A
Brief History of Latvia
C.2000 BC -- Baltic tribes settle on the
eastern shores of the Baltic Sea.
800 AD -- Vikings find sea
route to Byzantium via Daugava to Dnieper rivers. Vikings trade with
Latvians for amber and furs.
1045 -- First Christian church
built in Kurzeme by a Danish trader with help from Danish King Swein as
chronicled by Bishop Adam of Bremen. Many Latvians are baptized and
several tribal chiefs accept Christianity. Funeral practices of the Kurs
changes from a "grave of fire" (cremation by funeral pyre) to
burial in the ground (head in eastern position).
1201 -- Riga "founded" by
Bishop Albert of Germany on territory already used by Latvians for trading
with Vikings. Many storehouses or "rijas" are here.
It is believed the name "Riga" is derived from these
storehouses or "rijas". By the end of the century, Latvians
are subjugated to serfdom while Germans become land barons. The
territory is named "Livonia" for the Liv people whom the
Germans first encounter.
1500's -- The Reformation sweeps into
Livonia. Many convert to Lutheranism because Catholicism is associated
with the German land barons and because religious services are conducted
in Latvian rather than Latin.. Late in the century Poland takes majority
of Livonia from Germans.
1600's -- Sweden takes northern Livonia
from Poland. Public schools opened. The Bible is translated into Latvian
by Ernests Gliks. The serfs are freed and feudal system abolished.
Kurzeme (Courland) becomes duchy of Poland. Duke Jacob of Kurzeme
expands trade worldwide, exporting lumber for British warships, and
acquiring the island of Tobago as a colony.
1700's -- Sweden and Russia fight for
Livonia. Russia wins all of Livonia by 1795. Latvians again are
relegated to serfdom.
1873 -- Latvians hold the first national
Song Festival, celebrating Latvian music and culture. "Dievs
Svētī Latviju" (God
Bless Latvia) by Kārlis Baumanis has it's first public performance and
is instantly loved and adopted as not-yet-independent Latvia's
"national anthem".
1905 -- 50,000 workers in Riga strike,
and many serfs overthrow and burn the manors of the land barons. The
Czar executes 2000 Latvians and many more flee into exile.
1918 -- Latvia's independence is
declared in the National Theatre on November 18th and two
years of war expelling Russian and German forces follow.
1921 -- Republic
of Latvia is recognized by the international community on January 26th
and later admitted to the League of Nations.
1934 -- Kārlis Ulmanis, the
4th president of Latvia, declares a national emergency becoming a
benevolent dictator after a highly fragmented Saeima cannot elect a
coalition government. He will remain in power until 1940.
1936 -- "Brīvības
Piemineklis", the Latvian
Freedom Monument, designed by sculptor Kārlis Zāle, is unveiled in Riga.
1939 -- Secret pact signed on August 23rd
between USSR and Germany divides up eastern Europe giving part of Poland
to Hitler and the Baltic's to Stalin.
1940 -- USSR invades Latvia on June 17th.
This begins a "year of terror" with mass deportations, the
largest being the following year, June 14th 1941 where tens of thousands
of people were herded into cattle cars bound for Siberia.
1941 -- Germany invades USSR and
occupies Latvia in July. German soldiers are welcomed as
"liberators" but independence does not come. Germany sets up
Salaspils concentration camp and a new terror begins. 90% of the Latvian
Jewish population is murdered. Hospitals of invalids and mentally ill
are also "liquidated". Homes and property seized for the German
war effort. Those opposed to Nazism "disappear". Latvian
youths are conscripted into the German army.
1944 -- Soviet troops re-invade Latvia
and reestablish Soviet control. Thousands of Latvians flee to the west.
Collectivization of private farms, massive deportations and reign of
terror follow.
1945 -- In an event later to
be called "Kurzemes Cietoksnis" or the Stronghold of Kurzeme,
what is left of the Latvian Legion's 19th division "dig's
in" around the city of Saldus and refuses to surrender to the
Soviet troops. Russians report at the Trials at Nuremberg that a total
of 13 Soviet tank divisions were destroyed by the Latvians.
1949 -- 42,000 Latvians are deported to
Siberia.
1987 -- Massive
protest held at the Freedom Monument to commemorate 1941 deportations.
1988 -- Latvian flag rehabilitated and
flown from Riga
castle. The Latvian political party,
"Popular Front" is formed.
1989 -- Over 2 million Estonians,
Latvians and Lithuanians join hands across the three Baltic countries in
an unbroken human chain linking the capitals of Tallinn, Riga, and
Vilnius to protest the secret pact of 1939 between Hitler and Stalin.
1990 -- The Popular Front wins 124 seats
out of 201 in the Latvian Parliament (Latvian Supreme Soviet). Latvian
Parliament later adopts a declaration restoring independence to Latvia
with a transitional period.
1991 --
1993 -- "Saiema"
(pre-war unicameral parliament of 100 seats) reinstated by first free
elections since before WWII. "Satversme"
(pre-war Latvian constitution)
reinstated. Saeima elects Guntis Ulmanis of the Farmers Union Party, the
nephew of Kārlis Ulmanis, as president of Latvia. National currency, the
"Lat" replaces the Latvian Ruble.
1994 -- Final Russian troops withdraw
from the Baltic's on August 31.
1995 -- Latvia becomes member of the
Council of Europe.
1996 -- Second free elections elect the
6th Saeima. Guntis Ulmanis reelected president.
1998 -- Guntis Ulmanis expresses regret
and apologizes to Israel for the Latvians who collaborated with the
Nazi's during the Holocaust. Third free elections elect 7th Saiema. The Constitution
is amended to declare Latvian to be the National Language of
Latvia.
1999 -- Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
elected President of State by 7th Saeima. Frieberga is the first woman
of the former Soviet republics to be elected president of State, she is independent
of any party and is fluent in five languages (Latvian,
English, French, German, Spanish).
2001 -- Rīga celebrates 800 years since it's founding in
1201 by bishop Albert.
2002 --
