Order of the Four Emperors

The history of the Ancient Order of St. George dates back to the two knightly associations of the House of Luxembourg in the 14th and 15th century, when in 1308 King of Germany (and later Holy Roman Emperor) Henry VII endowed the "Order of the Ancient Nobility" and in 1408 the King of Hungary (and later Holy Roman Emperor) Sigismund instituted the “Order of the Dragon”. Both founders were striving to fortify Christendom and knightly virtues.

As a result of his defeat by the Ottomans at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, Sigismund placed the so-called "Confraternity With the Dragon" (ref. Ouroboros) of Ancient Nobility under the protection of Saint George, from which the Order still today derives its name of two components.

With Sigismund's death in 1437, the line of Luxembourg emperors became extinct and the Order remained affiliated to the Holy Roman Emperors of the House of Habsburg. When in 1769 Count Philipp Ferdinand re-established the community as a dynastic order of the House of Limburg-Stirum, he also wished to honour the four emperors from the Luxembourg dynasty, namely Henry VII (reigned 1308–1313), Charles IV (1347–1378), Wenceslas (1378–1410), and Sigismund (1410–1437). Twelve commanderies with incomes of 500 gulden were attached to the Order. Knights and Commanders gave at their nomination, a substantial amount of money or a territory as commandery to the Order. They could still enjoy the revenues of such territories, but left it to the Order afterwards.

On 6 December 1768 the Order was newly founded as a secular order of chivalry by Philipp Ferdinand Count von Limburg-Styrum. Among its aims was the preservation of the memory of the Four Roman Emperors of the House of Luxembourg, Henry VII (ruled 1308–1313), Charles IV (ruled 1347–1378), Wenceslas (ruled 1378–1410) and Sigismund (ruled 1410–1437).

The members of the essential ecumenical Order stemmed predominantly from the German, Flemish, Walloon and French aristocracy. Its division into German and French speaking parts was laid down in the first reorganization of the Order in 1789.

In 1806, as consequence of the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire the sovereignty over the County of Styrum by the House of Limburg-Styrum was mediatised and the counts lost their rule over their estates. Thereby the Order lost its status as a Dynastic Order and, in the absence of a Grand Master, the Order went into abeyance.[1]

A second reorganizational convention was called in 1838 by the vice-chancellor Dr. Joseph Vicomte de Kerckhove-Varent, which opened the membership of the Order to those of non-aristocratic descent, while emphasizing however conservative objectives. Its official language became now German, since French had widely ceased its currency, as a result of the French Revolution. Ackermann, however, in his guide, published in 1855, listed the Order as extinct. Similarly, Archbishop H.E. Cardinale, wrote, that the Order ceased to exist. An examination of the Dutch High Council of Nobility (Hoge Raad van Adel) in 1886 gave the result that the Order is extinct.

During a 1926 convent in Hanover, the Order was again re-organized, under the governorate of the comital House of Stolberg and the princely House of Liechtenstein. Based on the reorganizational convention, the statutes were adapted under the guidance of the Order's Governor, Count Bernhard zu Stolberg-Stolberg, to consolidate the life within the Order. From then on it was called the "Ancient Chivalric Order of Saint George called Order of the Four Roman Emperors", with bailiwicks of Wendland (along the river Elbe), Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Austria-Hungary. As a visual expression of the renewal of the Order and in the spirit of its founders and patrons, the image of St. George the dragon slayer was incorporated into the Order's insignia.

Because of the political situation in the German Reich, in 1935 the seat of the Order was transferred to Salzburg in the bailiwick of Austria-Hungary, from where it engaged actively against the National Socialism, for an independent Austria and for the reinstatement of its archducal House of Habsburg. Three years later, following the so-called “Anschluss” (Austria's annexation by the German Reich), the Order was prohibited for political reasons by the Nazis.[2] Like many other Christian associations, the Order was officially dissolved, its assets confiscated and its activities forbidden (as it had already happened in Germany in 1934, after the National Socialists had seized power. The dissolution had taken place under the Governor of the Order, Prince Johannes von und zu Liechtenstein (a former Captain in the Austro-Hungarian Navy), who, after the irrevocable resignation of his predecessor, Count Bernhard zu Stolberg-Stolberg, had been unanimously elected ("per acclamationem") at the knights' general convention on 19 June 1937.[3]

While continuing to be recognized as governor by the remaining Knights of the Order during World War II, Prince Johannes safeguarded the continuity of the Order and immediately after the war began building it up again with its seat in Vienna, Austria. His efforts of consolidation resulted in his official registration of the Order in 1951 as "St. George´s Club" which he led as its president. This step was necessary, because of the still unclear legal situation of secular orders, which had been closed down during the Third Reich.[4]

Under the next Governor of the Order, Count Karl von und zu Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg, who had updated the order's statutes, which had officially been confirmed by the authorities in 1960,[5] the "St. George´s Club", was renamed the "Ancient Order of St. George", as the Order is called today. Since then, its head and chief representative again carries the title "Ordensgouverneur" (Governor of the Order). As such, the Ancient Order of St. George successfully exists to this day and holds annual meetings.[6] Since the 19th century the Order has upheld a firm loyalty to the archducal House of Austria. Accordingly, Dr. Otto von Habsburg was patron of the Ancient Order of St. George from 1972 until his death in July 2011.[7]

In 1999 Prince Gundakar von und zu Liechtenstein was elected Governor of the Order. Since 2001 Count Peter zu Stolberg-Stolberg has assisted him as Vice Chancellor, and since 2004 as the Order's Chancellor.

Certain persons who had left the Ancient Order of St. George at the end of 2007 founded an association with a similar name in January 2008. In 2011 it was renamed Order of St. George.[8]