Koluvere, Lääne County

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View over the river Liivi to the former Episcopal Castle Koluvere

Koluvere ( German Lode or Lohde ) is a village in the municipality Kullamaa in westestnischen Lääne. The village has 340 inhabitants (as at 31 December 2011).

The settlement Koluvere was probably in the 15th century around the old Bishop's Castle. Since 1977 she has municipal law the status of a village ( küla ). Koluvere is located on the road from Risti after Virtsu on the middle reaches of the river Liivi.

Bishop's Castle Lohde

Between 1234 and 1238 the family of pin Vogts Johannes de Lode built a later completely destroyed castle in the parish Kullamaa. He refused to obey the new Bishop of Osel - Wiek. With the help of the Livonian Order, the Bishop but was able to prevail by force. Probably in the second half of the 13th century, the Episcopal Castle was built as a fort Koluvere. During the reign of Bishop Winrich Kniprode 1383 to 1419 the first buildings were erected, which are preserved to this day.

Probably the Bishop's Castle was originally a square tower castle, the end of the 14th and beginning of the 15th century was expanded with the installation of a convent house into a fortress. In the northeastern wing, the refectory and the chapel were. During the uprising in the Sankt Georg night mid-14th century Estonian rebels besieged the Episcopal Castle Lohde. From 1439 she became one of five residences of the bishop of Osel - Wiek and the seat of the pin Vogts. 1541 was completed in the course of alterations to the river side, a round cannon tower that gives the fort its present appearance.

During the Livonian War (1558-1583) the fortress often changed its owners 1560 she sold the last bishop of Osel - Wiek to the Danes, then she fell alternately Sweden ( 1564-1575 ), Danish (1575 /76) and Russians ( 1576-1581) in his hands. On January 23, 1573 occurred in Koluvere to a battle between Swedes and Russians, from the Swedes emerged victorious despite Russian majority. From 1581 until the Russian conquest of Estonia and Livonia in 1710 the fort was again in Swedish possession. In the 17th century, however, it lost its military significance. Lohde was largely transformed into a castle-like complex.

1662, the Swedish Queen Christina to the Swedish Lieutenant General Friedrich of Leuven ( 1600-1669 ) the castle and the surrounding countryside. 1771 bought the Russian Empress Catherine II ( 1729-1796 ) Lohde and gave it to her lover, Count Grigory Orlov ( 1734-1783 ). 1787/88 spent Auguste Princess Caroline of Brunswick -Wolfenbüttel ( 1764-1788 ) their captivity in the castle. She is now buried in the church of Kullamaa.

From an heir Count Orlov bought Catherine back the property and gave it to her daughter Nathalia Aleksandrovna Alekseeva (1761-1808), who married the German Baltic Count Friedrich von Buxhoeveden ( 1750-1811 ). Lohde remained the property of the family of Buxhoeveden until 1919. During this time, a spacious park with ponds, bridges and obelisks were created around the castle.

1840 and 1905 burned the main building from partially, but were then rebuilt in neo-Gothic style. In 1924 a children's home was in the castle housed, since 1963 a home for the mentally handicapped. From 2001, the castle stood empty since 2006 and is privately owned.