Knights Templar

The Knights Templar were set up as the first group of monastic knights, originally formed to protect pilgrims on their way to the holy land during the crusades. They are named in "Templar" because their original base of operations was rumoured to be build on top of the site of the Temple of Solomon. They became involved in various campaigns during the crusade and became a powerful entity at one point, through the acquisition of lands donated to the church. They were eventually denounced as heretics and burned at the stake in the beginnings of the Inquisition. Their wealth being donated to the hospitalers or siezed by the French governent.

In the Knights Templar we can see the template for much which was to come. They can be seen as the first multinational corporation, had the first banks, loaning organisations, post offices, tourist bureaus, and factory farms.

It is thought that many Templars escaped the Inquisition through the founding of the state of Switzerland. But this may be a coincidence based up on the red cross on the white background which was both the Templar crest and the Swiss flag.

Another thoery is that they escaped to Scotland and formed the "Freemasons", another is that they hid in the subterrean systems under Paris, or that they escaped to Portugal.

So many conspiracy theories have erupted from the Templar legend that it is difficult to be sure of anything.