Knights of the Sword (Order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, or Livonian Knights)

The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin: Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae, German: Schwertbrüderorden) are a military order established by their second bishop, Bishop Albert of Riga, in 1202.

Pope Innocent III sanctions the establishment in 1204 for the second time.

The membership of the order comprises German "warrior monks".

Alternative names of the Order include the different more popular used name as Christ Knights, Sword Brethren, and The Militia of Christ of Livonia.Following their defeat by the Samogitians and Semigallians in the Battle of Schaulen (Saule) in 1236, the surviving Brothers merge into the Teutonic Order as an autonomous branch and become known as the Livonian Order.