Klaipėdos universitetas

The Christianisation of Lithuania is usually dated to the late 14th and early 15th centuries, but the first attempt to turn Lithuania into a Christian kingdom was made by Mindaugas. In 1251 he was baptised by the Master of Livonia Andreas de Velven (also known as von Stirland), and in 1253 was crowned King of Lithuania with the support of Pope Innocent IV. Christian (Kristijonas), the Livonian priest who taught the ruler the virtues of Christianity, a member of the Teutonic Order, became the first Bishop of Lithuania at Mindaugas’ request. It is known that Mindaugas bequeathed several lands to Christian in 1254. The article examines the background to this act of providing for the Diocese of Lithuania. The author argues that the donation of the possessions to Christian is the most important source that can help identify Mindaugas’ own domain. He hypothesises that Mindaugas’ domain may have been located south of the lands donated to Bishop Christian, in an area known in historiography as the defence line of the lower River Nemunas. In his analysis of this hypothesis, the author presents arguments that invite us to reconsider the established assertion in historiography that the domains of the senior dukes could have been located in present-day east Lithuania.