The region called Livonia (corresponding to modern Estoniaand Latvia) emerged out of the rapid transformation caused by the conquest,Christianisationand colonisation on the north-east shore of the Baltic Sea inthe late twelfth and the early thirteenth century. These radical changes havereceived increasingscholarly notice over the last few decades. However, lessattention has been devoted to the interplay between the new and the oldstructures and actors in alonger perspective. This volume aims to study these interplays and explores thehistory of Livonia by concentrating on various actors and networks from thelate twelfth to theseventeenth century. But on a deeper level the goal is moreambitious: to investigate the foundation of an increasingly complex andheterogeneous societyon the medieval and early modern Baltic frontier - 'themaking of Livonia'.