The Lietzen Commandery, first mentioned in 1244 as a Templar property, was taken over by the Knights of St John in 1318. The villages of Lietzen, Heinersdorf, Tempelberg, Marxdorf, Neuentempel, Dolgelin, Gorgast and Werbig had to pay taxes. The ensemble of the commandery is a unique testimony to over 500 years of the Order’s history. It is privately owned by the Counts of Hardenberg, who also occupy the manor house built around 1690 and run the commandery.
The Commandery Church is an ‘Open Church’ and is accessible from approx. 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Visitors are asked to stay on the official paths, observe signs and respect the private use of all residents.
The church, built in the 13th century using boulder stonework, has undergone multiple renovations and restorations. The pulpit altar, made around 1730, is adorned with acanthus carvings and depictions of ‘Christ and the Four Evangelists,’ as well as Moses and John the Baptist. A restored baptismal angel once
again hovers in its original place. Several epitaphs and tombstones serve as unique testimonies to the history of the commandery.
The church is the final resting place of Herrenmeister Veit von Thümen, who oversaw the Order’s conversion to Protestantism. His funerary hatchment and that of his relative Hans von Thümen, commander of Lietzen (1582–1595), form part of the church furnishings. The portrait of Adam von Schlieben serves as an example of the family that provided the commanders in Lietzen without interruption from 1596 to 1710.
The commandery’s storehouse also dates from the 13th century and is one of the oldest in Central Europe. In the surrounding area, there are other fieldstone churches from the Templar period, which were taken over by the Order of Saint John in the 14th century. The former Templar church in nearby Marxdorf, located 4 km west of Lietzen, is well preserved. The village of ‘Marquardestorp’ was first mentioned in a document as a Templar property in 1244.
