About the RDO
The Teutonic Order (De Ridderlijke Duitsche Orde (RDO)) Bailiwick of Utrecht was a monastic order established in Utrecht since 1231.
Originally it was mainly concerned with the spiritual training of its own members, but subsequently developed into a charitable trust whose wealth is largely derived from its possessions of agricultural estates acquired over the centuries.
In the past, the RDO Bailiwick of Utrecht held possessions – so-called ‘commanderies’ - in various regions of the Netherlands. These former commanderies are found in the relevant municipalities and their surrounding areas. The RDO Bailiwick of Utrecht concentrates on lending financial assistance specifically in these areas.
The RDO Bailiwick of Utrecht maintains and administers its valuable cultural-historical heritage, which includes the present archive. This archive counts as one of the finest mediaeval archives in the Netherlands, the oldest documents dating from the early 13th century.
The archive can be directly consulted online (via the website). In addition the RDO possesses a unique series of portraits of all the Land commanders of the Bailiwick of Utrecht, a series of the so-called kwartierstaten (ancestral pedigrees) of all the members of the Bailiwick of Utrecht since the 17th century and an exceptional collection of Teutonic Order coins.
The entire collection is housed in the 14th century Duitsche Huis – that has always been the seat of the Bailiwick of Utrecht.
