German Rite of the Templar Order

You cannot know anything. Only suspect. This article contains content from pre-release sources that may or may not be reflective of canon upon release. This article therefore likely contains spoilers.

I wanted to ask you something. Which is… what's your name? The title of this article is conjecture. Although the subject of this article is canon, no official name for it has been given.

German Rite of the Templar Order
Organizational information
Leader's title	Grand Master
Locations	Germany

The German Rite of the Templar Order is the Rite of the Templar Order based in Germany. In operation since at least the Middle Ages, the branch was played a tremendous role in world affairs through the First and Second World Wars. Just prior to the latter conflict, the German Rite seized control of the entire nation through Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party, initiating the global war as part of a larger scheme to purge humanity in preparation for the Templars' New World Order, but Hitler would be killed by the Assassins in the war's closing stages.

History

Middle Ages

Brothers of the Cross

In 1348, the Templars traveled across Germany under the guise of the Brothers of the Cross, promising protection from the Black Death. The German Assassin Lukas Zurburg suspected that they were after the Ankh, a Piece of Eden said to be located somewhere in Central Europe. However, neither his theory or the Ankh's real location were ever proven, as both the Brothers of the Cross and Lukas mysteriously vanished in 1350 and were never seen again.

Age of Enlightenment

In 1748, Reginald Birch, the British Templars' Grand Master Reginald Birch arranged for the German art historian and Templar Johann Joachim Winckelmann to be appointed the secretary of Count Heinrich von Bünau's extensive library, which contained some 40,000 volumes. While Winckelmann's official task was to assist Bünau in writing a book on the Holy Roman Empire, he secretly searched the volumes for information on Isu sites for Birch.

Age of imperialisim

By the late 19th century, the German Templars controlled the telegraph lines in Europe, making use of the bribes to maintain and train the operators to keep under their control. They supported Otto von Bismarck's plans to unify the German states and provoke France into war, seeking to make use of the empire expansion to increase their control.

World War I

Albert showing his ring to the Assassin

In 1914, during World War I, the German and British armies called a truce on Christmas. As the British and German troops fraternized, Erich Albert, a German General and Templar, took two medics, one German and one British, into his camp, hoping they could help one of his wounded soldiers. The German medic returned to the festivities after the successful operation, but the British medic remained behind. The medic noticed Albert's ring, which had a red cross on it. Albert offered to trade it with him, but when the medic raised his hands to show that he had no ring in return, Albert noticed, to his shock, the Assassin burn mark on the medic's ring finger. The medic immediately impaled Albert with his Hidden Blade, killing him.

Starting World War II

In the late 1930s, Austrian born Adolf Hitler, an associate of the Templars, began to take over political control over Germany. After having assumed full control, Hitler used an Apple of Eden to form the Nazi regime and hypnotize the population to join his cause. With this new-found support, Hitler began to declare "war" on Germany's neighboring countries, quickly conquering them either through annexation, like the Anschluss with Austria, or invasion, like with France and Poland. A worldwide war soon erupted, but it was a plot to keep the people under the Templars' control.

While the entire war was overseen by the Templars, the world was split between two forces. On one side of the war stood the Axis, primarily led by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Hideki Tojo. On the other side stood the Allied forces, led by the Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin; the Big Three.

Die Glocke

By 1942, the German Templars had infiltrated the ranks of the Nazi paramilitary organizations such as the Schutzstaffel and the armed forces, the Wehrmacht. Heinz Müller, a Sturmbannführer and high-ranking Templar, led a search for Pieces of Eden in northern France. He ordered the capture of French professor Lèo Dubois who specialized in medieval history to aid his research. Heinz's documented activity was sent to his subordinate Templar Wilhelm Schmidt, who kept the intel in Paris. However, the Assassins infiltrated Schmidt's party with aid from the French Resistance members Josephine Baker and Nancy Wake, then recovered the data for themselves.

In the same year, the Templars started development of a device called Die Glocke, which they hid by using the German atomic project as a front. The development was overseen by the Templar Gero Kramer, the Nazi general in charge of the Uranprojekt, in Vemork, a Norwegian hydroelectric plant. That year, Eddie Gorm, a British spy who had infiltrated the SS by pretending to be a defector, blew his cover in an attempt to learn more about the project and had to flee.

Within the next two years, the Templars abducted Nikola Tesla and forced him to work on Die Glocke. On 27 February 1943, Gorm, now a member of the British Assassins, was parachuted into Vemork and infiltrated the plant to stop the Templars from finishing their secret weapon. However, Kramer captured Eddie and put him into a very early prototype of the Animus, powered by an Apple of Eden.

Luckily, the Templar device failed due to Tesla's sabotage while their work had to be halted, due to the Allied forces' infiltration of the facility and Julia Dusk coming to save Gorm from Templar hands. Around July 1943, Kramer and his troops held an auction at a Nazi gathering in Książ Castle in Poland. Gorm and Dusk attacked and ultimately killed Kramer before retrieving the Apple as they escaped German soldiers' grasp.

End of the War

On 30 April 1945, Hitler shot his own double inside his Führerbunker to make the people believe he had died, while the real Hitler planned to take the Apple of Eden and meet with Churchill. However, an Assassin had been biding his time outside the Führerbunker, and assassinated Hitler before the latter could make the meeting.

Modern day

By 2015, the Templars had an Abstergo office in Berlin and operated there.

Members

18th Century

• Johann Joachim Winckelmann

World War I

• Erich Albert

World War II

• Gero Kramer
• Heinz Müller
• Wilhelm Schmidt

Allies and puppets

Colonial Era

• Reginald Birch (British Rite)
• William Johnson (Colonial Rite)

19th Century

• Otto von Bismarck

20th Century

• Adolf Hitler
• Josef Mengele
• Otto Hammerstein
• Nikola Tesla

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Conspiracies (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: The Engine of History – The Resurrection Plot (mentioned only)
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game