The History of Riga

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Riga Timeline

1158

German merchants set up a trading outpost at what is now known as Riga.

1201

Bishop Albert arrives with his Teutonic Knights, leading to Riga’s recognition as a city.

1282

Riga becomes part of the Hanseatic League, giving it economic and political power.

1522

Riga accepts the Reformation, diluting the influence of its archbishops over the populace.

1561

The end of the Teutonic Knights leads to Riga becoming a Free Imperial City for a spell.

1581

Riga comes under the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

1621

Riga comes under Swedish rule, officially Sweden’s second largest country until 1710.

1721

Through the Treaty of Nystad, Riga becomes part of Russia.

1891

Russian becomes the official language of Latvia.

1905

The Latvian Social Democratic Workers’ Party leads a short-lived Revolution.

1917

The German Army invade and occupy Riga.

1918

The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk is signed, but then overturned, freeing Riga from German rule and leading to the declaration of Latvian independence, with Riga pronounced as its capital city.

1941-1945

Nazi Germany occupies Riga.

1945

The Soviet Red Army replaces the defeated Nazis as Riga’s ruling power. Latvia effectively loses one third of its population over the course of the Second World War.

1986

Perestroika initiates the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

1991

Latvia is restored to full independence, joining the UN as an independent country.

2004

Latvia joins both NATO and the EU.

2006

Riga hosts NATO summit meeting.

The History of Riga

From the moment when a clutch of Teutonic tourists arrived in the second half of the 12th century, putting their towels down on whichever medieval sun loungers they wished, the city of Riga – previously a barren landscape with less people collectively than you’d now find gracing the dancefloor on a Friday night in Fashion Club – was born.

With trade and population growth came religion, and once the monks had moved in there was official recognition of the region with Bishop Albert’s Order of Livonian Brothers of the Sword (an early stag group if ever there was one!) Riga was recognised as a city for the first time in 1201, and it’s safe to say that the resulting 800 years have not passed without incident.

Benefitting hugely from its trade links to Russia and the most prominent of its Baltic tribes, Riga gained relative commercial autonomy in the late 13th century when it joined the Hanseatic League. Though this largely German influence waned over the next 250 years, Riga was increasingly seen by many eastern European powers as a major prize worthy of economic collaboration, or, failing that, invasion and subservience.

And so began a long, baton-changing period of ownership, from the late 16th century, when Riga was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, to an early 17th century commencement of Swedish protection and rule, which lasted until the long-threatened Russian invasion and subsequent annexing as outlined in the Treaty of Nystad a century later.

Russian was adopted as the official language of Baltics at the back end of the 19th century, though this was against a backdrop of increasing underground revolt, especially amongst its young folk. The First World War saw, for the last year of the conflict, German rule in the city, though this was mercifully shortlived, with independence being declared for the first time by Latvia’s capital city on November 18th, 1918.

However, if Latvians thought they’d seen the end of occupation and misery, they were wide of the mark. Soviets and Nazis took turns in occupying Riga during World War II, the ruthless Red Army returning for a longer period of horrific rule afterwards, which, incredibly, only officially ended with the re-declaration of Latvian independence in 1991.

Now a member of the UN, NATO and the EU, Latvia has truly earned its place at the big table.

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