- Albert Suerbeer
Albert Suerbeer (ca. 1200 – 1273) was the first
Archbishop of Riga inLivonia .Suerbeer was an aggressive supporter of papal power and tried to take over the whole eastern Baltic area for the Holy See. His efforts failed, however, and he was forced to submit to the Livonian branch of the
Teutonic Knights .Biography
Suerbeer was born in
Cologne . He studied inParis , received a degree of magister, and became the canon inBremen . After the death ofAlbert of Riga in 1229, he was appointed Bishop of Riga byArchbishop of Bremen Gerhard of Oldenburg. The canons of Riga did not recognize his appointment and elected their own candidate Nicholas, who was confirmed byPope Gregory IX in 1231.In 1240, Suerbeer became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of
Ireland , where he was known as Alberic the German. After taking part in theFirst Council of Lyon in 1245, he left Ireland, asPope Innocent IV needed him in Germany in his struggle against Emperor Frederick II. Upon returning to German, however, the Pope appointed him Archbishop of Prussia,Livonia , andEstonia , and later also a legate toGotland ,Holstein ,Rügen , andRussia . In 1246 he was given also the vacantDiocese of Lübeck in Germany.The
Teutonic Knights were wary of Suerbeer and warned him to stay away from Prussia. After Bishop Nicholas of Riga died in 1253, Suerbeer finally received the Bishopric of Riga he had claimed over 10 years. According to a compromise arranged byWilliam of Modena , Albert promised to stop his activities against the Teutonic Order. Bishoprics subordinate to Riga included Dorpat, Ösel-Wiek,Courland ,Sambia ,Pomesania , Warmia, and Culmerland.In 1267, however, Suerbeer allied himself with
Gunzelin von Schwerin , son of the Count ofSchwerin , who had came to Livonia as a crusader. He appointed Gunzelin an advocate (governor) of his diocese which resulted in deep conflict with theLivonian Order . While Gunzelin was recruiting troops in Germany, the Order arrested Suerbeer and kept him imprisoned with only bread and water. Suerbeer was forced to recognize the authority of the Order. Suerbeer died in Riga in 1273.References
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Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie : Vol.1, P.202 [http://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Albert_II._%28erster_Erzbischof_von_Riga%29]
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