Mediterranean ports were often blocked due to conflicts in Italy, making it harder for German crusaders to reach the Holy Land. The instability in the Kingdom of Jerusalem itself also made any expedition a risky investment.
Finally, there was a declining Papal focus on the Holy Land. While popes continued to issue crusading calls for the Holy Land, their attention was frequently diverted to conflicts in Europe. Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254), for example, permitted German crusaders to fulfill their vows by fighting the Hohenstaufen in Italy instead of traveling east. Similarly, crusading funds meant for the defense of the Holy Land were often redirected to finance wars in Europe.
By the late 13th century, this prioritization had resulted in a significant decline in the number of crusading families that remained actively involved in Jerusalem’s defense. The last major German noble expedition to Acre in the Holy Land, led in 1290 by Burchard von Schwanden, Grandmaster of the Teutonic Knights, ended in the disastrous fall of the city, further solidifying the perception that the Latin East was no longer a viable crusading objective.
In summary, the decline in German and Eastern European contributions to the Crusades was not caused by a single factor but rather by a combination of military failures, internal European conflicts, logistical difficulties, and changing priorities. Over time, the focus of German crusading efforts shifted away from the Holy Land to campaigns elsewhere. By the time of the fall of Acre in 1291, German noble participation in the Eastern Mediterranean had become almost nonexistent.
This blog is original work based on the paper In subsidium: the dclining contribution of Germany and Eastern Europe to the Crusades to the Holey Land, 1221-91; Nicholas Morton, German Historical Institute Bulletin (2011), 33-66. source, consulted February 6, 2025. The illustration shows the minstrel Tannhäuser in the habit of the Teutonic Knights, from the Codex Manesse, source, Public Domain.
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