▁J ax a ▁of ▁Kö pen ick , ▁and ▁the ▁Duch y ▁of ▁P omer ania , ▁which ▁had ▁all ▁fought ▁for ▁domin ance ▁during ▁the ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁T elt ow ▁and ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁Brandenburg ▁( O st s ied lung ). ▁Ar che ological ▁traces ▁of ▁earlier ▁S lav ic ▁settlement s ▁were ▁never ▁found . ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁ ▁The ▁place ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁R ix dorf ▁was ▁founded ▁around ▁ 1 2 0 0 ▁as ▁a ▁strong hold ▁by ▁the ▁Kn ights ▁Tem pl ar ▁from ▁neighbour ing ▁Temp el h ove , ▁Mer g hen vel de ▁and ▁Mer g endor p . ▁The ▁Tem pl ar ▁function ed ▁as ▁a ▁neutral ▁institution , ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁conflicts ▁had ▁ended , ▁the ▁strong hold ▁was ▁abandoned ▁and ▁eventually ▁converted ▁into ▁a ▁Tem pl ar ▁access ▁yard . ▁After ▁Pope ▁Clement ▁V ▁had ▁dissol ved ▁the ▁order ▁in ▁ 1 3 1 2 , ▁the ▁estate ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁Wal dem ar ▁the ▁Great ▁for ▁six ▁years , ▁and ▁then ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Protest ant ▁Order ▁of ▁Saint ▁John ▁( J oh ann iter orden ) ▁in ▁ 1 3 1 8 , ▁still ▁represented ▁today ▁by ▁Ne uk öll n ' s ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁bearing ▁the ▁M alt ese ▁cross . ▁ ▁R ix dorf ▁▁ ▁When ▁first ▁mentioned ▁in ▁a ▁char ter ▁of ▁June ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 3 6 0 , ▁the ▁anger dorf ▁south - east ▁of ▁Berlin ▁around ▁the