Chronology of Catholic Dioceses:Latvia

See a list of abbreviations used in this list. See also our listing of current ecclesial jurisdictions.

We ask our readers to kindly help us determining whether the diocese of Curland really existed until the Reformation.

787 / 884: Bremen - Germany
831: Hamburg (Metr., detached from Bremen) - Germany
1072: Bremen (Metr.., gradually also known as Hamburg-Bremen) - Germany
1388: Vilna (established in territory previously in part covered by ....) - Lithuania
1417: Samogitia / Zemaitija (established in territory previously in part covered by Vilna?) - Lithuania
1778: Samogitia / Zemaitija (vacant) - (Russia) Lithuania
1798: Samogitia / Zemaitija (suppressed, incorporated in Mohilev) - Lithuania
1849: Samogitia / Zemaitija (reerected, detached from Mohilev) - Lithuania
1185: Üxküll/Uxhall (established from Hamburg-Bremen, which Archbishop consecrated bishop Meinhard of Ü.) - (Livonia) Latvia
1202 (or 1201): Riga (new name, see transferred from Üxküll) - Latvia
1219: Curland [see: Piltene] (established from Riga?) - Latvia
1252: Riga (Metr.) - Latvia
1540: Riga (suppressed during the Reformation) - Latvia
1561~: Curland (abandoned/vacant during the Reformation) - Latvia
1655~: Curland (territory of this vacant diocese incorporated in Vilna / Vilnius) - Latvia
1918: Riga (D, reestablished, detached from Samogitia / Zemaitija, and from Mohilev) - (Poland/Prussia) Latvia
1923: Riga (AD) - Latvia
1937: Riga (Metr., previously AD) - Latvia
1937: Liepaja (detached from Riga) - Latvia
1995: Jelgava (detached from Liepaja) - Latvia
1995: Rezekne-Aglona (detached from Riga) - Latvia