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This is a web site of the small Suiti region with its 2800 inhabitants, occupying 402 square kilometers in the Western part of Latvia. Inhabitants of this area call themselves "Suiti" and they are proud of their distinct identity and character of their own.
History of Suiti goes back almost 400 years to a romantic story in 1623. Reformation in Grand Douchy of Courland took place 1561. In that year duke Gothard Ketler abandoned Catholic religion to become Lutheran. So did all population in Courland and following Catholic faith from 1561 till 1617 was illegal. But in 1623 the local land owner, Johan Ulrich fon Schwerin, in order to marry a Polish court lady Barbara Konarska, agreed to become Catholic. After the marriage he had to live in Lithuania and Poland until 1632, as he could return to Alsunga only after his father's death. In 1634 Johan Ulrich invited Jesuits to establish a mission in Alsunga to help him transfer all his peasants back to Catholic faith. He donated land to the Catholic congregation and with the help of Jesuits forcibly removed Lutheran priest from Alsunga.
When trying to expand Catholic influence in the surrounding area he run into a violent oposition from neibouring Lutheran land owners which led to poisoning of Johan Ulrich fon Schwerin in 1637. This brought about a major conflict between Lutherans and Catholics and King of Poland Vladislav himself had to intervene in order to calm things down.
Schwerin family sold their property in 1738, but by then it already was a strong Catholic island surrounded from three sides by traditionally Lutheran areas and from one side boardered by the Baltic Sea. Enven though ir is not an island, for several centuries it has practically functioned as a one. Marriages across religious boundaries were strongly discouraged. The region lived to a certain degree in a religious, cultural and to some extent economic self-isolation.
This religious based self-isolation helped to preserve a very rich traditional culture and customs, which in such a compact area is unique for Latvia. For Latvian culture this small Suiti region means its own national costume, its own dialect, over 52 thousand recorded folk songs, very detailed marriage and other customs, many of which are still today practiced in the daily lives of Suiti.
Today Suiti region with its three Catholic churches, beautiful sea coast, historic architecture, rural landscapes, rich forest and natural resources and stubborn and independent minded people has stood up against the wish of the central Government in Riga to divide it into two parts and join to larger local government entities of Kuldiga and Ventspils. Two non-governmental organisations have been established in 2007 to support preservation of Suiti self-government. We think that protecting of our identity, which our ancestors have brought through centuries, is at stake. We cannot afford to lose it and we believe, that with the help of God we will prevail.
History of Suiti goes back almost 400 years to a romantic story in 1623. Reformation in Grand Douchy of Courland took place 1561. In that year duke Gothard Ketler abandoned Catholic religion to become Lutheran. So did all population in Courland and following Catholic faith from 1561 till 1617 was illegal. But in 1623 the local land owner, Johan Ulrich fon Schwerin, in order to marry a Polish court lady Barbara Konarska, agreed to become Catholic. After the marriage he had to live in Lithuania and Poland until 1632, as he could return to Alsunga only after his father's death. In 1634 Johan Ulrich invited Jesuits to establish a mission in Alsunga to help him transfer all his peasants back to Catholic faith. He donated land to the Catholic congregation and with the help of Jesuits forcibly removed Lutheran priest from Alsunga.
When trying to expand Catholic influence in the surrounding area he run into a violent oposition from neibouring Lutheran land owners which led to poisoning of Johan Ulrich fon Schwerin in 1637. This brought about a major conflict between Lutherans and Catholics and King of Poland Vladislav himself had to intervene in order to calm things down.
Schwerin family sold their property in 1738, but by then it already was a strong Catholic island surrounded from three sides by traditionally Lutheran areas and from one side boardered by the Baltic Sea. Enven though ir is not an island, for several centuries it has practically functioned as a one. Marriages across religious boundaries were strongly discouraged. The region lived to a certain degree in a religious, cultural and to some extent economic self-isolation.
This religious based self-isolation helped to preserve a very rich traditional culture and customs, which in such a compact area is unique for Latvia. For Latvian culture this small Suiti region means its own national costume, its own dialect, over 52 thousand recorded folk songs, very detailed marriage and other customs, many of which are still today practiced in the daily lives of Suiti.
Today Suiti region with its three Catholic churches, beautiful sea coast, historic architecture, rural landscapes, rich forest and natural resources and stubborn and independent minded people has stood up against the wish of the central Government in Riga to divide it into two parts and join to larger local government entities of Kuldiga and Ventspils. Two non-governmental organisations have been established in 2007 to support preservation of Suiti self-government. We think that protecting of our identity, which our ancestors have brought through centuries, is at stake. We cannot afford to lose it and we believe, that with the help of God we will prevail.
http://www.suitunova...nglish_summary/
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