Archbishopric of Riga

Not to be confused with the Lutheran Archbishop of Riga or the current Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Riga.

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.

Archbishopric of Riga Archiepiscopatus Rigensis (Latin) Erzbisdom Riga (Low German)
1186–1561
Coat of arms
Seal
Archbishopric of Riga (in yellow), shown within Terra Mariana
Status	Prince-Bishopric of Terra Mariana
Capital	Riga
Common languages	Latin Low German Livonian Latvian
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
Currency	Livonian Penny Livonian Schilling
Preceded by Succeeded by Ancient Estonia Principality of Jersika Principality of Koknese Tālava Duchy of Livonia Free City of Riga
Today part of	Latvia

History

See also: Livonian Confederation, Livonian Order, Conquest of Estonia, and Northern Crusades

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
1273–1284	Johannes I of Lune
1285–1294	Johannes II of Vechten
1294–1300	Johannes III of Schwerin
1300–1302	Isarnus Tacconi of Fontiès-d'Aude
1303–1310	Jens Grand titular, never came to Riga
1304–1341	Friedrich von Pernstein
1341–1347	Engelbert von Dolen
1348–1369	Bromhold von Vyffhusen
1370–1374	Siegfried Blomberg
1374–1393	Johannes IV von Sinten
1393–1418	Johannes V von Wallenrodt
1418–1424	Johannes Ambundi[1]
1424–1448	Henning Scharpenberg
1448–1479	Silvester Stodewescher
1479–1484	Sede vacante (empty seat)
1484–1509	Michael Hildebrand
1509–1524	Jasper Linde[2]
1524–1527	Johannes 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

• Bishopric of Courland
• Bishopric of Dorpat
• Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek
• Bishopric of Reval
• Livonian Crusade
• Livonian Brothers of the Sword
• Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights

External links

• More information about the role of the Archbishopric of Riga in the history of coinage is available at Medieval Livonian Numismatics by William Urban
• Archbishopric of Riga (Archived 2009-10-25)
• Rīgas arhibīskapija (1255-1562)
• Rīgas bīskapija un virsbīskapija