In the course of the Reformation, the Protestant faith also spread to Livonia and remained the most important denomination even under Roman Catholic or Russian-Orthodox rulers. Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Jews were in the minority. Lithuania and neighbouring "Polish-Livonia" by contrast remained Roman Catholic.
The new ideas quickly reached Livonia by way of the Hanseatic towns; Luther, too, sent several missives from 1523 to the Christians living there. The Reformation prevailed in the country between 1530 and 1560. Other than in Prussia, the Grand Master stayed Roman Catholic but granted the Lutherans religious freedom. The Polish rule from 1561 saw the not very successful Counter-Reformation, before Livonia became Protestant again in 1621 under Swedish rule.
As a result of the Reformation, Baltic-German pastors turned to the languages of the people and created the basis for an Estonian and Latvian written language through translations. In addition, they were committed to the establishment of a primary school system. The high degree of literacy of Estonians and Latvians distinguished them for a long time from their eastern neighbours.