Black Heads

(also Schwarzhäupter). (1) A society in Livonia from the 14th to 16th centuries, membership in which was dependent on a person’s class and religion. The members included servants and low-ranking officials of the Livonian Order. The name of the society is derived from the group’s coat of arms, on which an image of the head of St. Mauritius was emblazoned.

(2) From the 14th to early 20th centuries, societies of foreign merchants in the Baltic region who did not have their homes and families in the area. Named for the symbol of St. Mauritius, who was considered their protector, the Black Heads defended the interests of foreign merchants and arranged social activities for them. In Riga, Tallin, and Vilnius, the societies owned houses that fulfilled the combined functions of clubs and dormitories. A number of the buildings constructed for the Black Heads have been preserved and are outstanding monuments of medieval architecture in the Baltic region.

(3) In Riga until 1939, a society of Riga German merchants who were bachelors.