Bernard de Tromelai

Grandmaster's coat of arms Bernards de Tromelai

Bernard de Tromelai , also de Tramelay or Bernhard von Dramelay (* around 1100; † August 16, 1153 in Askalon ), was a grand master of the Knights Templar from 1152 to 1153.

Life

He was born in Burgundy , the son of Humbert, landlord of Tromelai .

The decision of Everard des Barres , Bernard's predecessor, to retire as a monk in Clairvaux Abbey came as a surprise to the Knights Templar. After months of negotiations with several applicants, the General Chapter decided to appoint Bernard de Tromelai as the successor to the head of Temple-Lès-Dôle.

Shortly after his arrival in the Holy Land, Bernard was taken over by King Baldwin III. receive. This gave him the supreme command of the army and the city of Gaza , which at that time was in ruins.

Bernard had the remaining walls of the city torn down and new towers and fortifications built. He intended to turn it into an arsenal that could no longer be taken in the future. He also strengthened the defense systems of other coastal cities, including Jaffa , Arsuf , La Roche-Taillée and Le Daron .

He died during the siege of Askalon .

Siege of Ascalon

The well-fortified, Fatimid Ascalon was founded in January 1153 by King Baldwin III. besieged by Jerusalem , but it proved impossible to storm the city. In the area occupied by the Templars, a siege tower was built near the fortress wall at the instigation of Bernard , which towered over the wall and from which the defenders could be effectively shot at. One night in July some of the besieged managed to light a kind of pyre at the foot of this tower. However, the wind turned and blew the "burning mass" (Runciman) against the wall and the great heat of the fire caused parts of the city wall to collapse and opened a breach. When the wall collapsed, the siege tower, which had survived the fire unscathed, was hit by parts of the wall flying around and also collapsed. Bernard de Tromelai and 40 of his Knights Templar immediately rushed to the breach to gain access to the city. The initially surprised defenders, however, quickly formed and killed the Templars and their grandmasters.

On the evening of August 16, the decapitated, lifeless bodies of the 40 Templars hung upside down from the city walls. The sight of the comrades killed spurred the Christians to fight even more resolutely. A few days later, on August 19, 1153, the crew of Askalon had to surrender to the remaining crusaders.

swell

• William of Tire : Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum . around 1170, 17th book, chapters 21–30.

predecessor	Office	successor
Everard des Barres	Grand Master of the Knights Templar 1152–1153	André de Montbard