Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Notes on the Diocese of Estonia / Leal / Dorpat - 1211/1235

The Estonian Diocese, named also Diocese of Leal (Lihula) after the nominal seat of the bishop, established by the bishop of Riga in 1211 (confirmed by the Holy See 31 October 1213), was originally without any actual authority.

On 21 July 1224 the Estonian bishop, Bishop Hermann I von Buxhoeveden, took temporal authority over the southern part of present-day Estonia as a sovereign prince-bishop of the Holy Roman Empire (formally from 6 November 1225), and gave part of his possessions as a fief to the Order of Knights of the Swordbrothers (Schwertbrüder), and ceded the western part of the Estonian mainland (including Leal) to the bishop of Riga (24 July 1224). He then chose Dorpat (Tartu) as his new capital (August 1224). The Estonian Diocese was thereafter known as the Bishopric of Dorpat (Tartu), but the bishop continued to use the style of the bishop of Leal until 8 January 1235. (The Knights of the Swordbrothers, established 1202, were merged with the Teutonic Order in 1237).

Information from Mr. Gerard Lovell
(cf. http://www.vdiest.nl/Europa/estonia.htm)

av Webmaster publisert 24.12.2006, sist endret 24.12.2006 - 00:00