Bishopric of Courland

Episcopatus Curoniensis
Bisdom Curland

Prince-Bishopric of Terra Mariana

1234–1562

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Bishopric of Courland (light orange).

Capital

Pilten

Languages

Latin, Low German, Curonian

Government

Principality

Bishop of Courland

•

1234-1236/37

Engelbert (1st)

•

1560-1583

Magnus (last)

History

•

Established

11 February 1234

•

Disestablished

20 April 1562

Currency

Ferding, Schilling

Part of a series on the
History of Latvia

Ancient Latvia Kunda culture Narva culture Corded Ware culture Amber Road / Aesti Baltic Finns (Livonians, Vends) Latgalians Curonians Selonians Semigallians
Middle Ages Principality of Jersika Principality of Koknese Eldership of Tālava Livonian Crusade Livonian Brothers of the Sword Livonian Order Archbishopric of Riga Bishopric of Courland Terra Mariana
Early modern period Livonian War Kingdom of Livonia Duchy of Livonia Duchy of Courland and Semigallia Polish–Swedish Wars (1600–1629) Second Northern War Swedish Livonia Inflanty Voivodeship Great Northern War Governorate of Livonia Courland Governorate
Modern Latvia Latvian National Awakening New Current German occupation Latvian Riflemen United Baltic Duchy Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic War of Independence 1940 Soviet occupation Nazi occupation 1944 Soviet re-occupation Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic Popular Front of Latvia Singing Revolution Independence restored Republic of Latvia
Chronology
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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.

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 Bishopric 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 bishopric 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. In 1559 the Bishop of Courland and Ösel-Wiek Johannes V von Münchhausen 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.^[2] Duke Magnus was crowned King of Livonia in 1570. In 1577, having lost Ivan’s favor and receiving no support from his brother, Magnus called on the Livonian nobility to rally to him in a struggle against foreign occupation. He was attacked by Ivan’s forces and taken prisoner. On his release, he renounced his royal title.^[3]

Magnus spent the last six years of his life at the castle of Pilten, where he died as a pensioner of the Polish crown.^[4] 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.

Chronology

September 1234 : Bishopric of Courland (Bistum Kurland) established (formally declared on 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 according to the Treaty of Kronenborg.

Bishops of Courland

Name	From	To
Engelbert, OP	1234	1236/37
Hermann I	1245	1250
Heinrich I of Lützelburg, OFM	1251	1263
Edmund of Werth, OT	1263	1292
Burkhard, OT	1300	1321?
Paul I, OT	1322	1330/32?
Johann I	1328	1331/32
Johann 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 III Tiergart, OT	1425	1456
Paul II Einwald	1457	1473
Martin Lewitz	1473	1500
Michael Sculteti	1500	1500
Heinrich II Basedow	1501	1523
Hermann II Ronneberg	1524	1540
Johann IV of Münchausen	1540	1560
Magnus of Livonia	1560	1583

References

External links

Coordinates: 57°13′02″N 21°42′10″E / 57.2172°N 21.7028°E / 57.2172; 21.7028

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