Bishopric of Courland

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Episcopatus Curoniensis
Bisdom Curland
Bishopric of Courland
State of the Holy Roman Empire
←
1234 – 1585 →
Image:Flag of Pilten.gif Coat of arms
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Courland
Bishopric of Courland (light orange).
Capital Pilten
Language(s) Latin, Low German, Curonian
Government Principality
Bishop of Courland
 - 1234-1236/37 Engelbert (1st)
 - 1560-1583 Magnus (last)
History
 - Established February 11, 1234
 - Disestablished April 20, 1585
Currency Ferding, Schilling

The Bishopric of Courland (Latin: Episcopatus Curoniensis, Low German: Bisdom Curland) was an independent bishopric established in 1234.

Contents

[edit] History

In ancient times the Curonians, a Baltic tribe, inhabited Courland. The Brethren of the Sword, a German military order, subdued the Curonians and converted them to Christianity in the first quarter of the 13th century. In 1237 the area passed into the influence of the Teutonic Knights owing to the amalgamation of this order with that of the Brethren of the Sword. 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 (Curonian: Pārdaugawas 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

[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] External links