Die Christianisierung Livlands aus der Perspektive visueller Quellen
The Christianization of Livonia from the Perspective of Visual Sources

Summary/Abstract: The early period of the Christianization of Livonia has until recently been considered in terms of written and archaeological sources, but the present article focuses on visual material. We will try to answer the question why two stone fortresses—Üksküla and Holme— had to be built in the Livonian territory in the context of a peaceful German mission, and why their architectural style is quite different, eliminating the possibility that they could be the work of the same hands. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia tells us that both building projects were initiated by Canon Meinhard of the Segeberg Convent. In 1186, when the first of the two strongholds had been built, but not the second, Meinhard also became bishop. Although the investiture of a bishop by the Archbishop of Bremen should have been considered an important landmark in the Christianization of Livonia by the Church of Riga, the fact is only briefly mentioned in Henry’s Chronicle. More significant reasons for this gloss over such a major event may be found by looking more closely at the architecture of the Holme castle. The style clearly follows that of the Danish 12th century state fortresses, presenting an intriguing synthesis between the castle on the island of Sprogø and the Havn castle of Bishop Absalon of Roskilde. Besides architecture, the fortresses’ spatial relation to the landscape deserves special attention. Most 12th century Danish fortresses are built on islands, facilitating the control of maritime traffic. The name in Henry’s Chronicle, castrum Holme, denotes a castle built on a small isle in the Scandinavian languages, and considering the position of the island, the fortress was conveniently placed for controlling the traffic on the river Daugava. We could draw the conclusion that after his investiture, Bishop Meinhard turned to the Danes for advice on the next steps to be taken in Livonia. The same happened in the Wendish Crusade, when Duke Henry the Lion of Saxony and King Valdemar of Denmark divided the conquered areas between them. Furthermore, after Bishop Albert’s (1199-1229) ordination his first official visit was paid to the King of Denmark. The Danish marked their presence in the area with a castle on the isle of Holme. This explains why, in 1188, Archbishop Hartwig applied for papal approval to specifically emphasise the bishopric’s subordination to Bremen. This could also be the reason for Henry’s taciturnity on the subject in his Chronicle and for the later exculpations of the Church of Riga, including the claim that this church antedated both the Danish crusade and the Danish mission in the region. The construction of the Holme castle lends credibility to the suggestion that Knud VI’s ambitions in Livonia were considerably broader than the historiography has so far suggested.

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