Page 62 - buvkeramika

62
At least two brick-kilns were situated in the outskirts of medieval Riga – near the Daugava River there
was a brick-kiln (domus lateratorum) managed by the Riga Town Council, which in 1334–1338 was rented
to a private person (Stieda, Mettig 1896, 14; LR, Nr. 191, 193, 194). The other brick-kiln (teegelhusse ) in
1421–1422 was situated near the Daugava River nearby a butchery that was built by the town council
(Šterns 1998, 359, 362). Buildings of the Order were supplied with bricks by another brick-kiln (ordens
tegelhus) that was located on the other side of the Riga River, on Rīdzene Islet and was mentioned in 1435
(LGU I, Nr. 282, S. 269; Šterns 1998, 350, 358). In 1482, when conflicts between landowners had sprang
up again, the brick-kiln of the Order was destroyed by military mercenaries, following the order of the
town council (Feodālā Rīga 1978, 106). Both the kilns in the outskirts of Riga were mentioned only in
the 14th–15th century sources (Kämmerei-Register 1909, 21, 11, 47, 199), but probably brick-kilns were
located there or nearby the city already in the 13th century. One more brick-kiln together with the mill
was rented in 1564 in Pārdaugava – territory on the left bank of the River Daugava (Mühle über der Düna
und der Ziegelofen – Landvogtei 1931, 289). Historians have established its location in the site where
Cobron fortification (Cobron-Schanze) was built in 1621 (Feodālā Rīga 1978, 230). Until the 17th century,
no other kilns in the rural territory of Riga were mentioned, but probably such existed and supplied the
small landed properties of the city suburbs.
In the 13th century, the Riga town wall and churches were built of bricks, and later bricks were applied
also for construction of public buildings and citizens’ dwelling houses. In Riga’s registry books that have
been preserved since the 14th century, short entries have been made about brick purchases for various
repair works, and their price. Unfortunately, only in a few cases the building is mentioned in which the
named building materials were used. Thus, in the treasurer registers, in 1555, it was mentioned that
payment had been made for bricks and roof tiles for the belfry of St. John’s Church, but in 1556 bricks
were purchased to fulfil the wills stated in citizens’ testaments, about acquisition of building materials
for the town wall (Kämmerei-Register 1902, 156, 190).
Brick-kilns in Vidzeme (late 15 th century – 18th century)
In Livonian written sources information about the existence of brick-kilns nearby medieval castles
have been preserved much less and it is briefer than evidences about the most ancient medieval brick-kilns
of Riga. Separate facts have been summarised and published by the historian Ārija Zeida (Zeida 1962).
The most ancient writings about the existence of brick-kilns in the estates of Vidzeme are dated from the
late 15th century /early 16th century, but most frequently these include only a brief note in a document
that lacks any information about the location or appearance of the kiln, or about the work organisation.
Written documents contain information that in 1474 bricks were baked in Rauna/Ronneburg, in
1527 – in Augstroze/Hochrosen, in 1540 – in Lubāna/Luban, and in 1543 – in Daugavgrīva/Dünamünde
(Zeida 1962, 120). In 1540, in Ērgļi/Erlaa, Tiesenhausens had a brick barn and a brick-baking oven (zigel
schune und ofen – LGU II, Nr. 825, S. 527). In the 16th century, brick-kilns were in operation near the
Jelgava/Mitau Castle, in Ikšķile/Uexküll, Salaspils/Kirchholm, Piebalga/Pebalg, Ēvele/Alt-Wohlfahrt, and
Ludza/Ludsen, but in the 17th century the number of brick-kilns increased (Zeida 1962, 120, 121). In
Valmiera/Wolmar a brick-kiln was established in 1639–1640, and henceforth almost every year brick-
Ieva Ose. Building ceramics of Turaida Castle in the 13th–17th centuries