Jasper Linde, also known as Kaspars Linde in Latvian, (, died in 1524), was Archbishop of Riga from to . He went down in history as a prudent and thrifty ruler, who fortified his main castles in

Koknese Koknese () is a town in Aizkraukle Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, on the right bank of the Daugava River. It has a population of nearly 3,000. According to the provisions of the 2021 Latvian administrative reform, Koknese gained ...

Rauna Rauna (; ) is a village in Rauna Parish, Smiltene Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is the administrative center of Rauna Parish. The community developed around a Rauna Castle, medieval bishop's castle. References External li ...

, and built a new

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

on an island in Lake

Viļaka Viļaka (, ; ; ; , ''Vilyaka''; Yiddish: ויליאקי, ''Vilyaki'') is a town in Balvi Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. The population in 2020 was 1,223. Viļaka is located 246 km from Riga, and 8 km from border with Russi ...

near the Russian border. He also improved the methods of training rural priests to address major shortcomings in the religious life of the

peasantry A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...

Biography

Born in

Westphalia Westphalia (; ; ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the region is almost identical with the h ...

(Northern Germany), he earned a master’s degree. In 1491, he became a canon of Riga. In 1497, he was elected dean of the

cathedral chapter According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...

. In 1509, the chapter elected him

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

, a decision confirmed by the Pope in Rome. Immediately afterward, he began organizing his lands and strengthening their defenses. At the site of the Marienhausen Monastery (

), he built a strong stone castle on the lake island for defense against the Russians. He also reinforced

and

castles. In 1513, he ordered a printed prayer book for the priests of his churches. He died in 1524 at his residence in

Rauna Castle Rauna Castle (, ) ruins are located in the village of Rauna in Rauna Parish, Smiltene Municipality, in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. The castle was the principal residence of the Archbishopric of Riga, and was visited each year by the Archbishop ...

and was buried in

Riga Cathedral Riga Cathedral (; ) formally The Cathedral Church of Saint Mary, is the Evangelical Lutheran cathedral in Riga, Latvia. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Riga. The cathedral is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Latvia, and is featur ...

Documents

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Linde, Jasper 1524 deaths Archbishops of Riga People from North Rhine-Westphalia