Mendicant Orders in Medieval Prussia and Livonia: Pastoral Activities in Towns

Mendicant orders played a significant role in the pastoral care of urban populations within the domains of the Teutonic Order and particular bishoprics in medieval Prussia and Livonia. The study reveals that the network of mendicant friaries mirrored the demographic potential and urbanization levels of these regions, with their effectiveness evidenced by numerous prayer agreements, burials in friary churches, and bequests from townspeople. The success of these orders is further confirmed by the partially preserved great hall-type churches they erected in major towns such as Gdańsk, Toruń, Tallinn, and Riga. The research focuses exclusively on pastoral activities among urban populations, highlighting both similarities and differences in the conditions under which friars worked across Prussia and Livonia.

Kubicki, R. (2016). Mendicant Orders in Medieval Prussia and Livonia: Pastoral Activities in Towns. Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis, 33, 123–146. https://doi.org/10.15181/ahuk.v33i0.1499