was established on 28 November 1561 in the Treaty of Vilnius between the Polish King and Lithuanian Grand Duke

Sigismund II Augustus Sigismund II Augustus (, ; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first ruler of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and t ...

and the last Landmeister in Livonia

Gotthard Kettler Gotthard Kettler, Duke of Courland (also ''Godert'', ''Ketteler''; ; ; ; 2 February 1517 – 17 May 1587) was the last Master of the Livonian Order from 1559 to 1561 and the first Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, Duke of Courland and Semigallia f ...

, contractually negotiated and granted privilege, which sets the ratio of the

Livland Livonia, known in earlier records as Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia. By the end of the 13th century, the name was extende ...

Estates Order on the Polish crown and sealed the end of the

Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...

and the

Livonian Confederation Terra Mariana (Medieval Latin for 'Land of Mary') was the formal name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia. It was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade, and its territories were composed of present-day Estonia and Latvia. It was estab ...

. For the

Duchy of Courland and Semigallia The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a duchy in the Baltic states, Baltic region, then known as Livonia, that existed from 1561 to 1569 as a nominal vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and subsequently made part of the Crown of th ...

the ''Pacta Subiectionis'' was additionally signed, which in addition to the privileges governed the relationship of the nobility to the duke, the Polish king and the Reichstag.

The privileges

Gotthard Kettler was the last national champion of the

Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...

. He subordinated himself to the remains of the Order and its vassals Poland-Lithuania. After negotiations with King Sigismund Augustus, he granted the Livonian nobility and Courland nobility special rights: # Guarantee of the Evangelical-Lutheran faith # Guarantee of the official German language # Guarantee of self-government ("German authorities", "German law") # Codification of (Livonian) land law # Assurances of the indigenous people (offices in Livonia and Courland only to locals). The autonomy rights set in this form served the German upper class also with later changes of rule as basis for negotiations and retained essentially up to the year 1919 (Imperial Russian Baltic governorate Livland) their validity.HALTZEL, MICHAEL H., C. LEONARD LUNDIN, ANDREJS PLAKANS, and TOIVO U. RAUN. Russification in the Baltic Provinces and Finland, 1855-1914. Edited by THADEN EDWARD C. Princeton University Press, 1981.

References

Literature

* Burchard von Klot: '' Jost Clodt and the privilege Sigismundi Augusti. '' Harro Hirschheydt, Hanover 1977, ('' Contributions to the Baltic History '', Vol. 6).

External links

The "Privilegium Sigismundi Augusti" and the "Pacta Subiectionis" or: the November 1561 in the Baltic history

History of the bishoprics in the Teutonic Order
Livonian Order 1561 treaties Duchy of Courland and Semigallia Grand Duchy of Lithuania {{Treaty-stub