Diemazz

Terra Mariana la Livonia ← 1207 – 1561 →   →   →   → Coat of arms Capital Riga Language(s) Latin, Low German, Estonian, Latvian, Livonian Religion Roman Catholicism Government Not specified Legislature Landtag Historical era Middle Ages  - Livonian Crusade 1208–27  - Established 1207, 1207  - St. George's Night Uprising 1343–44  - Livonian confederation agreement December 4, 1435  - Wilno Pact 1561  - Livonian War 1558–82

Terra Mariana (Land of St. Mary) was the official name^[1] for Medieval Livonia^[2] or Old Livonia ^[3] (German: Alt-Livland, Estonian: Vana-Liivimaa, Latvian: Vidzeme) that was formed in the aftermath of Livonian Crusade in the territories comprising the present day Estonia and Latvia. It was established on February 2, 1207 ^[4] as a principality of the Holy Roman Empire^[5] and proclaimed by pope Innocent III in 1215 as a subject to the Holy See.^[6]

Terra Mariana was divided into six feodal principalities by Papal Legate William of Modena: Archbishopric of Riga, Bishopric of Courland, Bishopric of Dorpat, Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, the lands ruled by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and Dominum directum of King of Denmark, the Duchy of Estonia^[7][8].
In 1227 the Swordbrothers conquered all Danish territories in Estonia. After the Battle of Saule the surviving members of the Swordbrothers merged into the Teutonic Order of Prussia in 1237 and became known as Livonian Order. On June 7, 1238 by the Treaty of Stensby the Teutonic knights returned the Duchy of Estonia to Valdemar II until in 1346 the lands were sold back to the order and became part of the Ordenstaat.

Throughout the existence of medieval Livonia there was constant struggle over superiority of ruling the lands by the Church, the order, the secular German nobility and the citizens of the Hanseatic towns of Riga and Reval.

Following its defeat in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 the Teutonic Order and the Ordenstaat fell into decline but the Livonian Order managed to maintain independent existence. Livonian Orders defeat in the Battle of Swienta (Pabaiskas) on September 1, 1435 brought the order closer to it's neighbors in Livonia. The Livonian confederation agreement was signed on December 4, 1435 by the Livonian Order, Livonian Bishops, vassals and city representatives.^[9]

In 1561, during the Livonian war, Terra Mariana ceased to exist ^[1]. The northern parts were formed into Duchy of Estonia and ceded to Sweden and the southern territories became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania — and later the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as Duchy of Livonia and Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. The island of Saaremaa became part of Denmark

History

Livonian Crusade

Main article: Livonian Crusade

The lands on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea were the last corners of Europe to be Christianized. Pope Celestine III called for a crusade against pagans in Northern Europe in 1193. At the beginning of the 13th century, German crusaders from Gotland and the northern Holy Roman Empire conquered the Livonian and Latvian lands across the rivers of Daugava and Gauja. The stronghold of Riga (capital of modern Latvia) was established in 1201 and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword as a branch of the Knights Templar was formed in 1202. In 1218 Pope Honorius III gave Valdemar II free hands to annex as much land as he can conquer in Estonia, additionally Albert of Riga, the leader of crusaders fighting the Estonians from the south paid visit to the king and asked to attack the Estonians from the North.^[10] The last to be subjugated and christianised were Oeselians, Curonians and Semigallians

After the success of the crusade, the German- and Danish-occupied territory was divided into six feodal principalities by William of Modena.

Establishment

Three Mighty Ladies from Livonia by Albrecht Dürer (1521)

This divisions of medieval Livonia were created by Papal Legate William of Modena in 1228 as a compromise between the church and the Swordbrothers, both factions led by Germans, after the German knights had conquered and subdued the territories of several indigenous tribes: Finnic-speaking Estonians and Livs, and Baltic-speaking Latgalians, Selonians, Semigallians and Curonians.

The medieval Livonia was rivalry ruled first by the Swordbrothers, since 1237 by the semi-autonomous branch of Teutonic knights called Livonian Order and the Roman Catholic Church. By the mid 14th century, after buying Duchy of Estonia from Christopher II the Livonian Order controlled about 67,000 square kilometers of the Old Livonia and the Church about 41000 km². The lands of the order were divided into about 40 districts governed by a Vogt. The largest ecclesiastical state was Archbishopric of Riga (18,000 km²) followed by Bishopric of Courland (4500 km²), Bishopric of Dorpat, Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek. The nominal head of Terra Mariana as well as the city of Riga was the archbishop of Riga as the apex of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. ^[11]

Citizens and commoners in medieval Livonia 16th century

In 1240 Valdemar II created the Bishopric of Reval in Duchy of Estonia by reserving contradictory to cannon law the right to appoint the bishops of Reval to himself and his successor kings of Denmark. The decision to simply nominate the holy see of Reval was unique in the whole Catholic Church at the time and was disputed by bishops and the Pope. During the era, the election of bishops was never established in Reval and the royal rights to the bishopric and to nominate the bishops was even included in the treaty when the territories were sold to Teutonic Order in 1346 ^[12]

Livonian Civil Wars

Coins of Medieval Livonia, 15th-16th century

Throughout the existence of medieval Livonia there was constant struggle over superiority of ruling the lands by the Church, the order, the secular nobles of German descent who ruled the fiefs and the citizens of the Hanseatic town of Riga. Two major civil wars were fought between 1296-1330, 1313-1330 and the Estonian revolt in 1343-1345 that resulted annexation of the Danish Duchy of Estonia with the Teutonic Ordensstaat.^[13]

Technically the Archbishop of Riga was the feudal and ecclesiastical superior first over the Swordbrothers, later the Livonian Order but the Archbishop did not became the dominant political power. Already the Swordbrothers had thrown off the episcopal dominion and the Livonian Order tried to unify the country under their leadership. The bishops of Dorpat, Courland and Ösel-Wiek were lesser powers.

The most important ally of the Livonian Order was the German nobility in the Danish Duchy of Estonia.^[13] In the beginning of the 14th century Denmark was no longer a powerful state and the German nobility had effectively became the rulers of the territory. After the Estonians of Harria started a rebellion in 1343 (St.George's Night Uprising) the Teutonic order occupied the territories. The overthrow of the Danish government came 2 days after the Order had defeated the Estonian revolt and the Danish viceroy was imprisoned in cooperation with the pro-German vassals. The castles in Reval and Wesenberg were handed over to the Order by the German nobility party on May 16, 1343 and the castle at Narva in 1345. In 1346, the Estonia (Harria and Vironia) were sold by king of Denmark for 19 000 Köln marks to the Teutonic Order. The shift of sovereignty from Danish realm to the Teutonic Order took place on November 1, 1346 ^[14]

Livonian Confederation

Medieval Livonia (1207 – 1561) published in 1573 by Joann Portantius

The Teutonic Order fell into decline following its defeat in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410 but the Livonian Order managed to maintain an independent existence as it didn't participate in the battle and suffered no casualties.

In 1418 Pope Martin V nominated Johannes Ambundii to the position of Archbishop of Riga ^[15] who became known as the organizer of the Livonian confederation.^[16][17]

Conflicts between the Order, the bishops, and the powerful Hanseatic cities were common throughout the existence of medieval Livonia. To solve internal disputes, the Livonian Diet or Landtag was formed in 1419 by the initiative of Archbishop Ambundii. The city of Walk was chosen as the site of the Diet. The Diet was composed of members of the Livonian Order, Livonian Bishops, vassals and city representatives.

Livonian Orders defeat in the Battle of Swienta (Pabaiskas) on September 1, 1435 claiming the lives of the master and several high rank knights brought the order closer to it's neighbors in Livonia. The Livonian confederation agreement (eiine fruntliche eyntracht) was signed in Walk on December 4. 1435 by the archbishop of Riga, the bishops of Courland, Dorpat, Ösel-Wiek and Reval; the representatives of the Livonan Order and vassals, and the deputies of Riga, Reval and Dorpat city municipal councils.^[9]

The states of the Livonian Confederation ceased to exist during the Livonian War (1558–82). In 1559 the Bishop of Ösel-Wiek sold his lands to King Frederick II of Denmark for 30,000 thalers. The Danish king gave the territory to his younger brother Duke Magnus of Holstein who landed on Saaremaa with an army in 1560. ^[18] In 1561 the Swedish army landed in Reval and gained control over the Northern part of Old Livonia. The Livonian Order was dissolved by the Wilno Pact in 1561. The following year, the Livonian Diet decided to ask protection from Sigismund II of Poland (Zygmunt II August) and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. With the end of government by the last Archbishop of Riga William of Brandenburg, Riga became a Free Imperial City and the rest of the territory was split between the Lithuanian vassal states Duchy of Courland and Semigallia and the Duchy of Livonia.

See also

• Kingdom of Livonia
• Üxküll (Ikšķile)
• Northern Crusades

References and Notes

Site Map: RSS 2.0

Recent Searches: Livonian Confederation
Serena
Talk:Clobber
Experimental Safety Vehicle
List of guerrilla movements
Kyōden Station
Zaindainxoi
Yang Song
Places in Shahnameh
Template:Kent tasks

Related Pages: