In 1811 and 1812, in his position of protector of the Order, King Frederick William III of Prussia transferred the powers of the "Herrenmeister" and the Chapter (the governing council of the Order) to the Prussian Crown, effectively dissolving the Bailiwick and confiscating its possessions. He established a similarly named (and with a similar insigne) order of merit, the Royal Prussian Order of Saint John, in its stead. (The insigne of another Prussian order of merit, the famed Pour le Mérite, nicknamed "the Blue Max", also was based on the design of the Johanniter neck cross.) The "Herrenmeister" of the Bailiwick, Prince August Ferdinand, became the first grand master of the order of merit, continuing to reside in the palace of the order, and all knights of the Order became members of the order of merit.