National activism and symbolic space: The struggle for Riga's cathedral church in 1931

During the period of democratic rule 1918-1934, the newly formed Republic of Latvia adopted policies toward the state's ethnic minority populations that have been lauded then and now as progressive and democratic. The adoption of such policies created a climate in which ethnic minority politicians and publicists could advocate for inclusive stances toward national belonging in the new republic. The economic distress of the early 1930s and ensuing political turmoil served to undermine such advances, however, leading to a deterioration in relations, of which the struggle for control of Riga's cathedral church was emblematic. The conflict over Riga's largest church showed both the potential and the limitations of civic nationalism in interwar Latvia.