Additional sites for comparison 

Despite this nomination being focused on the urban development of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a series of other sites were considered for comparison. In particular, churches, cemeteries, sites of early industrial development, manors, palaces and Couronian villages that are intertwined with the history of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia were analysed. 

Churches and cemeteries 

Since the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was formed in 1560, it witnessed the rise of Protestantism. In fact, the political dimension of the inner-Christian conflicts, i.e. between the Catholic Church and the different Protestant movements, can be considered one of the factors shaping the development of the duchy. While Poland-Lithuania, to which the duchy was subordinated as a vassal state, acted as a strong ally of the Catholic Church, the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was predominantly Lutheran. The predominance of the Lutheran faith was even anchored in the Duchy’s constitutional document, the Pacta Subiectionis, which grants the dukes and their subjects the right to free religious practice in accordance with the Confessio Augustana (Hübner 1993, 31). 

In the 16^th century, wooden churches existed in many larger settlements and a few towns. Most of these were replaced by masonry churches in the course of the 17^th century which can often still be observed today, though these churches were regularly renovated as well as enlarged in the 18^th century and particularly in the 19^th century. As these building interventions oftentimes widely altered the churches and removed the building layers from the period of the Duchy, few retain heritage values of the 16^th to 18^th century. The churches and cemeteries that were included in the survey on recommendation of national specialists were worth discussing as potential values of a World Heritage nomination as they partially preserved relevant aspects of Courland craftsmanship. However, churches in a good conservational state proved to exist across the country and authentic typical craftsmanship can be found in ecclesial buildings of Kuldīga. This weakens the necessity for inclusion of additional sites mentioned outside of Kuldīga, as they do not add further value that could not be conveyed by churches in Kuldīga. While elements such as a stone epitaph at Nurmuiža Church, an organ built by Kuldīga citizen Cornelius Rhaneus at Ugāle Church as well as a 16^th century confessional at Zlēkas Church are representative of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, they are not the only candidates to represent authentic attributes of 16^th to 18^th century interior design, as      Kuldīga’s churches, mentioned in Section 2.a, illustrated a similar ability. The churches of Kuldīga, i.e. St Catherine Lutheran Church and Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, bear all necessary elements to convey the aspect of the evolution of religious buildings in ducal times as well as the expression of Couronian craftsmanship in their interior design.

Sites of early industrial development

The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a highly relevant period for the progress of the predominantly agrarian region, as the dukes – particularly Duke Jacob Kettler – initiated a process of early industrial development which in turn was based on their mercantile policies. The dukes fostered the growth and prosperity of cities and also began to exploit mineral resources. This led to the construction of several early industrial facilities for the processing of the mineral resources, such as copper or the local iron ore, as well as the production of nails, canons, and tools for agriculture. The aspect of industrial development is particularly interesting as it is one of the strongest witnesses to the international exchange the Duchy was involved in. With no tradition of ironmaking existing in the region prior to the 17^th century, both knowledge and skill had to be developed through the direct involvement of foreign specialists (Jakovļeva et al. 2019, 102).

Due to the impact the industrial activity of the duchy had on the development of its towns, and given that Kuldīga itself cannot represent this aspect, it is intriguing to add to the nomination a component outside of Kuldīga, testifying to the early industrial development of the Duchy of Courland. Based on the expertise of Mārīte Jakovļeva, who is a renowned specialist on the industrial heritage of the ducal era, only Ēdas and Vecmuiža were relevant in the context of the comparative analysis. Considering Ēdas, despite it being one of the best-conserved industrial sites in Latvia, its state of conservation does not comply with the standards of authenticity and integrity that have to be met in the context of UNESCO World Heritage sites and therefore cannot be further taken into account. In the context of Vecmuiža, the authors of a 2019 archaeological report recommended further investigation in order to fully grasp the interconnection of the tangible evidence and the existing written records. Generally, it has to be noted that the investigation of the early industrial development of the Duchy of Courland is still at the beginning and that a lot more research would be needed in order to decide upon its relevance for UNESCO World Heritage listing.  

Manors and palaces

Manors and palaces represent a specific aspect of rural life of the Courland nobility. While a variety of Manors exist across the country, Nurmuiža stands out in terms of authenticity. Currently, however, the focus of the proposed nomination lies on the urban testimony of the duchy, so that no strengthening of the current narrative is to be expected by inclusion of the manor. Rundāle Palace, the most visited heritage site of the country, suffered significant damage in the 20^th century, which led to partial reconstruction of the palace. 

Couronian villages near Turlava

The Couronian villages were a remarkable exception in the rural sphere of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. While most Latvian farmers – who provided the majority of the rural workforce and who lived in individual farmsteads – either served on the ducal estates or on the estates of the German nobility, the Couronian villages were inhabited by freemen which were recognised as descendants of the Couronian chiefs, who were exempt from taxes and other imposed liabilities. Already in 1318-33, during the rule of the Teutonic Order, they were awarded significant property rights and other privileges (Lexikon Baltische Ortsnamen II, 171-2) which were also recognised by the dukes of Courland and Semigallia. There were eight villages of this kind that consisted of about 4-5 farmsteads each. The Couronian villages, as well as the church at their centre, give an interesting insight into the unusual setting of the living space of Latvian freemen descendant from Couronian tribes. The villages Ķoniņciems, Kalējciems and Ziemeļciems each consist of up to three wooden or masonry farmsteads. Unfortunately, the tangible evidence available at the sites lies outside of the time frame of interest for the nomination, as it dates back predominantly to the 19^th century. Only Lipaiķi Church originates from ducal times. Its heritage value is however directly linked to the villages surrounding it and loses its significance if looked upon outside of its regional context.

Summarised results of the comparative analysis

The attribute mapping conducted in 2019 reinforced that Kuldīga (Goldingen) holds a rich mixture of architectural attributes, giving testimony to the unique role of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia in international (trade) relations and cultural exchanges from the 16^th to 18^th century. Despite it being a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the duchy succeeded in gaining relative political independence, acting with sovereignty far beyond that of other regional powers, and establishing diplomatic and trade relations with numerous major European states and Russia. Located in the centre of the opposing powers of Sweden, Poland-Lithuania and Russia, it furthermore stood out due to its political neutrality and early liberal policies, acting as buffer, mediator and refuge.

On an international scale, the only duchy comparable in its degree of political and economic independence as well as international recognition is the Duchy of Prussia, the distinctiveness of which has been recognised multiple times through its architectural testimonies on the World Heritage list. The Museum Island in Berlin, the Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin, and the Castles of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl all speak of the great achievements of Prussia on both an architectural and a scientific-intellectual level. 

However, in terms of trade relations, diplomacy and colonial activities, the Duchy of Courland was far more advanced than Prussia. Likewise, the dukes of Courland’s policies of religious and ethnic tolerance as well as economic and political neutrality between opposing powers were visionary at the time. Yet, the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia and its physical testimony is not currently recognised on the World Heritage list. Although the former Couronian colony in Gambia is inscribed as part of the World Heritage site Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites, its Outstanding Universal Value does not stem from its role in relation to the Duchy of Courland. Neither Gambia nor the duchy’s second former colonial territory in Tobago, which both represent regrettable imperial activities of the time, could alone serve to comprehensively represent the testimony of the Duchy of Courland. Therefore, only the contemporary Latvian territory can bear witness to this astonishing period of relevance to global history, which required a comparative analysis predominantly at a national level. 

Hence, Latvian towns with a political, administrative, or economic relevance during the times of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia were identified and assessed. It showed that, overall, very little historical urban fabric of the time withstood the wars that happened on Courland’s territory over the centuries. Due to its geopolitical location as a buffer zone between opposing powers, Courland became the battleground of multiple wars, such as the Polish-Swedish War (1655-1660) and the Great Nordic War (1700-1721). Finally, the Second World War destroyed most of what was left when, in 1944, the front line between German and Soviet forces stood in the Jelgava region for three months. The traces of the different wars, in addition to other conflicts and lootings, tremendously reduce the ability of most Latvian towns to authentically demonstrate the Outstanding Universal Value of the duchy. Historically important towns such as Jelgava, Liepāja or Ventspils unfortunately no longer have the potential to tell the complete story of urban development in the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, due to either a lack of authenticity or integrity.

Across the country, the most prominent remains dating back to the 16^th to 18^th centuries are the respective churches, many of which have however been altered since. Regarding castles, the existing remnants are either highly altered or in ruins, including the castles of Ventspils, Bauska and Aizpute. Whereas the castles of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia were reutilized Teutonic Order castles and hence do not represent original architecture of the era of the duchy, a number of palaces were built on ducal orders in the 18^th century. Unfortunately, Jelgava Palace had to be entirely reconstructed in the 1950s after having burnt out. Rundāle Palace, the best remaining testimony of ducal palaces, documents alterations during the time of duke Ernst Johann Biron’s exile in the mid-18th century and was unfortunately also affected during the First World War. Apart from Kuldīga, there are a few, usually smaller, towns that still show authentic urban structures from the duchy period. The port cities of Liepāja and Ventspils each have remnants of trade and storage buildings, which at times however lack authenticity due to later alterations and town development. Remains of residential buildings can be found in towns such as Bauska, Jelgava, Liepāja, Kandava, Talsi and Ventspils, the best-preserved ones being in Bauska where a building survey from 2012/2013 showed that 23 buildings from the duchy period still exist; around 15 of them are somewhat authentic. Despite this number being much higher than for other towns, it cannot meet the density of fabric found in Kuldīga.

In addition to the historically important towns, a number of sites that specialists considered to be relevant for this research were surveyed. In this context it showed that in fact different churches, industrial sites or villages exist outside of the major urban centres of the ducal era which testify to the achievements of the time. Nevertheless, their scope is relatively small and none of the sites was considered to be able to represent the Duchy by itself. 

In conclusion, the Comparative Analysis showed that Kuldīga stands out not necessarily because it was historically more important than other towns of Courland but because of its exemplary state of conservation and its completeness, which reflect the era when the small Duchy of Courland and Semigallia partook in international trade alongside the most powerful European nations. Kuldīga is the last and only major administrative centre and residence of the rulers of the Duchy of Courland which has survived to present times and can hence provide testimony to this era in a way that no other town can. Given the intense war history of the described territory, it is in fact astonishing that the town could preserve such a significant amount of its historical urban fabric. The authenticity and integrity seen in Kuldīga have no comparison in the region. Therefore, Kuldīga (Goldingen) was found to be the sole site able to convey the proposed Outstanding Universal Value as testimony of the historical period of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia.