ABSTRACT
The second half of the thirteenth century takes a particular place in the history of the Military Orders. In the quickly disappearing rests of the kingdom of Jerusalem they seem to be playing a preponderant role, being the only standing army of the Latin establishments in the East and at the same time one of the Holy Land's major links with Christian Europe in general and with the papay in particular. In the territorial framework of the Latin East, their land and city property as well as the castles in their possession, strike a figure of princely richess. At the same time, the three major Orders, St. John, Temple, Teutonic knights are already on the move to the West, though in different degrees. There is a change in their perspective assigning different importance to Europe and to the Outremer, or rather a change in the respective roles within the body of orders. The priories, daughter houses and properties in the West do not justify their existence as reservoirs which feed the Outremer only. The feeling of doom of the Outremer is felt in the ruling circles of the Orders. "If the kingdom is lost" formula appears in contracts and agreements of the Orders, as a condition to fulfil obligations.1 The ruling bodies of the Orders because of their knowledge of Levantine politics and military potentials were probably more aware of the imminent disaster than any other factor in Christendom. Hence the conscious, mental and material preparations to find a haven or, at least, a temporary shelter in Europe.
