Swords and crucifixes: Functions and duties of the Order of St John in Fribourg (Switzerland) in the mirror of Late Medieval inventories

In the context of the crusades, Christian military orders were created, amongst them the Order of Saint John. These orders were involved in the organization and the politics of the Crusader states. At the same time they maintained a network of smaller houses in the Occident, which had different functions. This paper aims to introduce some aspects of the daily life in a commandery of the Order of Saint John in the Occident. The focus is on the functions and the duties of the Knights Hospitalle..