Strängnäs Cathedral is built mainly of bricks in the characteristic Scandinavian Brick Gothic style. The original church was built of wood, probably during the first decades of the 12th century, on a spot where pagan rituals used to take place and where the missionary Saint Eskil was killed during the mid 11th century. The wooden church was not rebuilt in stone and bricks until 1296, just after Strängnäs became a diocese. The cathedral was probably inaugurated by bishop Styrbjörn in 1334.
The oldest murals date from the 14th century. The Strängnäs Cathedral was enlarged in several phases during the 15th century and it was damaged by fire in 1473. Bishop Kort Rogge (1479-1501) donated two crucifixes which are still located in the cathedral. The larger one is made in Brussels around 1490. There are also many other significant medieval artefacts in the cathedral. The cathedral contains also the burials of Charles IX of Sweden and Maria of Palatinate-Simmern.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.