De fratre Hermanno primo magistro terre Prussie ordinis domus Theutonice.
Hermann Balke, First Master of Prussia
Brother Hermann Balke served as the first master of Prussia and Livonia, leading both lands to prosperity before returning to Germany in old age, where he died and was buried.
Brother Hermann, called Balke, of the hospital of Saint Mary of the House of the Teutonic Knights of Jerusalem, was the first master in the land of Prussia, and presided there for ten years. He was also the first master of the land of Livonia, where he had presided for nearly six years and had brought both lands to a good state; and the war had prospered well under his hand, as will appear below. Burdened by old age and toil, he returned to Germany, and there he died and was buried. How glorious he was in all his deeds — his magnificent works bear witness to it.
Read the original Latin
Frater Hermannus dictus Balke hospitalis sancte Marie domus Theutonicorum Jerosolimitani magister primus in terra Prussie prefuit annis xn. Hic eciam fuit primus magister terre Lyvonie, ubi cum prefuisset ferme vi annis, et utramque terram ad bonum statum deduxisset, et bene prosperatum fuisset bellum in manu sua, ut inferius aparebit, gravatus senio et labere, reversus fuit in Alemaniam ibique mortuus et sepultus. Quam gloriosus iste fuerit in omnibus factis suisa, testantur magnifica facta ejusb.
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