Archbishopric of Riga

Last updated
Archbishopric of Riga
Archiepiscopatus Rigensis (Latin)
Erzbisdom Riga (Low German)
1186–1561
Seal
Archbishopric of Riga.svg
Medieval Livonia 1260.svg
Archbishopric of Riga (in yellow), shown within Terra Mariana
Status Prince-Bishopric of Terra Mariana
Capital Riga
Common languages
Religion
Roman Catholic
Government Theocracy
Archbishop of Riga 
• 1245–73
Albert Suerbeer (first)
• 1539–63
Wilhelm von Brandenburg (last)
Historical era Middle Ages
• Established
1186
• Disestablished
1561
CurrencyLivonian Penny
Livonian Schilling
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Blank.png Ancient Estonia
Blank.png Principality of Jersika
Blank.png Principality of Koknese
Blank.png Tālava
Duchy of Livonia Blank.png
Free City of Riga Blank.png
Today part of Latvia

The Archbishopric of Riga (Latin : Archiepiscopatus Rigensis, Low German : Erzbisdom Riga) was a Catholic diocese and civil government in Medieval Livonia, subject to the Holy See. It was established in 1186 and ended in 1561.

Contents

History

The diocese was established in 1186 as the Bishopric of Livonia at Ikšķile; after its seat was moved to Riga, it became the Bishopric of Riga in 1202 and was elevated to an archbishopric in 1255.

The archbishops of Riga were also the secular rulers of Riga until 1561 when during the Reformation the territory converted from Catholicism to Lutheranism and all church territories were secularized. The see was restored as a diocese of the Catholic Church in 1918 and raised into an archdiocese in 1923.

Bishops and Archbishops of Riga

Bishopric of Livonia
(Bishopric of Üxküll)
1186–1255
1186–1196 Saint Meinhard
1196–1198 Berthold of Hanover
1199–1202 Albert of Riga
Bishopric of Riga
1202–1255
1202–1229 Albert of Riga
1229–1253 Nikolaus von Nauen
1245–1255 Albert Suerbeer
Archbishopric of Riga
1255–1561
1255–1273 Albert Suerbeer
1273–1284Johannes I of Lune
1285–1294Johannes II of Vechten
1294–1300Johannes III of Schwerin
1300–1302Isarnus Tacconi of Fontiès-d'Aude
1303–1310 Jens Grand
titular, never came to Riga
1304–1341Friedrich von Pernstein
1341–1347Engelbert von Dolen
1348–1369Bromhold von Vyffhusen
1370–1374Siegfried Blomberg
1374–1393Johannes IV von Sinten
1393–1418Johannes V von Wallenrodt
1418–1424 Johannes Ambundi [1]
1424–1448Henning Scharpenberg
1448–1479Silvester Stodewescher
1479–1484 Sede vacante (empty seat)
1484–1509 Michael Hildebrand
1509–1524Jasper Linde [2]
1524–1527Johannes VII Blankenfeld [3]
1528–1539 Thomas Schöning
1539–1563 Wilhelm von Brandenburg

A new Bishopric of Livonia was established in Latgalia in 1621 during the Inflanty Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Coinage

The Archbishops of Riga were innovators in the field of minting currency, reviving techniques abandoned since the collapse of Rome. The names of individual archbishops after 1418, as well as the years of their respective reigns, are stamped on Livonian pennies excavated at archaeological sites. In many cases, this is the only biographical data available. No Livonian pennies before 1418 have been found.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Wendehors, Alfred (1989). Das Stift Neumünster in Würzburg (in German). Walter de Gruyter. p. 503. ISBN   3-11-012057-7 . Retrieved 2009-07-22.
  2. ↑ due to deflation, no coins were minted during the reign of Jasper Linde; biographical data exists in alternate formats
  3. ↑ due to deflation, no coins were minted during the reign of Johannes VII Blankenfeld; biographical data exists in alternate formats

56°58′N24°08′E / 56.967°N 24.133°E / 56.967; 24.133

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.