First Princess Lieven.
The
Lievens (Latvian,
Līveni;Swedish
Liewen) are one of the oldest and noblest families of
Baltic Germans. They claim descent from
Caupo of Turaida (Latvian,
Kaupo), the
Livonian quasi rex who converted to
Christianity in
1186, when Bishop
Meinhard attempted to Christianize the region. Henrici Chronicon Lyvoniae tells that Caupo in winter 1203-1204 went to
Rome with Theodoric, a Cistercian Monk (who was to become the founder of the Swordbrothers , then the first bishop of Estonia). They were received by the
Pope Innocent III who backed up their plans to Christianize Livonia. According to feudal records, the Lieven ancestor Gerardus Līvo (1269) and his son Johannes (1296) entered service as vassals to the archbishop of Rīga. One of Caupo's daughters married an ancestor of the barons, then earls
Ungern-Sternberg.
Caupo's grandson, Nicholas, was the first to spell his name Lieven.
Reinhold Liewen, the Swedish governor of Oesel (
Saaremaa), in 1653 was made a
baron together with his brother, whose son - Baron Hans-Heinrich von Liewen - accompanied
Charles XII in all his campaigns and expeditions. Among Reinhold's descendants, one branch settled in
Courland and was recognized in 1801 as in the
Holy Roman Empire.
Johann-Christoph von Lieven was the first member of the family to gain distinction in the Russian service: he served as
Governor of Arkhangelsk under
Catherine the Great and as General of Infantry under
Emperor Paul.
Baron
Otto Heinrich von Lieven (1726-1781) married in 1766 Baroness
Charlotte von Gaugreben (1742-1828), who was entrusted by Emperor Paul with the task of educating his daughters and younger sons -
Nicholas and
Mikhail Pavlovich. In recognition of her services Paul made her a countess in 1799. When her pupil Nicholas became the Emperor of Russia in
1826, the 84-year-old governess was made a Princess with the title of
Her Serene Highness. The title was hereditary and passed to her descendants, of which the following were notable:
Coat of arms of the Princes Lieven.
- His elder brother, Prince Carl Christoph von Lieven (1767-1844), started his career as an aide-de-camp to Prince Potemkin, administered the garrison of Arkhangelsk under Paul and ended his career as Imperial Minister of Education (1828-33).
- Prince Andrey Alexandrovich Lieven (1839-1913), his son, was the Senator and Minister of State Properties in 1877-81.
- Prince Alexandr Alexandrovich Lieven (1860-...), was an admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy: in 1878 entered in service; in 1911 was appointed chief of the naval general staff.
- Prince Anatoly Pavlovich Lieven (1872-1937) commanded a Russo-German army in Latvia until the supreme command was taken over by Prince Pavel Bermondt-Avalov; Lieven refused to collaborate with the German puppet government of Andrievs Niedra and forbade his men to fight the Latvian and Estonian forces in Livonia -- these līvenieši were loyal to the Republic of Latvia, and after the Latvian War of Independence he became a Latvian citizen and a manufacturer of bricks.
