Alexander is a member of the Knights Order of Saint John (or with full name “Bailiwick of Brandenburg of the Chivalric Order of Saint John of the Hospital at Jerusalem") and will provide us with insights into the fascinating history and work of the German Protestant branch of the Knights Hospitaller, the oldest surviving chivalric order, which generally is considered to have been founded at Jerusalem in 1099.
Through its Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe ("Saint John Accident Assistance”), its hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and other institutions, the Order today is a major provider of medical and rescue services in Germany and, to a lesser extent, of comparable services elsewhere in Europe, Africa, and the Americas. These services are similar to the St. John Ambulance in many Commonwealth nations, and to various organisations affiliated with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
