- Bishopric of Courland
Infobox Former Country
native_name= Episcopatus Curoniensis
Bisdom Curland
conventional_long_name= Bishopric of Courland
common_name = Courland
continent= Europe
status=Vassal
empire=Holy Roman Empire
status_text=State of theHoly Roman Empire
p1= Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights
flag_p1= Teuton flag 55px.png
s1= Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
flag_s1= Herb Rzeczpospolitej Obojga Narodow.svg
year_start= 1234
date_start= February 11
event_start=
year_end= 1562
date_end= April 20
event_end=
event1=
date_event1=
title_leader= Bishop of Courland
leader1= Engelbert (1st)
year_leader1 = 1234-1236/37
leader2= Magnus (last)
year_leader2 = 1560-1583
image_map_caption = Bishopric of Courland (light orange).
government_type= Principality
legislature =
common_languages=Latin ,Low German , Curonian
capital= Pilten
currency= Ferding, SchillingThe Bishopric of Courland ( _la. Episcopatus Curoniensis,
Low German : "Bisdom Curland") was a second largest (4500 km2)ecclesiastical state in theLivonian Confederation founded in the aftermath of theLivonian Crusade . During theLivonian War in 1559 Bishopric of Courland became a possession ofDenmark and in 1562 was formed intoDuchy of Courland and Semigallia as a vassal state of theGrand Duchy of Lithuania . [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=Ad3-xvwdjE4C&dq The Latvians: A Short History By Andrejs Plakans ISBN:0817993029; p. 19] ]History
In
ancient times theCuronians , a Baltic tribe, inhabitedCourland . The Brethren of the Sword, a Germanmilitary order , subdued the Curonians and converted them toChristianity in the first quarter of the 13th century. In 1237 the area passed into the influence of theTeutonic Knights owing to the amalgamation of this order with that of the Brethren of the Sword. During theLivonian War (1558–1582), under the increasing pressure ofMuscovy , theLivonian Confederation dissolved. On the basis of theUnion of Wilno ,Livonia were ceded to TheGrand Duchy of Lithuania and formed into the "Ducatus Ultradunensis " (Curonian: "Pārdaugawas hercogiste"). Theland between the west bank of theDaugava River and theBaltic Sea formed another new region, TheDuchy of Courland andSemigalia ("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 TheLivonian Brothers of the Sword , became the first Duke of Courland. Several parts of the Courland area did not belong to the bishopric. TheOrder of Livonia had already loaned theGrobiņa district (on the coast of Baltic Sea) to theDuke of Prussia . Another district, the Bishopric ofPilten , also called the "Bishopric of Courland" (on theVenta 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 laterWilhelm Kettler did regain this district. After Magnus of Livonia died in 1583,Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth invaded his territories in theDuchy of Courland andFrederick II of Denmark decided to sell his rights ofinheritance . When Gotthard Kettler died in 1587, his sons, Friedrich and Wilhelm, became the dukes of Courland.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 theTeutonic 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 ofRunö (nowRuhnu in SW-Estonia ) from at least 1341.
*1520 : Made a sovereign principality (prince-bishopric) of theHoly Roman Empire (formally from Jan 1521), but style of prince not used.
*20 May 1560 : Sold to the King of Denmark, given as anappanage (Stift Kurland) to Magnus Herzog von Holstein, the brother of the kingFrederick II of Denmark .
*1578 : Bishop Magnus accepts sovereignty of ThePolish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (not ratified by theSejm of Poland-Lithuania, or recognized byDenmark ).
*20 April 1585 : Sold by Denmark to Poland-Lithuania.Bishops of Courland
ee also
*
Archbishopric of Riga
*Bishopric of Dorpat
*Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek
*Bishopric of Reval
*Courland
*Courland colonization
*Courland colonization of the Americas
*Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
*Kingdom of Livonia
*Livonian Brothers of the Sword References
External links
* [http://www.jewishgen.org/courland/rosenthal.htm Courland by Herman Rosenthal]
* [http://www.jewishgen.org/Courland/geography.htm Courland Geography and Natural History]
* [http://www.baltische-ritterschaften.de/Ritterschaften/Kurland/Kurland.htm Die Kurländische Ritterschaft]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/5539/courland/courland.html Duchy of Courland, 1561-1795]
* [http://www.katedrale.lv/index.php?id=4196 Liepājas un Kurzemes bīskapa]
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