Editing Riga (section)

=== Under Bishop Albert ===
[[File:METTIG(1897) p046 URKUNDE VON 1226 DES BISCHOFS VON MODENA.jpg|thumb|left|185px|Document with the seals of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and the city of Riga, 1226]]
The year 1201 also marked the first arrival of German merchants in Novgorod, via the Dvina.<ref name="PDIntBus">Dollinger, P. ''The Emergence of International Business 1200–1800'', 1964; translated Macmillan and Co edition, 1970</ref> To defend territory<ref name="RRiga">Reiner et al. ''Riga''. Lorenzo Pigni. 1999.</ref> and trade, Albert established the [[Livonian Brothers of the Sword|Order of Livonian Brothers of the Sword]] in 1202, which was open to nobles and merchants.<ref name=PDIntBus/>

The Christianisation of the Livs continued. In 1207, Albert started to fortify the town.<ref name=PDIntBus/><ref name="ORZarina">Zarina, D. ''Old Riga: Tourist Guide'', Spriditis, 1992</ref> [[Philip of Swabia|King Philip]] invested Albert with Livonia as a fief<ref name="HistChristCh">Moeller et al. History of the Christian Church. MacMillan & Co. 1893.</ref> and principality of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].<ref name=BilmanisLIS/> To promote a permanent military presence, territorial ownership was divided between the Church and the ''Order'', with the Church taking Riga and two-thirds of all lands conquered and granting the ''Order'' a third.<ref name="ACQRxlvi">Palmieri, A. ''Catholic Origin of Latvia'', ed. Cororan, J.A. et al. ''The American Catholic Quarterly Review'', Volume XLVI, January–October 1921. Philadelphia.</ref> Until then, it had been customary for crusaders to serve for a year and then return home.<ref name=ACQRxlvi/>

Albert had ensured Riga's commercial future by obtaining papal bulls which decreed that all German merchants had to carry on their Baltic trade through Riga.<ref name=ACQRxlvi/> In 1211, Riga minted its first coinage,<ref name=BilmanisLIS/> and Albert laid the cornerstone for the [[Riga Cathedral|Riga Dom]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.doms.lv/info/?mnu_id=50|title= Doma vēsture (history)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705161605/http://www.doms.lv/info/?mnu_id=50 |archive-date=5 July 2010|access-date= 29 July 2009}}</ref> Riga was not yet secure as an alliance of tribes failed to take Riga.<ref name=ACQRxlvi/> In 1212, Albert led a campaign to compel [[Polotsk]] to grant German merchants free river passage.<ref name=PDIntBus/> Polotsk conceded Kukenois ([[Koknese]]) and [[Principality of Jersika|Jersika]] to Albert, also ending the Livs' tribute to Polotsk.<ref name="MedChronV">Kooper, E. ''The Medieval Chronicle'' V. Radopi, 2008.</ref>

Riga's merchant citizenry chafed and sought greater autonomy from the Church. In 1221, they acquired the right to independently self-administer Riga<ref name=RRiga/> and adopted a city constitution.<ref name="CTHW">Wright, C.T.H. ''The Edinburgh Review'', ''The Letts'', 1917</ref>

That same year Albert was compelled to recognise Danish rule over lands they had conquered in Estonia and Livonia.<ref name="CCBF">Murray, A., ''Crusade and Conversion on the Baltic Frontier, 1150–1500''. Ashgate, London. 2001.</ref> Albert had sought the aid of [[Valdemar II of Denmark|King Valdemar of Denmark]] to protect Riga and Livonian lands against Liv insurrection when reinforcements could not reach Riga. The Danes landed in Livonia, built a fortress at Reval ([[Tallinn]]) and set about conquering Estonian and Livonian lands. The Germans attempted, but failed, to assassinate Valdemar.<ref name="EccRevLVI">"The Ecclesiastical Review", Vol. LVI. ''American Ecclesiastical Review''. Dolphin Press. 1917.</ref> Albert was able to reach an accommodation with them a year later, however, and in 1222 Valdemar returned all Livonian lands and possessions to Albert's control.<ref name="PandBC">Fonnesberg-Schmidt, I. ''The Popes and the Baltic Crusades, 1147–1254''. Brill. 2006.</ref>

Albert's difficulties with Riga's citizenry continued; with papal intervention, a settlement was reached in 1225 whereby they no longer had to pay tax to the Bishop of Riga,<ref name="LatEnc">Švābe, A., ed. Latvju Enciklopēdija. Trīs Zvaigznes, Stockholm. 1953–1955 (in Latvian)</ref> and Riga's citizens acquired the right to elect their magistrates and town councillors.<ref name=LatEnc/> In 1226, Albert consecrated the Dom Cathedral,<ref name=BilmanisLIS/> built [[St. James's Cathedral, Riga|St. James's Church]],<ref name=BilmanisLIS/> (now a cathedral) and founded a parochial school at the Church of St. George.<ref name=EMA/>

In 1227, Albert conquered Oesel<ref name="FletcherCoEPC">Fletcher, R.A., ''The Conversion of Europe: From Paganism to Christianity, 371–1386AD''. Harper Collins. 1991.</ref> and the city of Riga concluded a treaty with the [[Principality of Smolensk]] giving Polotsk to Riga.<ref name="HfT1888">Michell, Thomas. ''Handbook for Travelers in Russia, Poland, and Finland''. London, John Murray, 1888.</ref>

Albert died in January 1229.<ref name="FonnesbergPaBC">Fonnesberg-Schmidt, I., ''The Popes and the Baltic Crusades, 1147–1254''. Brill, 2007</ref> He failed in his aspiration to be anointed archbishop<ref name=HistChristCh/> but the German hegemony he established over the Livonia would last for seven centuries.<ref name=ACQRxlvi/>