31/05/2025
Medieval Livonia: History, Society and Economy of a Territory on the Baltic Frontier, eds. Anti Selart, Alan V. Murray (Brepols, May 2025)
https://www.brepols.net/products/IS-9782503578064-1
The territory known as Livonia, on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, emerged as a result of the Baltic Crusades in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It was a region of multiple nations, languages and cultures, and the scene of their mutual interaction, connected to the Holy Roman Empire, the papal curia, Scandinavia and Lithuania, and mediating the Hanseatic trade with Russia. This book is a significant new study of the multiple facets of Baltic history, taking in social history, urban and rural culture, peasant economy and literacy, with novel perspectives on crusading, political history and the chief agents of power, notably the Teutonic Order. This first comprehensive treatment of Livonian history in English will serve as a valuable source of information for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as a resource for studying the Baltic Crusades and crusader territories in general.
CONTENTS:
Introduction -- Anti Selart and Marek Tamm
The Crusades and the Conquest of Livonia -- Anti Selart, Ivar Leimus, Linda Kaljundi and Heiki Valk
Continuity and Change in the Thirteenth Century -- Heiki Valk and Anti Selart
Bishoprics and Cathedral Chapters -- Tiina Kala
The Teutonic Order in Livonia -- Juhan Kreem
The Nobility and Its Corporations -- Juhan Kreem
The Towns -- Juhan Kreem, Anu Mänd and Tiina Kala
The Struggle for Dominance, 1300‒1400 -- Anti Selart
The Fragile Balance of Power, 1400‒1550 -- Juhan Kreem
Population -- Anti Selart, Heiki Valk, Inna Põltsam-Jürjo and Ivar Leimus
The Rural Economy and Village Life ** Inna Põltsam-Jürjo, Anti Selart and Ivar Leimus
Trade and Finance -- Ivar Leimus
Crafts and Industry -- Anu Mänd and Erki Russow
The Church and Religious Life -- Tiina Kala, Marek Tamm, Anu Mänd, Heiki Valk and Inna Põltsam-Jürjo
Written Culture -- Tiina Kala and Marek Tamm
Urban Culture -- Anu Mänd, Inna Põltsam-Jürjo, Erki Russow and Kersti Markus
The Rural World -- Heiki Valk and Kersti Markus
Appendix
Bishops, Masters of the Sword Brethren and Livonian Masters of the Teutonic Order
