Daugavgrīva castle

For fortress in Latvia with the same name, see Daugavgrīvas fortress.

Daugavgrīva Castle (German: Dünamünde; Polish: Dynemunt; Russian: Усть-Двинск or Ust`-Dvinsk) is a former monastery converted into a castle, located at Vecdaugava oxbow on right bank of Daugava, in the northern part of Riga city, Latvia. Nowadays here are seen only earthen ramparts.

Daugavgrīva Castle
Daugavgrīvas pils
Skanstnieku iela, Vecdaugava Near Riga in Latvia
Ruins of Daugavgrīva Medieval castle (2004)
Daugavgrīva castle Location of Daugavgrīva castle ruins
Coordinates	57°3′17″N 24°5′34″E
Type	Castle
Site information
Open to the public	yes
Condition	ruins
Site history
Built	1305
Built by	Livonian Branch of the Teutonic Knights
Materials	dolomite
Demolished	by 1653

Daugavgriva Castle engraved by Giacomo Lauro in 1601.

History

The first settlement, Daugavgrīva Abbey, was established on the right bank of the Daugava river, 13 miles from Bishop Albert of Riga's residence in Riga, by Cistercian monks from Pforta in 1205. Theoderich von Treyden was an early abbot, while during the 1210s Count Bernhard II of Lippe was its abbot. During a raid of tribal Curonians in 1228, the monastery and its tombs were destroyed, although the monks rebuilt the abbey after fighting died down. They also had to endure abuse by the undisciplined crusaders of the Livonian Order. Those knights were defeated at the Battle of Saule, however, and their remnants were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights in 1237. Until 1452 the territory of Siggelkow in Mecklenburg was owned by the monastery. In 1305, the local abbot sold the monastery to the Livonian Branch of the Teutonic Knights, who began construction of the fortress of Dünamünde.

In 1329, the knights' castle was taken by the burghers of Riga, who were forced to return it to the knights in 1435. In 1481, the knights closed the Daugava to navigation by stretching an iron chain from Dünamünde to the opposite riverbank, thus hoping to ruin Riga's trade. In retaliation the citizens of Riga captured Dünamünde and destroyed it. The knights returned to rebuild the stronghold eight years later. Because Riga itself was controlled by the Archbishops, the local administrative seat (Komturei) of the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights was located in Dünamünde.

In 1561 during the Livonian War, Dünamünde became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and afterwards of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The Skanstnieki homestead was built inside the ramparts in the 19th century.

The Siege of Daugavgrīva Castle during the Polish-Swedish War in 1601. Engraving of Džakomo Lauro.

See also

• List of castles in Latvia
• Daugavgrīva
• Capture of Daugavgrīva (1608)
• Battle of Daugavgriva (1609)

Sources

• Zarāns, Alberts (2006). Latvijas pilis un muižas. Castles and manors of Latvia (in Latvian and English). Riga. ISBN 9984-785-05-X. OCLC 72358861.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

• Media related to Daugavgrīva castle at Wikimedia Commons
• (in Latvian) The fortress of Daugavgriva with contemporary illustrations
• Daugavgrīva Castle history on Ambermarks website
• (in Russian) The fortress of Daugavgriva on 1201 website
• (in Russian) Discussion and pictures on Fortification website