Alūksne Castle

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Alūksne Castle
Vidzeme, Latvia

Aluksne Castle 1661.jpeg

Alūksne Castle 1661 from North-West
Latvia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Alūksne Castle
Coordinates 57°25′14″N27°02′55″E / 57.42056°N 27.04861°E / 57.42056; 27.04861 Coordinates: 57°25′14″N27°02′55″E / 57.42056°N 27.04861°E / 57.42056; 27.04861
Type Castle
Site information
Open to
the public		 yes
Condition about 5 m high walls visible
Site history
Built 1342
Built by Livonian Order
Materials boulders, brick
Demolished 1702 (blown up)

Alūksne Castle (Latvian : Marienburgas pils, Alūksnes pils; German : Marienburg) is a castle of Teutonic Knights in current Alūksne, North-Eastern Latvia.

Latvian language Baltic language, official in Latvia and the European Union

Latvian is a Baltic language spoken in the Baltic region. It is the language of Latvians and the official language of Latvia as well as one of the official languages of the European Union. It is sometimes known in English as Lettish, and cognates of the word remain the most commonly used name for the Latvian language in Germanic languages other than English. There are about 1.3 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and 100,000 abroad. Altogether, 2 million, or 80% of the population of Latvia, speak Latvian. Of those, 1.16 million or 56% use it as their primary language at home. The use of the Latvian language in various areas of social life in Latvia is increasing.

German language West Germanic language

German is a West Germanic language that is mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, South Tyrol (Italy), the German-speaking Community of Belgium, and Liechtenstein. It is also one of the three official languages of Luxembourg and a co-official language in the Opole Voivodeship in Poland. The languages which are most similar to German are the other members of the West Germanic language branch: Afrikaans, Dutch, English, the Frisian languages, Low German/Low Saxon, Luxembourgish, and Yiddish. There are also strong similarities in vocabulary with Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, although those belong to the North Germanic group. German is the second most widely spoken Germanic language, after English.

Alūksne Town in Alūksne municipality, Latvia

Alūksne is a town on the shores of Lake Alūksne in northeastern Latvia near the borders with Estonia and Russia. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality. Alūksne is the highest elevated Latvian city, located in East Vidzeme Upland at 217 m above sea level. The high elevation of the city affects the social and physical arrangement of the place.

Contents

History

The castle was built in 1342 on the largest of the islands in the Lake Alūksne and called Marienburg (after Mary, the mother of Jesus). The first castle was constructed by the Landmeister Burkhard von Dreileben. It was part of a major reinforcement of the Eastern border of Livonia, the same year another major castle nearby (in Vastseliina) was founded as well. Soon thereafter, center of komturei was moved from Gaujiena to Alūksne. [1]

Lake Alūksne is located in Alūksne Municipality, Latvia.

Terra Mariana

Terra Mariana was the official name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia, which was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade in the territories comprising present day Estonia and Latvia. It was established on 2 February 1207, as a principality of the Holy Roman Empire but lost this status in 1215 when proclaimed by Pope Innocent III as directly subject to the Holy See.

Vastseliina Castle

Vastseliina Castle was a castle of the Livonian Order, Bishopric of Dorpat. It was constructed by 1342 by the Landmeister Burkhard von Dreileben as part of the border fortifications of Old Livonia against Novgorod, Pskov and later Moscow.

The strength of the castle was repeatedly proven by repelling a number of attacks in the 16th century. Alūksne was captured by the troops of Ivan IV of Russia in 1560 during the Livonian War. It was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1582. The town became part of the Swedish Empire in 1629.

Livonian War 16th century war in Eastern Europe

The Livonian War (1558–1583) was fought for control of Old Livonia, when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.

Swedish Empire the years 1611–1721 in the history of Sweden

The Swedish Empire was a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic region during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The beginning of the Empire is usually taken as the reign of Gustavus Adolphus, who ascended the throne in 1611, and its end as the loss of territories in 1721 following the Great Northern War.

After the fall of the Old Livonia, the castle remained habitable. It was finally destroyed in 1702 in the Great Northern War by its Swedish garrison to avoid falling in the hands of Russians. The ruins remained largely untouched. Today, it houses an open-air scene and forms a part of a recreational area of the Pils (Castle) Island.

Great Northern War conflict between mainly the Swedish and Russian empires in 1700–1721

The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I of Russia, Frederick IV of Denmark–Norway and Augustus II the Strong of Saxony–Poland–Lithuania. Frederick IV and Augustus II were defeated by Sweden, under Charles XII, and forced out of the alliance in 1700 and 1706 respectively, but rejoined it in 1709 after the defeat of Charles XII at the Battle of Poltava. George I of Great Britain and of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) joined the coalition in 1714 for Hanover and in 1717 for Britain, and Frederick William I of Brandenburg-Prussia joined it in 1715.

Architecture

The initial castle was built of wood. Later, the outer walls were constructed of fieldstone and the convent house of bricks. The plan is in many ways similar to that of Viljandi Castle, including the convent building with a flanking tower. The outer wall originates partly from the same time as the convent house, partly from later periods, notably from the time of the political tensions in the early 16th century. The main gate, protected by two round towers, is also of late medieval origin. [1]

Viljandi Castle

Viljandi castle of Livonian Order, construction of which started 1224 in place of a former hillfort, was one of the strongest castles in Livonia. Finally destroyed in the Polish-Swedish wars in the early 17th century, ruins of it now form a popular resort area in Viljandi, Estonia.

Later, at the end of the 17th century, the castle was supplied with ravelines and ramparts.

Ravelin

A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outwork, located in front of the innerworks of a fortress. Originally called a demi-lune, after the lunette, the ravelin is placed outside a castle and opposite a fortification curtain.

Related Research Articles

The Livonian Brothers of the Sword was a Catholic military order established by Albert, the third bishop of Riga, in 1202. Pope Innocent III sanctioned the establishment in 1204 for the second time. The membership of the order comprised German "warrior monks" who fought Baltic and Finnic pagans in the area of modern-day Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Alternative names of the Order include Christ Knights, Sword Brethren, and The Militia of Christ of Livonia. The seal reads: +MAGISTRI ETFRM MILICIE CRI (Christi) DE LIVONIA.

Cēsis Town in Cēsis Municipality, Latvia

Cēsis, is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below. Cēsis was one of the candidate cities for the title of European Capital of Culture 2014.

Ordensburg

Ordensburgs were fortresses built by crusading German military orders during the Middle Ages. The term "Ordensburgen" was also used during Nazi Germany to refer to training schools for Nazi leaders.

Riga Castle castle

Riga Castle is a castle on the banks of River Daugava in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The castle was founded in 1330. Its structure was thoroughly rebuilt between 1497 and 1515. Upon the castle's seizure by the Swedes, they constructed spacious annexes in 1641. The fortress was continually augmented and reconstructed between the 17th and 19th centuries. Sometime in the 1930s, some renovation work was done by architect Eižens Laube. The Latvian government declared the castle its residence in 1938. Today it is the official residence of the President of Latvia as well as home to several museums.

Paide Town in Järva County, Estonia

Paide is the capital of Järva County, Estonia.

Malbork Castle castle built in Prussia by the Teutonic Knights

The Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork is a 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortress located near the town of Malbork, Poland. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Horn family

Horn is a Swedish noble family from Finland, known since the 14th century.

Johann Ernst Glück German writer and theologian

Johann Ernst Glück was a German translator and Lutheran theologian active in Livonia, which is now in Latvia.

Cēsis Castle Livonian castle situated in Cēsis, Latvia

Cēsis Castle is one of the most iconic and best preserved medieval castles in Latvia. The foundations of the castle were laid 800 years ago by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. The most prosperous period Cēsis Castle experienced was during its next owners, the Teutonic Order. It became one of the key administrative and economic centers of the Teutonic Order in Livonia. The first serious damage was done to the castle during the Livonian War, when it was besieged by the army of Ivan the Terrible. In the course of the siege of 1577 approximately 300 people within the castle committed mass suicide by blowing themselves up with gunpowder. Cēsis Castle was still in use during the following century but it fell into disuse after the Great Northern War. Today the castle is the most visited heritage site in Cēsis and one of the 'must see' destinations in the Baltic states.

Rēzekne Castle

Rēzekne Castle ruins are located in the centre of Rēzekne, Latvia, a city in the centre of Latgale. The castle served as a base of the local Livonian order landlords until the 16th century and also as the main military support base for battles against Russians and Lithuanians. Today, fragments of the stone walls and the foundation can be seen on the ancient castle hill.

Krimulda Castle

The Krimulda Castle is located just outside Sigulda, Sigulda municipality, Latvia and is a tourist attraction. The castle dates from the 14th century and was destroyed in a war in 1601. Prince Liven’s living house was built in the classic style. The manor complex consists of steward’s house, coach house, Swiss cottage, etc. Home wine tasting is available by prior arrangement.

Ventspils Castle

Ventspils Castle is located in Ventspils, Latvia. It is one of the oldest and most well-preserved Livonian Order castles remaining, in that it has retained its original layout since the 13th century. Through its 700-year history, it has been used as a fortress, residence, garrison, school, military base, and prison. In 1995, the castle was restored to its 19th-century appearance, and was converted into a museum.

Ēdole Castle

Ēdole Castle is a Gothic Revival castle situated on the banks of Ēdole Lake, Ēdole parish, in the historical region of Courland, western Latvia. Originally consisting of two residential buildings linked by a stone wall, the castle is surrounded by landscape park. It is considered an architectural and archaeological monument of national importance.

Jaunpils Castle

Jaunpils Castle is a castle in the historical region of Zemgale, in Latvia. More of a manor house than properly a fortified castle, it has now been converted into a hotel.

Dzērbene Manor

Dzērbene Manor is a manor house in the historical region of Vidzeme, northern Latvia. Modern manor house is built on the place where old Dzērbene medieval castle once stood. Dzērbene manor is mentioned for the first time in 1555 when it was presented to chancellor of Archbishopric of Riga Christoph Sturz. In 1556 old castle was destroyed by army of Livonian Order and in 1577 also by Muscovites. During period of Swedish Livonia Dzērbene manor was owned by Svante Banner. After Great Northern War Dzērbene manor complex with more than 20 buildings became property of Russian Empire. In 1771 Russian empress Catharina II presented property to the major-general Otto Weismann von Weissenstein. His descendants owned the manor until 1891. From 1891 property was owned by von Laudohn family. Manor house was burned during Russian revolution of 1905 but was rebuilt later. During First world war manor saw further damage and last owners departed for Germany.

Ludza Castle castle ruin in Latvia

Ludza Castle was a medieval castle built in Gothic style located next to a Catholic church, on the site of a former Latgalian wooden castle in the centre Ludza, Latvia, a small town in eastern Latgale. Its main purpose was to be an eastern outpost to control trade routes from Russia. Nowadays the impressive fragments of the castle walls, including a three-floor high fragment, still remain. The ruins are the main tourist attraction in the Ludza District, and is considered a symbol of the town.

Sigulda Medieval Castle

Sigulda Medieval Castle ruins are located on the edge of the Gauja valley in Latvia. The original castle was built in 1207 as a castellum type fortress, later rebuilt into a convent type building. The residence of the Land Marshal of the Livonian Order since 1432.

Ernst Gottlieb Glück was a Russian statesman.

References

  1. 1 2 Tuulse, Armin (1942). Die Burgen in Estland und Lettland, pp 147-148. Dorpater Estnischer Verlag
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