Courland (;
Livonian:
Kurāmō, ;
Latin:
Curonia /
Couronia; ; ; ; ; ; ) is one of the cultural and
historical regions of Latvia. The regions of
Semigallia and
Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.
Geography and climate
Historical regions of Latvia, together with Latvian cultural groups.
Situated in western
Latvia, it roughly corresponds to the
counties of
Kuldīga,
Liepāja,
Saldus,
Talsi,
Tukums and
Ventspils.
When combined with Semigallia and Selonia, Courland's northeastern boundary is the river
Daugava, which separates it from the regions of
Latgale and
Vidzeme. To the north, Courland's boundary is the
Gulf of Riga. On the west it is bordered by the
Baltic Sea, and on the south by
Lithuania. It lies between 55° 45′ and 57° 45′
North and 21° and 27°
East.
The area comprises 27,286 km² (10,535 sq.mi.), of which 262 km² (101 sq.mi.) is made up of lakes. The landscape generally has a low and undulating character, with flat and marshy coastlands. The interior features wooded dunes, covered with
pine,
fir,
birch, and
oak, with swamps and lakes, and fertile patches between. Courland's elevation never rises more than 213 m (700 ft) above sea level.
The
Jelgava plain divides Courland into two parts:
- the western side, fertile and densely inhabited, except in the north
- the eastern side is less fertile and thinly inhabited.
Nearly one hundred rivers drain Courland, but only three of these rivers – the Daugava, the
Lielupe and the
Venta–are navigable. They all flow northwestward and discharge into the
Baltic Sea.
Owing to its numerous lakes and marshes, Courland has a damp, often foggy, and changeable climate, with severe winters.
History
Early history
In ancient times the
Curonians, a
Baltic tribe, inhabited Courland. The
Brethren of the Sword, a German
military order, subdued the Curonians and converted them to
Christianity in the first quarter of the 13th century. In 1237 the area passed into the rule of the
Teutonic Knights owing to the amalgamation of this order with that of the Brethren of the Sword.
Livonian Confederation
The Livonian Confederation was a loosely organized confederation formed by the German-led
Livonian Order and various bishoprics that encompassed much of present-day
Estonia and Latvia. It existed from 1228 to the 1560s, when it was dismembered during the
Livonian Wars.
Duchy of Courland, 1561–1795
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia as it appeared in 1740.
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a semi-independent
duchy that existed from 1561 until 1795, encompassing the areas of Courland and Semigallia. Although nominally a
vassal state of the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the dukes operated autonomously. In the 18th century Russia acquired great influence over the Duchy.
The Duchy was one of the smallest European nations to colonize overseas territories, establishing short-lived outposts on the
Caribbean island of
Tobago and at the mouth of the
Gambia river in
Africa.
In 1795, the last Duke,
Peter von Biron, ceded the Duchy to the
Russian Empire.
Courland as part of Russia
After annexation by
Russian Empire the territory of the former Duchy formed the
Courland Governorate.
From the time of the
Northern Crusades in the early 13th century, most of land was owned by nobles descended from the German invaders. In 1863, the Russian authorities issued laws to enable Latvians, who formed the bulk of the population, to acquire the farms which they held, and special banks were founded to help them. By this means, some occupants bought their farms, but the great mass of the population remained landless, and lived as hired labourers, occupying a low position in the social scale.
Agriculture was the chief occupation, with the principal crops being
rye,
barley,
oats,
wheat,
flax, and
potatoes. The large estates conducted agriculture with skill and scientific knowledge. Fruit grew well. Excellent breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs were kept.
Liepāja and
Jelgava operated as the principal industrial centres, with
ironworks, agricultural machinery works,
tanneries, glass and soap works. Flax
spinning took place mostly as a domestic industry. Iron and
limestone were the chief minerals; a little
amber was found on the coast. The only seaports were Liepāja,
Ventspils and
Palanga, there being none on the Courland coast of the Gulf of Riga.
Population
The population was 619,154 in 1870; 674,437 in 1897, of whom 345,756 were women; 714,200 (estimate) in 1906. Of the whole, 79% were
Latvians, 8.4%
Baltic Germans, 1.4%
Russians, and 1% each
Poles and
Lithuanians. In addition, there were about 8%
Jews[Herman Rosenthal Jewish Encyclopedia], and some
Livonians.
The chief towns of the ten districts were
Jelgava (Mitau), Courland's capital (pop. 35,011 in 1897);
Liepāja (Libau) (pop. 64,500 in 1897);
Bauska (6,543);
Jaunjelgava (Friedrichstadt) (5,223);
Kuldīga (Goldingen) (9,733);
Grobiņa (1,489);
Aizpute (Hasenpoth) (3,338);
Ilūkste (Illuxt) (2,340);
Talsi (Talsen) (6,215);
Tukums (Tuckum) (7542); and
Ventspils (Windau) (7,132).
75% of the population belonged to the prevailing denomination,
Lutheranism; the rest belonged to the
Eastern Orthodox and
Roman Catholic churches. There was a small but vigorous Jewish population.
Duchy of Courland, 1918
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918) Courland as part of Latvia
After
World War I, Courland became a part of the newly-formed nation of
Latvia. In 1940 the
USSR annexed the region, but
Germany occupied it during
World War II. With the
dissolution of the Soviet Union, Courland became part of independent Latvia once more and it remains so to this day.
Courland during World War II
At the start of
Operation Barbarossa in 1941, Courland, along with the rest of the
Baltic area belonging to the
Soviet Union, was overrun by
Army Group North headed by
Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. In 1944, the
Red Army lifted the
siege of Leningrad and re-conquered the Baltic area along with much of
Ukraine and
Belarus. However, some 200,000
German troops held out in Courland. With their backs to the
Baltic Sea. they were trapped in what became known as the
Courland Pocket, blockaded by the Red Army and the Red Baltic Fleet.
Colonel-General Heinz Guderian, the Chief of the
German General Staff, insisted to
Adolf Hitler that the troops in Courland should be evacuated by sea and used for the defense of the
German Reich. Hitler refused, and ordered the Wehrmacht, Waffen-SS, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine forces in Courland to continue the defence of the area. Hitler believed them necessary to protect Kriegsmarine submarine bases along the Baltic coast. On
January 15,
1945,
Army Group Courland (
Heeresgruppe Kurland) was formed under
Colonel-General Dr.
Lothar Rendulic. The blockade by elements of the
Leningrad Front remained until
May 8,
1945, when the Army Group Courland, then under its last commander,
Colonel-General Carl Hilpert, surrendered to Marshal
Leonid Govorov, the commander of the
Leningrad Front (reinforced by elements of the
2nd Baltic Front) on the Courland perimeter. At this time the group consisted of the remnants of some 31 divisions. After
May 9,
1945, approximately 203,000 troops of Army Group Courland began moving to Soviet prison camps in the East. The majority of them never returned to Germany (Haupt,1997).
Notable residents
References & publications
- Murray, John, Russia, Poland, and Finland, – Handbook for Travellers, 3rd revised edition, London, 1875. (Includes Kurland).
- Hollmann,H, Kurlands Agrarverhältnisse, Riga, 1893.
- Seraphim,E, Geschichte Liv-, Esth-, und Kurlands, Reval, 1895–1896 (2 vols).
- Christiansen, Eric, The Northern Crusades – the Baltic & the Catholic Frontier 1100–1525, London, 1980, ISBN 0-333-26243-3
- Hiden, John, The Baltic States and Weimar Ostpolitik, Cambridge University Press, 1987, ISBN 0-521-32037-2
- Kirby, David, Northern Europe in the Early Modern Period – The Baltic World 1492 -1772, Longman, London, 1990, ISBN 0-582-00410-1
- Hiden, John W., & Patrick Salmon, The Baltic Nations & Europe, Longman, London, 1991, ISBN 0-582-08246-3
- Haupt, Werner, Army Group North: The Wehrmacht in Russia 1941–1945, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA.,1997. ISBN 0-7643-0182-9
