Turaida Castle (, ; meaning ''

Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...

's garden'' in Livonian) is a recently reconstructed

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

castle in Turaida, in the

Vidzeme Vidzeme (; Old Latvian orthography: ''Widda-semme'', ) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. The capital of Latvia, Riga, is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in north-centra ...

region of

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

, on the opposite bank of the Gauja River from

Sigulda Sigulda (; ; Polish Zygwold) is a town in the Vidzeme region of Latvia, from the capital city Riga. Overview Sigulda is on a picturesque stretch of the primeval Gauja river valley. Because of the reddish Devonian sandstone which forms steep r ...

History

Turaida Castle dominates the Museum Reserve and is visually its most impressive element. When seen from the air, or the opposite bank of the river Gauja in

, Turaida castle can be seen rising above the treeline. From this view, the forepart of the castle is formed by the northern forecastle's gate tower. The main tower which is the highest is situated centrally, and the rear view forms the southern forecastle with its tower shaped southern section. Construction of the castle was started in 1214 upon directions given by Albert, Archbishop of Riga to his

Livonian Brothers of the Sword The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (; ) was a Catholic Church, Catholic Military order (monastic society), military order established in 1202 during the Livonian Crusade by Albert of Riga, Albert, the third bishop of Riga (or possibly by Theode ...

(soon to merge with 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 ...

) at the place where the wooden castle of

Livonians The Livonians, or Livs, are a Balto-Finnic people indigenous to the Livonian Coast, in northwestern Latvia. Livonians historically spoke Livonian language, Livonian, a Uralic language closely related to Estonian language, Estonian and Finnish lan ...

had previously stood. A

castellum A ''castellum'' in Latin is usually: * a small Roman fortlet or tower,C. Julius Caesar, Gallic War; 2,30 a diminutive of (' military camp'), often used as a watchtower or signal station like on Hadrian's Wall. It is distinct from a , which ...

type fortress was built and named Fredeland, which translates as 'Land of Peace,' but became better known locally by the Livonian name of ''Turaida'', which has survived until the present day. The castle was constructed largely in the classic red-brick construction of the Baltic crusading orders. Improving the castle's defensive system continued in later centuries, and in the 14th century, the tower shaped southern section was built; at the beginning of the 15th century, when firearms were invented, the semi rounded western tower was built. Domestic buildings and living accommodation were also erected in the inner yard of the castle. Minor reconstruction work was carried out in 17th century although the castle started to lose its strategic importance. After a fire in 1776 it was abandoned and gradually became ruinous. By the beginning of the 20th century, only separate fragments of the defensive wall and some buildings – the main tower, semi-rounded tower and the western section – were left. From 1976 regular archaeological excavations were carried out which were followed by restoration and conservation works revealing the castle's earlier state. Exhibitions about the history of the brick castle and the Gauja Livonians are available in the restored buildings. From the viewing place of the main tower it is possible to see the unique landscape of the picturesque Gauja valley and the territory of the Turaida Museum Reserve.Turaida Museum Reserve
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Baliffs (Vogt) of Turaida Castle

The office of the

Bailiff A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary. Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...

(Vogt), which was subordinate to the spiritual sovereign, was of great importance in the secular administration of the Archbishopric of Riga. While there is little information about the construction of these fortifications, while there is considerable evidence of hereditary Bailiwicks and

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

doms belonging to the

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

families von Rosen and von Tiesenhausen, much of the 13th/14th century can only be assumed. In the 15th/16th centuries, these Bailiffs ( Vogts) were the most influential

secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...

officials. The bailiff received Archiepiscopal domains as part of the income as compensation for the administration of the bailiwick. Of the few vassal families of the Archdiocese, von Rosen and von Tiesenhausen built 11 castles. The castle and the

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

estate o
Rosenbeck
are a good example for how the status and resources of the

Bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. In English, the original French combi ...

(Vogteiamt) becomes an instrument for increasing status. In 1518 the castle went for a considerable price sum of money to the bailiff Georg Krüdener. As of 1535 the family's coat of arms was confirmed to be this possession is important for elevation to the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

to legitimize. * 1207 Gotfridus * 1210/1211 Engelbertus de Tisenhusen * 1212–1219 Gerhardus * ca. 1231 –1253 Heydenricus * 1257 Ludolfus * 1272 Albero * 1290?–1322 Johannes de Palo * 1298† Otto de Rosen * ca. 1330 Meynardus * 1360/1361 Bartholomäus von Tisenhusen * 1371–1372 Hinrik Orges * ca. 1380 Hinrik Salcze * 1382–1385 Bernardus Goes * 1392 Woldemarus de Rosen * 1403–1405? Heinrich Aderkas * 1417–1420 Brandt Ko-skul * 1422–1424 Johann Wildenberg * 1427 Otto von Rosen * 1428–1431 Georg Gudesleff * 1444–1455 Rotger van Backem * 1457–1461 Peter von der Borch * 1466–1468 Wolmar Uxkull * 1477 Kersten von Rosen * 1496–1514 Kersten von Rosen * 1514–1534 Georg Krüdener * 1537–1547 Georg von Rosen zur Nab-be * 1548–1554 Johann von der Pale zur Sepkull * 1554–1556 Georg Taube * 1560–1563/1566 Andreas Koskul

Battles of Turaida

The Battle of Turaida (1211) was one of the biggest battles of the

Livonian crusade The Livonian crusade consists of the various military Crusade, Christianisation campaigns in medieval Livonia – modern Latvia and Estonia – during the Pope, Papal-sanctioned Northern Crusades in the 12th–13th century. Overview Historic ...

between Estonian tribes and

. The battle took place around modern Turaida,

. The Battle of Turaida (1298) or Treiden (also known as the ''Battle on Aa'') was fought on June 1, 1298, on the banks of the Gauja River (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

: ''Livländische Aa'') near the Turaida Castle (''Treiden''). 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 ...

was decisively defeated by the residents of

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

allied with the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...

under command of Vytenis.

Summary

By the end of the 13th century, the territory of the Archbishopric of Riga, like that of the other bishoprics of Livonia, had become stable. For nearly three centuries, the Archbishop, along with his cathedral chapter, governed the approximately 400 square kilometer territory. As a secular lord, the Archbishop had the authority to manage the land reserves, establish towns, and mint currency, among other things. The representative of the Archbishop in a secular trial was the bailiff or land-bailiff ((Latin: advocatus, German: voget, Stiftvogt, Landvogt etc.). Generally, land-bailiffs were administrators who collected taxes, claimed duties, and administered the law in a specific territory under the authorization of the spiritual territorial Lord Archbishop of Riga. They were responsible for concluding agreements and organizing the defense of the land. Additionally, they were required for the construction and reconstruction of the Archbishop's castles. Bailiffs were vassals, appointed for a certain period. In the Archbishopric of Riga, there were multiple bailiffs simultaneously working in their respective administrative territories. The territorial changes in the administrative districts of the Riga bishopric between 1201 and 1253/1255 document the organization of land administration in areas inhabited by Livonians, starting from 1207. Initially, the boundaries of administrative districts were based on pre-existing territorial divisions established before the conquest of crusaders. As new castles were constructed, they became the administrative centers. During the 13th to 15th centuries, the bailiffs' districts in Ydumea and Lielvārde (Lenewarden) ceased to exist. However, for a brief period in the 15th century, Rauna (Ronneburg) emerged as a bailiwick. The stone castle of Turaida (also known as Treyden, Thoreida, and built in 1214) maintained its position as the center of the bailiwick for an extended period until the secularization of the Archbishopric in 1566. The origins of the Turaida bailiwick can be traced back to the early 13th century when this territory was part of the Livonian-inhabited Bishopric of Riga. In the first half of the 16th century, the bailiwick expanded to include some of the Latvian-inhabited castle districts. Koknese (also known as Kokenhusen and built since 1209) is mentioned as a bailiwick at the end of the 13th century and maintained its status as the center of the bailiwick until the Coadjutors' war of 1556-1557. The seals of the Turaida and Koknese bailiffs, which were issued under the authorization of the Archbishop, featured a heraldic symbol of the Archbishopric of Riga - a long bishop's cross and a staff with inscriptions: "sigillum advocati toreiden" and "sigillum advocati kokenhůszen." These seals acknowledged the bailiffs' work and authority in the 15th/16th century. Medieval Livonia 1260

However, the aristocracy that governed the bailiwick as an inheritable fief did not emerge from the Riga archbishopric. Instead, some vassal families, such as the von Rosen and von Tiesenhausen families, began to form a community in the 13th-14th century, with their fief possessions and bailiwicks eventually becoming the foundation for the

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

aristocracy which lasted nearly 8 centuries

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. It was led by Vladimir L ...

in 1917,

declared independence soon after. The powerful ecclesiastical lords of

Livonia 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 ...

sought to curtail the influence of the secular

knights A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

in their territories, and they were successful in the Archbishopric of Riga. The position of land-bailiff was particularly esteemed in the 14th century, when the Archbishops of Riga had conflicts with the

and often resided outside of Livonia. The use of fiefs for service allowed the bailiffs to significantly increase their wealth and prestige, ensuring a steady income and strengthening their position. Disputes over Koknese Castle between the territorial lord and the vassals von Tiesenhausen lasted nearly half a century, until 1397, when the castle was eventually gained by the territorial ruler. As a result, the centers of the bailiwicks in the 15th/16th century were stone castles and domains owned by the Archbishop. The local knighthood, including land bailiffs, played a significant role in the administration and domestic policy of the Archbishopric of Riga. The Archbishop of Riga granted special joint-property rights, known as "Gesamthand Recht," to the most powerful vassal families of the archbishopric, including the von Rosens, who received their fief in 1350/1428 the von Tiesenhausens in 1417, the von Ungerns in 1455 and the von Üxkülls in 1477. These fiefs allowed the families to govern large fief districts for several centuries and act as territorial lords, granting fiefs to their sub-vassals and building stone and brick castles. The former bailiwick of Ydumea saw castles spring up on the properties of the von Rosens
Augstroze
(Rosen, Hochrosen, 1350), Lielstraupe (Gross-Roop, before 1310)
Rozbeķi
(Rosenbeck, ca. 1372–1395), Mazstraupe (Klein-Roop, ca. 1408)
Mujāni
(Mojahn, ca. 1473–1503), and Nabe (Nabbe, before 1318) With at least nine family members serving as bailiffs of Turaida and Koknese, the von Rosen family was the most prominent and influential among the vassals in the Livonian district of the Archbishopric of Riga. The Rosen family's origins can be traced back to Theoderich (Theodericus), a brother of Bishop Albert of Riga (Albert von Buxhoeveden) (ca. 1165–1229), according to the chronicle of

Henry of Livonia Henry of Latvia (; ; ; ; 1187 – ), also known as Henry of Livonia, was a priest, missionary and historian. He wrote the '' Livonian Chronicle of Henry'' which describes the evangelization of the regions which are now part of Estonia and Latvi ...

, Theoderich married the daughter of Prince Vladimir of Pskow (Woldemarus, ''rex de Plicekowe''), further solidifying the family's connection to the region. In 1213 Vladimir became the Bailiff of Ydumea instead of his son-in-law Theoderich.

References

External links