ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews urban development that took place in the eastern part of the city of Acre, the growth and expansion of the German compound from the early days of its establishment in 1190 until the formation of the Teutonic Order and its continued growth in the first half of the thirteenth century. It discusses a renewed assessment of the Teutonic Order’s role in the Crusader Kingdom, its status and strength among the other well-established military orders, among the Church institutions and the local Crusader nobility in Acre. The Teutonic Order’s growing settlement in the eastern part of the city might have led to the erosion of the Order of St Thomas’ position in that area. The Teutonic Order, as a new and influential factor in the city of Acre at the beginning of the thirteenth century, understood how to increase its economic power, enhance its military status and strengthen its compound in the eastern part of the city.
