See this theme in halls 5 – 6
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In the late 12th century, Roman Catholic missionaries arrived in the lower Daugava area, accompanying German merchants. In 1184, they built the first church at Ikðíile, but Christian preaching did not find any response. Then, forcible Christianization began. In the course of the 13th century, the whole territory of Latvia was conquered, subjugating the indigenous peoples. Some of the Couronian, Semigallian and Selonian lands remained outside the limits of the Crusader conquests, and were later incorporated into the state of Lithuania. In spite of the formal introduction of the Christian faith and the beginnings of changes in burial practices, the presence of grave goods testifies to the continued observance of pagan customs.
When the newly-conquered lands of the Baltic were carved up, several states were established, which together formed the Livonian Confederation and were nominally subject to the Pope. The strongest two members of this confederation were the State of the Livonian Order and the Archbishopric of Riga.
Towns played an important role in the economic, political and cultural life of Livonia, foremost among them Riga, as the main urban centre. By the 16th century, Riga had a population of about 12 000. In the countryside, the indigenous people became tied to the land, gradually becoming serfs of the descendants of the crusaders. In the 13th–16th century, the separate cultures and languages of the indigenous peoples became increasingly similar and began to merge. The immigration of colonists, particularly German traders and craftsmen, was promoted in order to alter the ethnic composition.
In the 16th century, the growing struggle for domination of the Baltic Sea reached its climax. After the Livonian War (1558-1583), the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Sigismund II Augustus established two duchies in the territory of Latvia: the Trans-Daugava Duchy and the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. Following the Polish-Swedish War (1600–1629), part of the previous Trans-Daugava Duchy (the Latgale region) remained in Polish-Lithuanian hands, while the remainder (the Vidzeme/Livland region and Riga) came under Swedish control. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia retained its formal status as a vassal state of Poland-Lithuania, flourishing in the time of Duke James (1642–1682). The Duke made strenuous efforts to increase agricultural production and exports. Many warships and merchant vessels were built at his shipyards. His own merchant fleet consisted of 20–24 ships. In the mid-17th century, Duke James purchased two colonies: St Andrew’s Island at the mouth of the River Gambia, and the island of Tobago, off the coast of Central America.
There followed another fight for domination of the Baltic Sea: the Northern War (1700-1721). The outcome was that Peter I of Russia gained Vidzeme and Riga. In 1772, with the first partition of Poland-Lithuania, Russia also obtained Latgale, and in 1795, the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was likewise forced “voluntarily” to join Russia. Thus, the whole area of present-day Latvia ended up within the Russian Empire.
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