ALBERTO DI RIGA (O DI BUXHÖVDEN)

ALBERT of Riga (or of Buxhövden). — Died 17 Jan 1229. Of the noble family of the Appelderen, in 1189 he was a canon of Bremen and in 1199 bishop of Livonia, with the difficult task of restoring the mission that had declined. Zealous and warlike, he was one of the greatest missionaries and an eminent propagator of German culture in those regions. He conquered the country by means of a crusade, founded the city of Riga (1201), established the military Order of the Brothers of the Sword (Schwertbrüder), founded monasteries, and on 8 April 1207 was invested by Philip, King of Germany, with the principality of Livonia. From there he proceeded to the conquest of Estonia, completed by 1217. In 1207 he founded the bishopric of Leal, later Dorpat; in 1219 that of Semgallen; and in 1276 another bishopric on the island of Ösel. Around 1224 he obtained exemption from Bremen; but he did not succeed in having the see of Riga raised to an archbishopric. He was venerated as a saint until the Reformation (feast day 7 June).