Figure 1.--This Roman Catholic Latvian boy is dressed up in his white First Communion outfit, we think about 1930. He has a jacket with a sailor collar, short panrts, whit long syclimngs and strap shoes. Note the prig of grenery, a pagan touch. He looks a little old for First Communion, but he looks to be holding a rosary. he outfit is similar to those we have seen Polish boys wear for their First Communion. Most Latvian Catholics lived in the southeastern province of Latgale along what at the time was the Polish border. The postcard back portrait was taken in Riga, but we cannot make out the studio name.

The single most important religion in Latvia is Evangelical Lutheranism. Slightly more than half of Latvians were Lutherans (55 percent). This varied ethnically. Nearly 70 prcent of the ethnic Latvians were Lutherans. The next most important religion was Roman Catholocism, influenced by a long historical assocation with Catholic Poland. About 25 percent of Latvians were Catholic, relatively the same proportion for both Latvians as a whole as well as ethnic Latvians. The Catholic population was centered in the economically poor southeastern province of Latgale. Here there was a short border with northeastern Poland. Today it is part of Belarus. About 70 percent of the population of Latgale was Catholic. This association with Poland may be why the NAZIs slated the Latgalians for destruction as part of Generalplan Ost. This concentration in the southeast is why some Latvians viewed Catholicism of more of a regional religion. This is another reason that Lutheranism was seen as the dominant national religion. The Orthodox Church of Latvia introduced by the Russians accounted for about 10 percent of the population. Most of the Orthoox were Russians and other Slavs. Orthodixy was less common among ethnic Latvians. Old Believers, a Russian fundamentalist sect, accounted for another 5 percent of the population. Many were ethnic Russians which had fled Tsarist persecution (17th century). They settled in what was at the time was Swedish- and Polish-controlled Latvia. Latvia also had a small Jewish population before World Wwar II amounting to about 5 percent of the population. The rest of Latvia's pre-War population was a variety of Protestant denominations.

Protestantism

The single most important religion in Latvia is Evangelical Lutheranism. Slightly more than half of Latvians were Lutherans (55 percent). The Protestant Reformation reached the Germans in Riga and other towns (18thb century). Gradually mantb ethnic Latvians also adopted Protestantism. This varied ethnically. Latvians more culturally atuned to Poles and Lithuanians and presumably with more of a Slavic ikmprint remained Catholic. Nearly 70 prcent of the ethnic Latvians were Lutherans. While Luternaism is the dominant national religion, there are also small numbers of other Protestant dernominations.The rest of Latvia's pre-War population was a variety of Protestant denominations.

Catholocism

The next most important religion was Roman Catholocism, influenced by a long historical assocation with Catholic Poland. About 25 percent of Latvians were Catholic, relatively the same proportion for both Latvians as a whole as well as ethnic Latvians. Here we see an unidentified Riga boy dressed up for his First Communion (figure 1). The Catholic population was centered in the economically poor southeastern province of Latgale. Here there was a short border with northeastern Poland. Today it is part of Belarus. About 70 percent of the population of Latgale was Catholic. This association with Poland may be why the NAZIs slated the Latgalians for destruction as part of Generalplan Ost. This concentration in the southeast is why some Latvians viewed Catholicism of more of a regional religion. This is another reason that Lutheranism was seen as the dominant national religion.

Orthodoxy

The Orthodox Church of Latvia introduced by the Swedish Vikings (12th century), but supressed by the Livonian Order (13th century). The Tsarist state which acquired Latvoa reintroduced it (19th century). Russians accounted for about 10 percent of the population. Most of the Orthoox were Russians and other Slavs. Orthodoxy was much less common among ethnic Latvians. Old Believers, a Russian fundamentalist sect related to Orthodoxy, accounted for another 5 percent of the population. Many were ethnic Russians which had fled Tsarist persecution (17th century). They settled in what was at the time was Swedish- and Polish-controlled Latvia.

Judaism

Latvia also had a small Jewish population before World Wwar II amounting to about 5 percent of the population. German knightly orders ruled Latvia (1201-1561). Policies were different in neighboring Lithuania which combined with Poland. There a substantial Jewish population developed beginning in the 13th century. The Teutonic Knights banned Jews from even entering Latvia (1306). Only with the fall of the Teutonic Knights did Jewish settlement become possible. Modern Latvia is composed of four regions (Courland, Latgale, Livonia, and Vidzeme). The history of the Jews in each province varies somewhat because of the varying policies of different rulers. Poland seized Livonia and Latgale (1561), but Courland which neigbored Lithuania became an independent Duchy (1562-1795). Although loosely tied to Poland, there was a strong German influence in Courland. This meant that Courland Jews had closer ties to German Jews than the neigboring Jewish community in Lithuania. The first Jewish settlements in Latvia were reported in Courland (1570s). The Duchy was absordbed by Russia as part of the POlish partitions (1792). It was, however, not part of the Pale of Settlement. The Order in Livonia forbade Jews from persuing commerce or owning farm land. This was widely regarded as prohibiting any Jewish presence. Nobles thus levied a range of restrictions on Jews, including residence restrictions, license fees, and other measures. Livonia passed to Poland (1561), Sweden (1621) and Russia (1710). Restrictive measures were persued by loval authorities throughout this period. A modern Jewish community began to develop (1840s). Poland seized Latgale (1562). It was subsequently acuired by Russia as part of the First Polish Partition (1772). The Russians include the region in the Pale of Settlement (1804). Latgalia Jews were Yiddish speaking. The Jewish intelligentsia spoke Russian as was the case in Lithuania-Byelorussia. The Latvian Census reported a Jewish population of 93,479 people in 1935. Latvian Jews were murdered by the Germans in the Holocaust (1941-44).

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Created: 4:24 AM 10/13/2013
Last updated: 4:24 AM 10/13/2013