The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Riga, Latvia.
12th century
1158 CE – At the beginning of the Northern Crusades, Bremen merchants began to arrive more frequently in the lower Daugava. 1184 – The expedition of the Augustinian monk Saint Meinhard of the Augustinian monastery in Segeberg (near Lübeck) arrived at the mouth of the Daugava and began preaching Christianity and baptising the local population. Around 1185, under the threat of Lithuanian attack, Meinhard promised the Livs that he would build a castle for their protection if they accepted the Christian faith. 1190 – Augustinian monastery established. 24 July 1198 - During Livonian Crusade, Crusader forces recruited by Bishop Berthold of Hanover in Saxony clash with Liv resistance. Bishop Berthold was killed in battle with the Livonian Imaut. In this context, the place name Riga (Latin: locus Rige) is mentioned for the first time in historical sources (Livonian Chronicle of Henry). 1199 5 October - Pope Innocent III issues a papal bull against Livonian apostates from the Catholic faith, against barbarians who worship "unintelligent animals, leafy trees, clear waters, green grass and unclean spirits". Albert of Buxhoeveden becomes Bishop of Riga or Livonia.
13th century 1200 Spring - Bishop Albert arrives at the mouth of the Daugava with a force of 1000 men in 23 ships. After several skirmishes, the Daugava Livs were forced to make peace with the foreigners, give hostages and convert to the Christian faith. Summer - The Battle of Rumbula. 1201 Town built by Catholic bishop Albert. In the depiction of summer events in the Chronicle of Henry, Riga is mentioned as a city for the first time. Envoys from Curonia arrived in Riga to negotiate peace. 1202 Bishopric of Livonia relocates to Riga from Üxküll. Bishop Albert established a permanent military force, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, which was granted the Statute of the Order of the Knights Templar, the Crusader Order, by Pope Innocent III. 1203 - King Visvaldis of Jersika and Prince of Polotsk Vladimir march to Riga. 1205 - The Cistercian monastery of St Nicholas was established in Daugavgrīva as a fortification to oversee the Daugava estuary and protect Riga. 1205/1206 Winter - the first reports of a Christian Mystery play being performed in Riga. 1206 A Liv uprising against the bishop's rule took place under the leadership of Mārtiņsala (Martinsholm) Elder Ako. The Livs were forced to make peace, in which they recognised the secular authority of the bishop. This was the beginning of the widespread baptism of the Livs. A repeated attack on Riga by Prince Vladimir of Polotsk. 1209 – St. Peter's Church active. 1211 – Church of the Virgin construction begins. 1225 Riga Town Council active (approximate date). St. James's Church dedicated. 1234 – St. John's Chapel built (approximate date). 1255 – Archbishopric of Riga established. 1260 – St. Mary Magdalene's Church built. 1282 September 8 – Riga enters into an alliance with the port cities of Lübeck and Visby to jointly protect their interests in the Baltic Sea. With this union Riga joined the Hanseatic League. 1285 – Johannes von Vechten became Archbishop of Riga. 1292: beginning – the last attack of the Semigallians on Riga under the leadership of Nameisis took place. The city of Riga demanded that the Livonian Order should not build castles and fortresses to the detriment of the city. 1293: The second known great fire of Riga took place. The Riga Town Council issued the first known building regulations for the city. 1294: Johannes von Schwerin became Archbishop of Riga. 1297: Summer – An armed conflict with the Livonian Order began in Riga and lasted for more than 30 years. 26 July – Riga is devastated by fire. 30 September – The citizens of Riga destroy the Order's castle, killing the commander and 60 brothers of the Order. 1298: End of March – Riga City enters into a fighting alliance with the Lithuanian ruler Vytenis against the Livonian Order. 12 June – The City of Riga and the Ducal Chapter conclude a treaty with King Eric VI of Denmark for military assistance in the war against the Livonian Order.
1300 December 19 – Isarnus von Takkon became Archbishop of Riga.
14th century 1301 – Following the order of Pope Boniface VIII, the Livonian Order returned the previously seized castles and properties to the Archbishop of Riga, Isarnus. 1302 – Jens Grand became the Archbishop of Riga, but he renounced this position. 1304 25 February – The Livonian Order resumed the fight for supremacy in the city of Riga. 21 March The arbitration of the Archbishop of Lund resulted in a short-term truce between the Livonian Order and the city of Riga. Friedrich von Pernstein became the Archbishop of Riga. 1305 May 26 – The Livonian Order bought the Daugavgrīva monastery fortress from the Cistercian monks, thus gaining control over the Riga sea gates, which were of great importance for shipping on the Daugava River. 1307 July 2 – Near Riga, a battle took place between the allied Lithuanians of the Riga residents and the army of the Livonian Order. 1312 – Pope Clement V excommunicated the Livonian Order due to the Riga conflict. 1313 11 May – The decision to excommunicate the Livonian Order was revoked. 9 June – The Livonian Order concluded a truce with the city of Riga. 1315 Winter – Famine raged in Riga. 1316 April 24 – The Riga residents' army invaded the Livonian Order's Daugavgrīva fortress and burned down the wooden structures around it. 1329 22 June – The residents of Riga attacked the Daugavgrīva fortress but failed to capture it. September – The Livonian Order began a 6-month siege of Riga, after which the city surrendered. 1330 13 June – In Riga, the Livonian Order began building a new castle in the current location. Brotherhood of Blackheads organized. 1332 May 8 – The Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV confirmed the Order's supremacy over the city of Riga. 1335 November – Following the Pope's order, the Livonian Order returned the seized properties of the Archbishopric of Riga. 1338 Autumn – The Master of the Livonian Order and the city of Riga established a weight standard for Riga's trade with Polotsk. 1341 October 18 – Engelbert von Dolen became the Archbishop of Riga. 1348 March 17 – Fromhold von Vifhusen became the Archbishop of Riga. Around 1350 – The Black Death plague pandemic struck Riga. 1352 18 November – The corporate association of craftsmen – the Small Guild – was established in Riga. The first public clock in Riga was installed in St. Peter's Church. 1353 and 1354 – Relations between the Livonian Order and the Archbishopric and city of Riga became strained. 1354 The merchants' association – the Large Guild – was established. October – After the Livonian Order refused to return the city and castle of Riga to papal control, the Order was excommunicated. 1357 The Town Hall Pharmacy, the oldest pharmacy in Riga, began its operations. 1360 The Riga goldsmiths' guild was the first to approve its statutes. 1361 November 5 – In the dispute between the Archbishop and the Livonian Order, the city of Riga actively defended its interests. 1366 and 1367 – The internationalization of the conflict between the Livonian Order and the Archbishop of Riga continued. Fearing the Archbishop's influence, the city of Riga began to support the Livonian Order. 1370 February 11 – Siegfried von Blomberg became the Archbishop of Riga. 1373 October 10 – Supporting the request of the Archbishop of Riga, Siegfried, Pope Gregory XI issued the so-called "clothing bull," which stipulated that henceforth the Archbishop of Riga and the members of the cathedral chapter should wear black robes. 1374 October 23 – Johann IV von Sinten became the Archbishop of Riga. 1376 September 29 – The oldest known written rules of order in the Baltic region, regulating life and internal order in the city of Riga, were recorded. 1378 – The plague epidemic raged in Riga. 1386 – The Riga Town Council adopted the statutes of the trade assistant association – the Latvian Beer and Wine Carriers' Brotherhood. 1393 Johann von Wallenrode became the Archbishop of Riga. 24 September – Pope Boniface IX removed Johann IV von Sinten from the office of Archbishop of Riga. 1400 – In Trakai, the envoys of the Archbishop of Riga wanted to agree with the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Vytautas, on joint action against the Livonian Order and an attack on its castle in Riga.
15th century May 1405 – Riga concluded a trade agreement with Polotsk, which was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. 1412 – The Riga Town Council again prohibited craftsmen of non-German origin from producing and selling beer, and forbade peasants from trading within the city walls. 1416 – The unmarried foreign merchants in Riga founded the Brotherhood of the Blackheads, whose patron saint is Saint Maurice. 11 July 1418 – Johannes Ambundii was appointed Archbishop of Riga. 1421 – Due to plague and poor harvests, the economic situation in Riga worsened. 8 February 1423 – Envoys from Riga, Tartu (Dorpat), and Tallinn concluded a trade agreement with Novgorod on behalf of the Hanseatic League. 13 October 1424 – Riga Cathedral Chapter member Henning Scharpenberg was appointed Archbishop of Riga. 1434 – Archbishop Henning Scharpenberg submitted a complaint to the Council of Basel about the Livonian Order's attempts to subordinate the Archbishop of Riga and other Livonian bishops. 1445 – The Riga Town Council approved the statutes of the Latvian Tanners' Brotherhood. 1448 – Archbishop Henning Scharpenberg died; the Livonian Order secured the appointment of Silvester Stodewescher as Archbishop by paying 4000 ducats. 1450 – The Latvian Ship Loaders' Guild was founded. 1452 – Under an agreement concluded at Salaspils between Archbishop Silvester Stodewescher and the Master of the Livonian Order, dual sovereignty was established in Riga. 1469 – The Latvian Weighers' Guild was founded. 1476: The Archbishop of Riga, again attempting to reclaim the city's sovereign rights, sought assistance from Sweden and Lithuania. February – Open war between the Archbishopric of Riga and the Livonian Order began. 1480 March 12 – Stefan Grube became Archbishop of Riga. 1481 December – Riga’s residents failed to capture the Order’s castle. 1482 March 27 – The citizens of Riga signed a two-year truce with the Livonian Order. 1484: 18 May – After two months of battles, the Livonian Order’s castle in Riga fell. 4 June – Michael Hildebrand became Archbishop of Riga. 1485 – Riga unsuccessfully sought support against the Livonian Order from Hanseatic cities and Sweden. 1489 November 30 – The Livonian Order resumed armed attacks against Riga, which the townspeople repelled. 1491: Troops of the Livonian Order's Land Marshal Wolter von Plettenberg defeated the people of Riga. The Livonian Order’s Master once again became the ruler of the city. The first rooster weather vane was installed atop St. Peter’s Church tower. 26 November 1498 – A delegation of Riga merchants concluded a treaty with England in London, granting extensive trade privileges to English merchants in Riga and to Riga’s merchants in England. However, the Riga Town Council did not ratify the treaty, as it caused outrage among other Hanseatic cities.
16th century
1509 18 February – Jasper Linde becomes Archbishop of Riga. Pope Julius II allows the Riga Town Council to choose the Archbishop of Riga. 1510 – December: Christmas tree displayed in marketplace. 1515 – Riga Castle rebuilt. 1521 – Andreas Knöpken, chaplain of St Peter's Church, returns to Riga from Pomerania and begins to promote the ideas of the Reformation of the Catholic Church. 1523 spring – Burghers supportive of Lutheranism stormed the Franciscan monastery. 1524 March – Reformation-induced iconoclast riots took place in St. Peter's and St. James' Churches.