Before turning to the topic of the merger of the Teutonic Order and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, let us look haw this process is described in the following chronicles.
In The Chronicle of the Prussian Land by Peter of Dusburg:
Brother Volkwin [Volkwin von Naumburg zu Winterstätten], who was the second Master of the Order of the Sword Brothers in the Livonian land, had been sending messengers to Brother Hermann von Salza, the Grand Master of the Teutonic House [the Teutonic Order] for six years in order to consolidate the two Orders. For that purpose, the above-mentioned Brother Hermann came to the Pope together with Brother Johann von Mederborg, one of the messengers of Brother Volkwin. In the meantime, Brother Gerlach the Red arrived from Livonia and reported that Master Volkwin, many of the Sword Brothers as well as a large number of pilgrims [volunteer Crusaders, who were not the members of the Order] and God’s people died in a recent battle [the Battle of Saule]. Upon learning of this, the Pope ceased all discussions and accepted Brother Gerlach and Brother Johann in the Teutonic House of Saint Mary, clothing then in white cloaks with black crosses on them and arranged there and then that as forgiveness for all their sins, all the brothers [knights] who had been in Livonia all these years as the members of the Sword Brothers Order should join the Teutonic House and observe its rules of life. Then Brother Hermann sent Brother Hermann Balke, who was the Landmeister [Provincial Master] in Prussia of Livonia, 40 brothers and many armed men to the land of Livonia; when after above-mentioned Brother Hermannn Balke had been there for almost six years, he returned to Alemannia and passed from this world. (66)
In The Livonian Rhymed Chronicle:
All Christians of Livonia mourned,
Then the Swordsmen sent their brothers
To the wise man of the German people,
Which was a native of Salza
And was the head of the Teutonic House.
The Master read their message
And answered the messengers,
"Terrible misfortune befell on us all.
But we must find the strength
To keep our spirits up.
To ease your suffering and help you through this
I will send as many brothers as you need,
And we will make up for your losses."
He did not want to wait any longer
And ordered to immediately convene
All senior members of the Chapter
And many Commanders of the Order.
The Master and the Chapter ordered the brothers
To help Livonia to restore everything
Everything which had been suddenly lost.
"In Christian unity there is our strength!"
He said to the Teutonic Brothers.
"You must help your brothers as long as you live.
It is the spiritual duty of each member of our Order,
And the Lord expects us to fulfill it.
We will select the best of the brothers,
And they will be sent to the aid."
Then they were appointed a Master [Provincial Master]
So that he’d immediately go to Livonia.
Their new leader considered a virtuous man.
His name was Hermann Balke.
The best people were selected for him,
They felt honored to join the squad.
Fifty-four heroes,
Went to the new place of their service.
Taking everything they needed:
Horses, clothing and weapons.
That is how the knights without fear and blemish
Arrived in Livonia from afar.
The arrived knights were greeted with honor,
Everybody were pleased that henceforth they are together.
Livonian Christians thanked God.
The Brothers of the Sword Brothers, as prescribed, hastened
To change their symbols
And wear a new uniform.
A black cross on the white cloaks
Was the emblem of the brave Teutonic Brothers.
The Master was satisfied, and the brothers believed
That their long journey had not been in vain. (1969-2016)
So, the consolidation of the Livonian Sword Brethren and the Teutonic Order is depicted by the authors of both chronicles in glowing terms. At first glance it seems that the process was smooth, and the Teutonic Knights took the Sword Brothers into their ranks with open arms. However, with a more careful study of the topic, it becomes clear that the relationship between two Orders was not at all amicable.
After the murder of the second Bishop of Livonia Berthold of Hanover by the Livs in 1198, Albert von Buxthoeven, who was appointed to replace him, founded the Order named The Livonian Brothers of the Sword.
Under the first Master of the Sword-Bearers Wenno von Rohrbach, the Bishop of Riga in 1207 gave the Sword-Bearers a third of Christian Livonia and the yet-baptized Baltic lands in full ownership. The main residence of the Swordsmen was Wenden Castle (Cēsis in Latvian), which was also the burial place of the Order’s Masters. The Order of the Sword-Bearers, which did not have a large military force, was a small brotherhood of knights, who came mainly from Westphalia, intended to ensure the Christianization of Livonia. Nevertheless, the Sword-Bearers, albeit in alliance with Danish Crusaders and the Bishop of Riga, succeeded in baptizing all of Livonia and Estonia by 1229, as well as a part of Courland. However, the Bishop of Riga, who was the actual founder of the Order, tried to turn it into his own army, but he failed to achieve what he wanted. Only a few years later, the Order began to pursue its independent policy aimed at protecting its own interests and entered a period of protracted conflicts with the Bishop. Eventually the Swordsmen found that the consolidation with the much larger and more privileged Teutonic Order, which was successfully conquering the Old Prussian pagan tribes, would prove to be beneficial.
Master of the Sword Brothers Volkwin (Schenk) von Naumburg zu Winterstätten led negotiations with Hermann von Salza, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, on incorporation into the Teutonic Order. Von Salza sent his envoys to Livonia to get acquainted with the situation there. When visiting the domains of the Sword Brothers, the envoys, led by a Teutonic Knight called Hartmann von Heldrungen (the future Grand Master of the Teutonic Order), did not seem pleased about the Sword Brothers’ free lifestyle.
So, von Salza was not eager to meet the wishes of the Sword Brothers, hesitating for years, and not just because of the Sword Brothers’ lifestyle. Almost unconcealed intentions of the Sword Brothers to preserve their autonomy and independence after a consolidation gave rise to well-founded concerns among the Teutonic Knights. However, subsequent events accelerated the process of their merger.
On 22 September 1236 the Sword Brothers were totally defeated by the Lithuanians and the Semigallians in the Battle of Saule. Most of the Sword Brothers, including their Master, died in the battle. Only an urgent intervention of the Teutonic Knights could save the Sword Brothers. So, on 12 May 1237, Pope Gregory IX incorporated the surviving Sword Brothers into the Teutonic Order. Immediately, Landmeister (Provincial Master) of Prussia Hermann Balk was appointed the Landmeister of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, and was sent there at the head of 60 Teutonic Knights. They very soon established calm in those lands and completed the Christianization of Courland.
However, serving in the Teutonic Order’s branch, the remnants the Sword Brothers were burdened by their provincial status and kept on trying to regain their independence.
The true nature of the two Orders’ was eloquently illustrated by the fact that the Livonian branch did not assist the Teutonic Order in the Polish-Lithuanian-Teutonic War of 1409-1411, referring to the separate peace agreement between the then Livonian Landmeister Conrad von Vytinghove and Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great. In addition to other reasons, this act of sabotage caused the defeat of the army of the Teutonic Order in the Battle of Grunwald on 15 July 1410. So, the above-mentioned concerns of Hermann von Salza about the consequences of the merger had been realized.
However, clearly understanding that a potential end of the Teutonic Order would inevitably lead to the very end of the Livonian branch itself, the Livonian Knights decided to help the Teutonic Knights. In August 1410, after long disputes, they sent Deputy Landmeister Bernd von Heuelmann at the head of 5,000 troops to the aid of the Teutonic Knights besieged in Marienburg by the Polish-Lithuanian forces.
In the 16th century, after Landmeister Wolter von Plettenberg, who successfully repulsed the offensive of the troops of Grand Prince of Moscow Ivan III in the Battle of the Siritsa (Seritsa) River, granted the Teutonic Order a large sum of money necessary for the war with Poland in 1513, the then (and the last) Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights Albert of Prussia (Brandenburg-Ansbach) in gratitude granted a certain kind of the long-sought independence to the Livonian Order within the Teutonic Order and returned them their old right to elect their own Master (Herrmeister). It was Wolter von Plettenberg, who, like Grand Master Albert, welcomed the Protestant Reformation that had infiltrated Livonia from Germany and even joined the Schmalkaldic League in 1531.
From 1588, the victorious campaigns of Tsar Ivan the Terrible to Livonia began. Gotthard von Kettler (Ketteler), who was elected Herrmeister in 1559, out of desperation over lack of assistance from the Holy Roman Empire, accepted the protection of Poland in 1560, then in 1561 resigned as a Master of the Livonian Order, surrendered Livonia to Poland, and received Courland and Semigallia from King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus, thereby founding the dynasty of the Dukes of Courland and Semigallia.