LANDLORDS’ CHRONICLES
ABOVE THE CASTLE ENTRANCE IT READS ‘RELINQUO INFANTIBUS AMOREM PARIAE’ THE HEIRLOOM I PASS DOWN IS MY LOVE TO THE FATHERLAND
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KOLDESELLE OF THE 16TH CENTURY AND JOHAN BIRINGIn the 13th century the area Koldesselli, ‘the dune hill’, was inhabited by Latvian Livs. It was called Kolzen by German Crusaders later. During the Livonian War Johan Biring von Helmstat led his division to Turaida, Cesis and Sigulda and beat the tsarist troops of Ivan the Terrible (IV), getting Kolzen Manor as a reward from the king of Poland-Lithuania. Since then it was called Birini. |
BEGINNING OF THE 18TH CENTURY, BARON K. J. MENGDENWhen Biring passed away, the manor was repossessed for several times, until the Mangden family got it. Karl Johan Mengden built a new manor house in Swedish Baroque and several outbuildings. The Manor was expanding, the Magdens had two daughters, and they both got married to the Mellin brothers from Estonia. |
END OF THE 18TH CENTURY, COUNT L. A. MELLINCount Ludwig August Mellin came into Birini as an in-law. He was an outstanding socially and politically active person, close to the Russian Tsar. He was an advocate of peasants' rights and fought for abolishment of serfdom, and even collected the folksongs. As a cartographer, he shared his long-lasting input in the topographic maps of Latvia and Estonia with J.V. Krause. The portrait of Count L. A. Mellin is exposed in the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation. |
THE 19TH CENTURY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY, VON PISTOHLKORSCount Mellin’s daughter was married to Lieutenant Colonel Alexander von Pistohlkors. In 1860 their son August von Pistohlkors built the present Castle building to his beloved wife Emily von Herder and arranged Emily’s Park. August also started forming Neubad, present Saulkrasti, built the seaside resort, school, and church. |
THE 20TH CENTURY, THE FIRST INDEPENDENCE AND THE SOVIET RULEDuring the first independence of Latvia, Kolzen was officially named as Birini. In 1925 there is a sanatorium of Latvian Bookprinting and Publishing Industry Sick Fund. After World War II, under the Soviet rule there was also a sanatorium for cardiopulmonary treatment. The Castle interiors are covered by paintings of Soviet ideology. |
END OF THE 20TH-BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURYIn 1993 Birini Manor was rented, and later owned by Jānis Vimba, a creative and daring person, who brought the Castle back to life. He started restoration and cleaning works in the Manor. First ideas about it’s use and maintenance were generated, and the first celebration took place in the Castle Halls. Jānis Vimba’s family is still running Birini Manor and taking care of its conservation, and accessibility of national culture heritage. Banquets, seminars, tours, sightseeing, restaurant, hotel and bathhouses are offered for relaxation and recreation. |
