Archbishopric of Riga

Archbishopric of Riga Archiepiscopatus Rigensis (Latin) Erzbisdom Riga (Low German)
1186–1561
Coat of arms
Seal
Archbishopric of Riga (in yellow), shown within Terra Mariana
Status	Prince-Bishopric of Terra Mariana
Capital	Riga
Common languages	Latin Low German Livonian Latvian
Religion	Roman Catholic
Government	Theocracy
Archbishop of Riga
• 1245–73	Albert Suerbeer (first)
• 1539–63	Wilhelm von Brandenburg (last)
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	1186
• Disestablished	1561
Currency	Livonian Penny Livonian Schilling
Preceded by Succeeded by Ancient Estonia Principality of Jersika Principality of Koknese Tālava Duchy of Livonia Free City of Riga
Today part of	Latvia

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History of Latvia
Ancient Latvia Kunda culture Narva culture Corded Ware culture Amber Road / Aesti Baltic Finns (Livonians, Vends) Balts Latgalians Curonians Selonians Semigallians
Middle Ages Principality of Jersika Principality of Koknese Tālava Livonian Crusade Livonian Brothers of the Sword Livonian Order Archbishopric of Riga Bishopric of Courland Terra Mariana Baltic Germans
Early modern period Livonian War Kingdom of Livonia Duchy of Livonia Inflanty Voivodeship Swedish Livonia Polish–Swedish Wars (1600–1629) Second Northern War Great Northern War Duchy of Courland and Semigallia Couronian colonization
National Awakening Governorate of Livonia Courland Governorate Vitebsk Governorate The First Latvian National Awakening New Current
Modern Latvia Latvian Riflemen German occupation United Baltic Duchy Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic War of Independence 1934 Latvian coup d'état 1940 Soviet occupation Nazi occupation The Holocaust in Latvia 1944 Soviet re-occupation Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic Popular Front of Latvia Singing Revolution Restoration of Independence 2008 Latvian financial crisis
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The Archbishopric of Riga (Latin: Archiepiscopatus Rigensis, Low German: Erzbisdom Riga) was an archbishopric in Medieval Livonia, a subject to the Holy See. It was established in 1186 as the bishopric of Livonia at Ikšķile, then after moving to Riga it became the bishopric of Riga in 1202 and was elevated to an archbishopric in 1255.

The archbishops of Riga were also the secular rulers of Riga until 1561 when during the Reformation the territory converted from Catholicism to Lutheranism and all church territories were secularized. The see was restored as a diocese of the Catholic Church in 1918 and raised into an archdiocese in 1923.

A new Bishopric of Livonia was established in Latgalia in 1621 during the Inflanty Voivodeship of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The Archbishops of Riga were innovators in the field of minting currency, reviving techniques abandoned since the collapse of Rome. The names of individual archbishops after 1418, as well as the years of their respective reigns, are stamped on Livonian pennies excavated at archaeological sites. In many cases, this is the only biographical data available. No Livonian pennies before 1418 have been found.

• Bishopric of Courland
• Bishopric of Dorpat
• Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek
• Bishopric of Reval
• Livonian Crusade
• Livonian Brothers of the Sword
• Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights

• More information about the role of the Archbishopric of Riga in the history of coinage is available at Medieval Livonian Numismatics by William Urban
• Archbishopric of Riga (Archived 2009-10-25)
• Rīgas arhibīskapija (1255-1562)
• Rīgas bīskapija un virsbīskapija

56°58′N 24°08′E / 56.967°N 24.133°E / 56.967; 24.133