House of the Blackheads in Riga

Fellowships, orders, and communities... In the Middle Ages, many unusual alliances were formed based on common ideas and goals. They were usually named after worshiped saints, like the monastic orders of St. Francis, Dominic, and Benedict. The Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutonic Knights became famous all over the world and left a rich legacy to their descendants.

At the same time, in the 13th century, in the territory of modern Latvia, young foreign merchants created their own brotherhood and named it in honor of the patron saint of the knights, St. George. Later, the brotherhood was renamed in honor of St. Maurice, and its new symbol, a blackhead, was depicted on the coat of arms. Hence the popular name of the order, the Brotherhood of Blackheads.

They chose Riga as a permanent place of residence, and the building of the city stock exchange as the house. Thus, during the day, the house was used for trading and conducting transactions, and in the evening, the members of the brotherhood gathered and held luxurious balls here. According to some historical documents, even the Russian tsars attended these solemn receptions.

Soon, the Blackheads began to not only lead social life in the Latvian capital but also took an active part in solving political issues. And so it was until the 1940s. After Latvia entered the Soviet Union, the Brotherhood of Blackheads in Riga was abolished. Today, it continues to exist in Germany and keeps its legacy, the House of the Blackheads, in the Town Hall Square in Riga.

Unfortunately, the ancient building has not been well preserved. The present-day house was recreated from the ruins at the end of the 20th century. Since the establishment of the brotherhood, only the 14th-century cellars have survived. Back then, wine and foreign goods brought by merchants were stored here. Today, there is a museum, displaying a real ancient Roman oven and medieval scales.