A Cistercian monk from the abbey of Aulne in Flanders who acted as papal representative in the Baltic countries in 1230-1234, having been sent to resolve the dispute about the succession to the bishopric of Riga that had arisen after the death of Albert of Buxhovden. His activities, however, went beyond this task, and he negotiated a settlement for the conversion and subjection of the pagan Curonians. Yet because this agreement conflicted with the interests of the town of Riga, the Order of the Sword Brethren, and Nicholas, the new bishop of Riga, opposition to Baldwin gained ground. In 1232 Baldwin secured support for his actions at the court of Pope Gregory IX. He was named bishop of Semgallia, given authority over northern Estonia, and nominated as papal legate for Gotland, Finland, Estonia, Curonia, and Semgal-lia, but on returning to Livonia in 1233, he was unable to find sufficient support among the various crusader institutions. The conflict took an especially violent turn in Reval (mod. Tallinn, Estonia), where many of the supporters of Baldwin were killed by the Sword Brethren. Baldwin left the country forever, and the duties of papal legate passed to William of Modena, who managed to settle the disputes. In 1236 Baldwin gave up the title of bishop of Semgallia.
Baldwin is one of the most controversial figures in scholarship on medieval Livonia. Although his exact aims remain unclear because of the lack of sources, they could be characterized as an (unsuccessful) intervention in Livonian affairs under papal authority.
-Juhan Kreem
Bibliography
Benninghoven, Friedrich, Der Orden der Schwertbruder:
Fratres milicie Christi de Livonia (Koln: Bohlau, 1965).
-, “Zur Rolle des Schwertbruderordens und des
Deutschen Ordens im politischen Gefuge Alt-Livlands,” Zeitschrift fur Ostforschung41 (1992), 161-185.
Hellmann, Manfred, “Der Deutsche Orden im politischen Gefuge Altlivlands,” Zeitschrift fur Ostforschung 40 (1991), 481-499.
World History
