Ordensburg

Originally Ordensburg referred to castles built by the Teutonic Order to protect their territory in Prussia from attacks from Poland and Lithuania.

The term Ordensburg was later applied to schools for elite Nazi military ranks. There were strict requirements for admission to the school. "Junker" candidates had to be aged between twenty five and thirty years old, belong to the Nazi Party, "Hitlerjugend," the S.A. or the S.S., be physically completely healthy, and be pure-blooded with no hereditary defects. The schools themselves were typically stark, modern structures with basic utilities and ample room for the young men training to go to war.