The House of Hemp and Butter: A History of Old Riga

342 Pages·2019·13.935 MB·English

by  Kevin O'Connor

The House of Hemp and Butter
A volume in the NIU Series in
SLAVIC, EAST EUROPEAN, AND EURASIAN STUDIES
Edited by Christine D. Worobec
For a list of books in the series, visit our website at cornellpress.cornell.edu.
The House of
Hemp and Butter
A History of Old Riga
Kevin C. O’Connor
Northern Illinois University Press
an imprint of
Cornell University Press
Ithaca and London
Copyright © 2019 by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not
be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information,
address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.
Visit our website at cornellpress.cornell.edu.
First published 2019 by Cornell University Press
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 978-1-5017-4768-7 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-5017-4770-0 (pdf)
ISBN 978-1-5017-4769-4 (epub/mobi)
Cover design by Yuni Dorr
Composed by BookComp, Inc.
Librarians: A CIP record is available with the Library of Congress.
Cover illustration: Courtesy of Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps.
Contents
Chapter Overview vii
Dramatis Personae ix
Noteworthy Places and Buildings xiii
Introduction 1
CHAPTER 1
Genesis: Riga before Riga 12
CHAPTER 2
Watering the Nations: Riga and the Northern Crusades 39
CHAPTER 3
Free Air in the Hanse City 69
CHAPTER 4
Master of Riga: The Archbishop, the Order, and the Rath 96
CHAPTER 5
Old Knights and New Teachings: The Reformation in Riga 128
CHAPTER 6
Upheavals: The Livonian War and the Polish Interlude 152
CHAPTER 7
Star City: The Swedish Century 184
CHAPTER 8
“This Accursed Place”: The Great Northern War 224
Epilogue 259
Notes 261
Bibliography 301
Index 311

Chapter Overview
Chapter 1. Genesis: Riga before Riga.
The book opens with an origin story that introduces the watery and sandy landscape
of early Riga and the pagans who lived in or near it at the close of the twelfth cen-
tury. Chapter 1 considers the efforts of German merchants and Catholic missionaries
to trade with and establish Christian communities among the Livish tribes who lived
along the banks of the Düna River (which Latvians know as the Daugava). The chapter
provides readers with a broader context for understanding these early encounters by ex-
amining western Europe’s commercial and religious expansion during the Middle Ages.
Chapter 2. Watering the Nations: Riga and the Northern Crusades.
Based partly on the accounts of medieval chroniclers, chapter 2 explores the notion of
Riga as a “city of God” to which thousands of monk-k nights and other warriors arrived
to do battle with the pagans in Livonia, which the crusaders called the “Land of Mary.”
Here we consider the city’s role in the Baltic crusade as both a regional trading center
and as a gathering point for military expeditions against pagans and Rus’.
Chapter 3. Free Air in the Hanse City.
Chapter 3 narrates Riga’s history as a prosperous member of the Hanseatic League of
northern trading cities. A distant outpost of the decentralized Holy Roman Empire,
the “free city” of Riga became an important collecting point for primary goods from
the east (Russia) destined for western European markets. Chapter 3 maps the medieval
city’s castles, churches, markets, and streets while exploring the roles played by Ger-
mans and “non- Germans” in the city’s social and economic arrangements.
Chapter 4. Master of Riga: The Archbishop, the Order, and the Rath.
The subject of chapter 4 is Riga’s unstable political dynamics, for the division of power
in Riga satisfied neither the region’s supreme religious authority, the Archbishop of
Riga, nor the master of the Livonian Order, whose monk-k nights were responsible for
Livonia’s defense. Least of all did the arrangement please the wealthy merchants of the
Riga Town Council (Rath), an administrative body that embodied the ideal of urban
self- governance. A set piece of chapter 4 is the fate of the Riga Castle, which the citizens
destroyed twice during Riga’s civil wars of the later Middle Ages.
Chapter 5. Old Knights and New Teachings: The Reformation in Riga.
Chapter 5 demonstrates the impact of new ideas on old arrangements in late medi-
eval Riga. While the restlessness of the 1520s brought an end to the Catholic Church’s
spiritual dominion over the city of Riga, the Reformation was no impediment to Riga’s
growing material prosperity and in no way diminished the authority of its German
elites. During an era when established authority was under challenge and neighboring
viii Chapter Overview
dynastic states sought to expand their power and influence, it fell to the Livonian Or-
der’s long- reigning master Walter of Plettenberg to defend the feudal state and keep the
peace in Riga.
Chapter 6. Upheavals: The Livonian War and the Polish Interlude.
The demise of the archbishopric and of the Livonian Order during the Livonian War
(1558– 1582) left Riga and the territory of Livonia vulnerable to the ambitions of ag-
gressive regional powers. Chapter 6 examines the tumultuous era that began with the
failed Muscovite advance toward Riga and that continued through four decades of Pol-
ish rule (1581– 1621). This era of alien occupation and of religious and political strife is
illustrated by a close examination of Riga’s unique “Calendar Upheavals” of the 1590s.
Chapter 7. Star City: The Swedish Century.
For ninety years, Riga was under the dominion of the Swedish Empire, an absolutist
state that relied on the Livonian port for supplies of food and for the defense of its
Baltic possessions. As Riga was the empire’s largest city, its most important fortress, and
a significant source of income, the city underwent extensive physical renovations that
strengthened its defenses and transformed its appearance. Chapter 7 demonstrates that
the peace, progress, educational advances, and cultural achievements of the seventeenth
century made the Swedish era into something of a “golden age” for early modern Riga.
Chapter 8. “This Accursed Place”: The Great Northern War.
The concluding chapter examines the city’s experience during the Great Northern War
(1700– 1721), whose end results were the destruction of Swedish power in the Baltic
Sea and Russia’s acquisition of several new ports, including Riga. Chapter 8 focuses on
the actions of three powerful monarchs, Charles XII of Sweden, Augustus II of Poland-
Saxony, and Peter I of Russia, as they clashed over the eastern Baltic. Its principal con-
cern, however, is the experience of Rigans during these extraordinary times. The book
ends with a scene of devastation in the starving and bombed- out city of Riga as its ter-
rified residents surrendered to the victorious Russian state. It was in this manner that
more than two centuries of tsarist dominion over Riga began in 1710.
Dramatis Personae
Individuals
Albert of Buxhoeveden (1165– 1229). The third bishop of Livonia and the first bishop of
Riga, Albert founded the city in 1201, secured for it exclusive trading rights, led the
crusades against the pagans, and presided over the construction of early Riga.
Albert Suerbeer (ca. 1200– 1273). Appointed bishop of Riga in 1253, Albert Suerbeer be-
came the first archbishop of Riga (r. 1255– 1273) and spent much of his tenure quarrel-
ing with the Livonian Order.
Bathory, Stephen (1533– 1586). Bathory became Riga’s first true king when the city came
under Polish occupation in 1581. Rigans resisted his efforts to return Catholicism to the
city and its hinterlands.
Berthold of Hanover (d. 1198). The second bishop of Livonia, Berthold died in battle with
the Livs and was replaced by Albert of Buxhoeveden.
Bindenschu, Rupert (1645– 1698). Riga’s chief architect at the height of Swedish power,
Bindenschu built the suburban Jesus Church and the Dannenstern House while also
rebuilding the damaged tower of St. Peter’s.
Caune, Andris (b. 1937). A Latvian archaeologist whose work has contributed immeasur-
ably to our knowledge of early Riga.
Charles (Karl) XII (r. 1697– 1718). The last Swedish ruler of Livonia, Charles XII was de-
feated by Peter I in the Great Northern War (1700–1 721), during which he ceded Riga
and other Swedish possessions to the Russian state.
Dahlberg, Erik (1625– 1703). A fortification engineer and then governor of Riga during the
era of Swedish rule in Riga. Known as the “Swedish Vauban,” Dahlberg oversaw exten-
sive renovations to Riga’s defensive systems.
Dannenstern, Ernst Metsu von (d. 1721). Ernst Metsu was a Dutch merchant who relocated
to Riga, became one its foremost merchants (and the owner of a fleet), was ennobled (von
Dannenstern) by the Swedish crown, and built one of its most impressive domiciles.
Ecke, Nicholas (1541– 1623). Although he was the Riga Town Council’s hated burgrave
during the years of Polish rule, Ecke’s name is also associated with a convent built for
the widows of guildsmen who had fallen on hard times.
Frederick of Perlstein (1270–1 341). The long tenure (r. 1304–1 341) of Archbishop Fred-
erick, much of which he spent in Avignon waiting for an audience with the pope, was
defined by his struggles with the Livonian Order.
Giese, Martin (d. 1589). Along with the wine merchant Hans Brinken, Martin Giese was
one of the organizers of the Calendar Upheavals (1585–1 590) that marked the early
years of Polish rule in Riga.