Schiffskinder (literally meaning ship-children in German), were the crews of the ships of the
Hanseatic League during the late Middle Ages. Schiffskinder and passengers swore allegiance to each other before leaving the harbour. They often fought both on land and at the sea. Sometimes groups of Schiffskinder supported the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
armies
and there is a record of one
Hochmeister
The Grand Master of the Teutonic Order (german: Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens; la, Magister generalis Ordo Teutonicus) is the supreme head of the Teutonic Order. It is equivalent to the grand master of other military orders and the supe ...
who in 1414 awarded one such group, the Schiffskinder of
Gdańsk (Danzig), with privileges for their valor in combat against the Poles.
References
Hanseatic League
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