established by 1185, but laicized in 1530 as a result of the Reformation. Some Swedish noblemen had become knights of the Johanniterorden by the early nineteenth century; by 1920, when King Gustav V placed them under his protection as a union of Swedish knights of the Order, they were 54 in number. In 1946, the union of Swedish knights separated from the German Johanniterorden and a Swedish order was established. Known as the Johanniterorden i Sverige, and with the Swedish monarch as its High Protector, it helped found the Alliance of the Orders of St. John of Jerusalem on June 13, 1961. Even though it is still a semi-official chivalric order of the Swedish state, membership of the Swedish order in practice remains limited to noblemen. Swedish insignia of the Johanniterorden i Sverige replace Prussian eagles with the sheaf of the House of Vasa. Herrenmeister Following is a list of the men who have headed the Order, with the title of Herrenmeister, from the beginning of the institution as a subdivision of the Knights Hospitaller. 1323–1336: Gebhard von Bortefelde (praeceptor generalis), considered the first Herrenmeister 1341–1371: Hermann von Wereberge 1371–1397: Bernhard von der Schulenburg 1397–1399: Detlev von Walmede 1399–1418: Reimar von Güntersberg 1419–1426: Busso von Alvensleben 1426–1437: Balthasar von Schlieben 1437–1459: Nicolaus von Thierbach 1459–1460: Heinrich von Redern 1460–1471: Liborius von Schlieben 1471–1474: Kaspar von Güntersberg 1474–1491: Richard von der Schulenburg 1491–1526: Georg von Schlabrendorff 1527–1544: Veit von Thümen 1544–1545: Joachim von Arnim 1545–1564: Thomas von Runge 1564–1569: Franz von Naumann 1569–1609: Martin, Graf von Hohenstein 1610–1611: Friedrich, Markgraf zu Brandenburg 1611–1613: Ernst, Markgraf zu Brandenburg 1614–1615: Georg Albrecht, Markgraf zu Brandenburg 1616–1624: Johann Georg, Markgraf zu Brandenburg 1624–1625: Joachim Sigismund, Markgraf zu Brandenburg 1625–1641: Adam, Graf von Schwarzenberg 1641–1652: Georg von Winterfeld, Landvogt der Neumark, Komtur zu Schivelbein 1652–1679: Johann Moritz, Fürst von Nassau-Siegen 1689–1692: Georg Friedrich, Fürst zu Waldeck, Graf zu Pyrmont 1693–1695: Karl Philipp, Markgraf zu Brandenburg-Schwedt 1696–1731: Albrecht Friedrich, Prinz in Preußen, Markgraf zu Brandenburg-Schwedt 1731–1762: Karl, Prinz in Preußen, Markgraf zu Brandenburg-Schwedt 1762–1812: August Ferdinand, Prinz von Preußen 1853–1883: Friedrich Carl Alexander, Prinz von Preußen 1883–1906: Albrecht, Prinz von Preußen 1907–1926: Eitel Friedrich, Prinz von Preußen 1927–1958: Oskar, Prinz von Preußen 1958–1999: Wilhelm Karl, Prinz von Preußen 1999–present: Oskar, Prinz von Preußen Notable members Commanders Prince Albert of Prussia (1837–1906) Alexis, Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885) Otto von Bismarck