prince bishopric · Scandinavia and the Baltic

Archbishopric of Riga

1186 CE – 1561 CE · capital Riga

Ecclesiastical principality that led the Christian conquest of Livonia and governed much of Latvia for nearly four centuries.

Origins

The missionary Meinhard became bishop of the Livs at Üxküll in 1186. His successor Albert of Buxhoeveden founded Riga in 1201 and moved the see there, directing the crusade with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. In 1255 Riga was raised to an archbishopric under Albert Suerbeer, with authority over the bishoprics of Livonia and Prussia.

Rule and society

The archbishops were princes of the Holy Roman Empire, ruling lands along the Daugava and Gauja through vassals and castles such as Turaida and Kokenhusen. Their rule was marked by long conflicts with the Livonian Order and with the citizens of Riga over control of the city. The cathedral chapter and vassals sat in the Livonian diets.

Decline and legacy

The Reformation reached Riga in the 1520s, weakening the archbishops. During the Livonian War the last archbishop, Wilhelm of Brandenburg, placed his lands under Polish-Lithuanian protection, and in 1561-1562 they were secularised and incorporated into the Duchy of Livonia under Sigismund II Augustus.

Lineage

Bishopric of Semigallia 1218 CE – 1251 CEArchbishopric of RigaDuchy of Livonia 1561 CE – 1621 CE

Connections (8)

Livonian Brothers of the Sword was a vassal of Archbishopric of Riga1202 CE – 1237 CE
Turaida was conquered by Archbishopric of Riga1206 CE
Idumea was conquered by Archbishopric of Riga1206 CE
Metsepole was conquered by Archbishopric of Riga1206 CE
Archbishopric of Riga was part of Holy Roman Empire1207 CE – 1561 CE
Principality of Koknese was conquered by Archbishopric of Riga1208 CE
Principality of Jersika was a vassal of Archbishopric of Riga1209 CE – 1239 CE
Archbishopric of Riga was part of Livonian Confederation1435 CE – 1561 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Archbishopric of Riga. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archbishopric-of-riga
MLA: “Archbishopric of Riga.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archbishopric-of-riga. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Archbishopric of Riga.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archbishopric-of-riga.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Archbishopric of Riga’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/archbishopric-of-riga (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻