| History of Latvia |
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| Ancient Latvia |
| Kunda culture |
| Narva culture |
| Corded Ware culture |
| Amber Road and Aesti |
| Baltic Finns: Livonians, Vends |
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| Middle ages |
| Principality of Jersika, Principality of Koknese |
| Livonian Crusade, Livonian Brothers of the Sword, Livonian Order |
| Archbishopric of Riga, Bishopric of Courland |
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| Early modern period |
| Livonian War |
| Kingdom of Livonia |
| Duchy of Livonia, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia |
| Polish–Swedish war (1600-1629), Second Northern War |
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The Bishopric of Courland (Latin: Episcopatus Curoniensis, Low German: Bisdom Curland) was the second smallest (4500 km2) ecclesiastical state in the Livonian Confederation founded in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade. During the Livonian War in 1559 the bishopric became a possession of Denmark[1], and in 1585 sold by Denmark to Poland-Lithuania.
[edit] History
In ancient times the Curonians, a Baltic tribe, inhabited Courland and had strong links with the maritime tribes in both sides of the Baltic sea. In 1230 Curonian king Lammechinus signed agreement with the vice-legat Baldwin of Alna (Baudoin d’Aulne) of the pope Gregory IX about the voluntary conversion of his people to Christianity and receiving the same rights as the inhabitants of Gotland. In 1234 Dominican monk Engelbert was appointed to be the first bishop of Courland. In 1242 the area of Courland passed under the influence of the Teutonic Knights owing to the amalgamation of this order with that of the Brethren of the Sword in 1237. In 1253 the territory of Courland was divided between the Bisphoric of Courland and the Livonian branch of the Order of Teutonic Knights. After severe defeat of knights in the Battle of Durbe the Bishop Heinrich of Lützelburg left Courland in 1263 and the new bishop Edmund of Werth returned in his bisphoric only after suppression of Curonian and Semigallian insurgencies in 1290. During the Livonian War (1558–1582), under the increasing pressure of Muscovy, the Livonian Confederation dissolved. On the basis of the Union of Wilno, Livonia were ceded to The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and formed into the Ducatus Ultradunensis (Latvian: Pārdaugavas hercogiste). The land between the west bank of the Daugava River and the Baltic Sea formed another new region, The Duchy of Courland and Semigalia (Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste). It depended on the Grand Prince of Lithuania, later on The King of Poland and The Grand Prince of Lithuania. Gotthard Kettler, the last Master of The Livonian Brothers of the Sword, became the first Duke of Courland. Several parts of the Courland area did not belong to the bishopric. The Order of Livonia had already loaned the Grobiņa district (on the coast of Baltic Sea) to the Duke of Prussia. Another district, the Bishopric of Pilten, also called the "Bishopric of Courland" (on the Venta River in western Courland), belonged to Magnus, the King of Livonia. He promised to transfer it to the Duchy of Courland after his death, but this plan failed and only later Wilhelm Kettler did regain this district. After Magnus of Livonia died in 1583, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth invaded his territories in the Duchy of Courland and Frederick II of Denmark decided to sell his rights of inheritance. When Gotthard Kettler died in 1587, his sons, Friedrich and Wilhelm, became the dukes of Courland.
[edit] Chronology
- September 1234 : Bishopric of Courland (Bistum Kurland) established (formally declared in 11 February 1232), consisting of three separate enclaves after numerous distributions of the Curonian lands among the Bishops of Courland, and of Riga, and the Teutonic Order.
- 1290 : The cathedral chapter is incorporated into the Teutonic Order lands, the bishopric is subjected to the Order.
- 1341 : The bishops were also rulers of the island of Runö (now Ruhnu in SW-Estonia) from at least 1341.
- 1520 : Made a sovereign principality (prince-bishopric) of the Holy Roman Empire (formally from Jan 1521), but style of prince not used.
- 20 May 1560: Sold to the King of Denmark, given as an appanage (Stift Kurland) to Magnus Herzog von Holstein, the brother of the king Frederick II of Denmark.
- 1578 : Bishop Magnus accepts sovereignty of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (not ratified by the Sejm of Poland-Lithuania, nor recognized by Denmark).
- 20 April 1585 : Sold by Denmark to Poland-Lithuania.
[edit] Bishops of Courland
| Name |
From |
To |
| Engelbert, OP |
1234 |
1236/37 |
| N. N. |
1245 |
1250 |
| Heinrich of Lützelburg, OFM |
1251 |
1263 |
| Edmund of Werth, OT |
1263 |
1292 |
| Burkhard, OT |
1300 |
1321? |
| Paul OT |
1322 |
1330/32? |
| John I |
1328 |
1331/32 |
| John II, OT |
1332 |
1353 |
| Ludolf, OT |
1354 |
1359? |
| Jacob, OT |
1360 |
1371? |
| Otto, OT |
1371 |
1398? |
| Rutger of Brüggenei, OT |
1399 |
1404? |
| Gottschalk Schutte, OT |
1405 |
1424 |
| Dietrich Tanke, OT |
1424 |
1425 |
| Johann Tiergart, OT |
1425 |
1456 |
| Paul II Einwald |
1457 |
1473 |
| Martin Lewitz |
1473 |
1500 |
| Michael Sculteti |
1500 |
1500 |
| Henry II Basedow |
1501 |
1523 |
| Hermann II Ronneberg |
1524 |
1540 |
| John II of Münchausen |
1540 |
1560 |
| Magnus of Livonia |
1560 |
1583 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 57°13′02″N 21°42′10″E / 57.2172°N 21.7028°E / 57.2172; 21.7028
