Background
Christoph Haberland was born in Riga to a mason on 1 January 1750.
Christoph Haberland was born in Riga to a mason on 1 January 1750.
Later he traveled to Germany and as a journeyman studied in Berlin and Dresden.
In early age he started to learn from his father. In 1777 Haberland returned to Riga, passed his exam of master craftsmen and was admitted in the mason guild. In 1778 he becomes the assistant of the Riga chief architect Justice of the Peace Leicht.
When Leicht died in 1789 Haberland was appointed as his successor.
He was chief architect of Riga until 1797. Haberland was first to attempt the transformation of the medieval image of Riga according to the ideas of Enlightenment.
He designed about 20 dwelling houses in Riga, and some churches and manor houses around Riga and in Estonia. Christoph Haberland died on 7 March 1803 in Riga.
He was interred in the Riga Great cemetery.
His adapting many innovative ideas and a fresh look at architecture made Haberland one of the pioneers of classicism architecture in Riga.