"Following their beliefs, they began moving to the land of Israel in 1868. These people stood at the origins of the development and colonization of the then distant Ottoman province. They successfully drained the swamps and carried the light of European civilization. And to this day there is a lot of evidence and traces of the activities of the Templars in this land. "
The Templars were a Protestant Christian movement that originated in the Kingdom of Württemberg (southern Germany) in the mid-19th century. They were not connected to the medieval Knights Templar.
The movement was founded by Christoph Hoffmann, who believed that Christians should actively live out the teachings of Jesus and help prepare the world for the Kingdom of God through practical action, community life, and moral renewal. The Templers emphasized simplicity, hard work, education, and social responsibility.
In 1868, the first Templar families relocated to the Holy Land, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire.
They believed that living and working in the land of the Bible had spiritual meaning and that they were called to help restore and cultivate it.
The Templers came for both spiritual and practical reasons. Spiritually, they believed that Christian renewal should begin in the land where biblical history unfolded. Practically, they wanted to create model communities based on honesty, discipline, cooperation, and modern education.
When the Templers arrived, much of the land was undeveloped, swampy, and affected by diseases such as malaria. Through drainage projects, agricultural work, and urban planning, they transformed many areas into productive farmland and well-organized towns.
Haifa became the first and largest Templar settlement, founded in 1868 at the foot of Mount Carmel. The Templers developed the harbor area, built roads, workshops, schools, and homes, and turned Haifa into a modern port city.
In Jaffa, the Templers established agricultural and industrial activity, including workshops, shipping services, and trade. They contributed significantly to the economic growth of the region.
Sarona was founded in 1871 near the Yarkon River.
It became a thriving agricultural colony renowned for its vineyards, citrus groves, and advanced farming techniques. Today, Sarona is a preserved historical district in central Tel Aviv.
The Templers established the German Colony in Jerusalem in 1873, outside the Old City walls along what is now Emek Refaim Street. They built elegant homes, schools, and community institutions, helping Jerusalem expand beyond its ancient walls.
Additional rural settlements such as Wilhelma, Bethlehem of Galilee, and Waldheim (today Aloney Abba) focused mainly on agriculture and dairy farming and contributed to the development of the Galilee and central plains.
The Templers introduced many modern practices to the region, including advanced agriculture, construction of roads and transport routes, the establishment of workshops, factories, pharmacies, hotels, and schools, European-style urban planning and architecture, and early archaeological research and cartography.
During World War I and World War II, the Templers were considered enemy nationals because of their German origin. Many were interned, expelled, or deported by the British authorities, especially to Australia.
After the war, most Templers did not return to their settlements, and their communities were dissolved.
Today, visitors can still see traces of the Templars in the German Colonies of Haifa and Jerusalem, in Sarona in Tel Aviv, in preserved buildings in Wilhelma, Bethlehem of Galilee, and Aloney Abba, and in the Templar cemeteries in Haifa and Jerusalem.