Personal Networks of Baldwin of Aulne, Papal Legate in Livonia
Personal Networks of Baldwin of Aulne, Papal Legate in Livonia

Summary/Abstract: The context of the activities of the papal legate Baldwin of Aulne (d. 1243?) in Livonia in the 1230s is challenging to interpret due to limited sources. The previous research has traditionally focused on the failure of his Livonian politics. This paper ar- gues that Baldwin, a Cistercian monk, who was sent as vice-legate and later as legate to the Baltic, became the bishop of Semigallia, and eventually received an archiepiscopal title in the Latin Empire, most probably originated from the high nobility of Hainaut. His highborn status facilitated his close contact with the court of the bishop of Liège. This social background may have contributed to his tensions with Livonian leaders, who were dominantly of ministerial descent. However, the potentially noble lineage, papal authority and episcopal power proved to be insufficient in a contest where the opposition wielded significant military power and the legatine title in real life did not provide any access to the locally accessible material and military resources.

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