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The Teutonic Order was a religious order originally mandated in 1143 by Pope Celestine II to manage a German hospital in Jerusalem. Its official name was The Order of The Teutonic Knights of St. Mary's Hospital in Jerusalem. Each house of the Order consisted of a convent of 12 brothers—the number of Christ’s disciples. At mealtime, a Komtur, the commander, who was to read the lesson, headed them. On three days of the week meat was to form part of the meal; on three other days there were dairy produce and eggs. Friday was the fast day. At the meal two brothers were to share a bowl; only drink could be taken from individual cups. The brothers had to remain silent at table unless the Komtur granted an exception, usually when there were guests from outside. Bread left on the table uneaten was to be given to the poor, plus one tenth of all the bread baked in the house. All the brothers were to sleep in one room, clothed in a shirt, trousers and stockings. A light was to burn in the room throughout the night. A brother was to have neither his own seal nor a coat of arms. Nor was he to write, send or read letters without permission.
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In 1226, Konrad I, Duke of Masovia in north-eastern Poland, appealed to the Knights to defend his borders and subdue the pagan Baltic Prussians, a group of seven different clans that occupied the region west of the Vistula river. The conquest of Prussia was started in 1230 and between 1231 and 1242 forty log (later brick and stone) castles were built. These were build at such cities as Elbing (Elbląg), Balga, Thorn (Toruń), Culm (Chełmno), and Rehden (Radzyń Chełmiński). During the next fifty years there were five Prussian uprisings with much bloodshed. Most of the Prussian natives were either killed or deported. German settlers founded numerous towns and cities on former Prussian settlements.
After conquering Prussia, the Knights turned their attention to the Polish controlled Pomerelia, the region west of the Vistula. The rulers of Brandenburg Germany considered themselves to be the rightful heirs to Danzig, the largest coastal city and capital of Pomerelia. They captured Danzig resulting in King Vladislav of Poland calling upon the Teutonic Order to assist him in expelling the Brandenburgs. The Order carried out this request in 1308. The Order occupied Danzig in 1309 and began consolidating control over the entire Vistula region and constructed a number of castles. In 1309 the Teutonic Knights took over Konitz, and it became part of the State of the Teutonic Order. Under Teutonic Grand Master Winrich von Kniprode the defense capabilities and inner structures of the town were improved considerably.
Schlochau In 1312 the Teutonic Knights purchased the Slavic settlement of Człuchów ruled by Poland for 250 silver marks. The Order began constructing a fortress known as Schlochau on a hill east of the settlement. By 1323 it was used as a administrative division by the crusaders and consisted of three support buildings and the main castle. The fortress, the Order's second largest after Marienburg, was completed in 1367. Teutonic Castle at Schlochau (Człuchów)
Bütow The oldest record of the town comes from a donation deed of 1321: Duke Wartislaw IV of Pomerania gave the place to his chancellor Henning Behr for faithful service. His sons sold the land to the Teutonic Order in 1329. Teutonic Castle at Bütow (Bytów) built in 1398–1406