The Rastrelli Palace at the heart of Jelgava, seen from the Lielupe.
() is a
city in central
Latvia about 41 km southwest of
Riga with 66,087 inhabitants (2006). It is the largest town in
Semigallia. Jelgava is known as the former capital of the
Duchy of Courland, and was the capital of the
Courland region until 1919.
Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain rising only 3.5 m above sea level on the right bank of the river
Lielupe. At high water the plain and sometimes the town as well can be inundated. Jelgava is surrounded by a canal known as Jacob's Channel (initiated by
Jacob Kettler) occupying the site of former fortifications. It is a railway center and an important market for
grain and
timber. It is also host to
Jelgava air base. Its importance as a railway centre can be proven by the fact that it lies at the junction of over 6 railway lines connecting Riga to Lithuania, eastern and western Latvia, and Lithuania to the Baltic sea.
Etymology
The name Jelgava is believed to be derived from the
Livonian word
jelgab, meaning "city on the river." The origin of the
German name
Mitau is unclear, although it is suggested that it came from the
Latvian words
mīt or
mainīt, meaning "to exchange" or "to trade," thus making it "the place where trading takes place." An alternate explanation is that
Mitau came from
Mitte in der Aue, German for "the middle of the Aa", referring to the Lielupe River, formerly known as the Courland Aa (
Kurländische Aa in German).
Sights
Jelgava has regular, broad streets lined with the mansions of the
Baltic German nobility who resided at the capital of Courland. The old castle (1266) of the dukes of Courland, situated on an island in the river, was destroyed by
Duke Biren, who had
a spacious palace erected (1738-1772) by
Bartolomeo Rastrelli at the bridge across the Lielupe. The palace contains the
sarcophagi of almost all of the Curonian dukes, except the last one. The future
Louis XVIII sojourned in the palace between 1798 and 1800. It now functions as the LLU, Latvijas Lauksaimniecības Universitāte, or Latvian University of Agriculture. Other landmarks include the
Baroque church of
St. Anne, the tower of the destroyed Trinity church, and two handsome structures: the Villa Medem and the Academia Petrina.
History
The
Livonian settlement Jelgava began developing between the rivers Lielupe and Driksa during the 10th century. Led by the Grand Master
Konrad von Mander, the crusading
Livonian Order constructed the
castle in Mitau on a natural island fortification (
Pilssala) in 1265-1266. Using Mitau as a southern fortress, the German knights subdued the surrounding Livonians and Semigallians by 1290. The town rose in importance as a defensive fixture against the
Lithuanians to the south, who succeeded in plundering Jelgava in 1345.
As a result of the fall of the Livonian Order in the
Livonian War, Mitau became a town of the
Duchy of Courland in 1561. Jelgava received city rights in 1573, and became the capital of the united duchies of Courland and Semigallia in 1578. When the Duchy of Courland split in 1596, Jelgava became the residence of Duke
Friedrich Kettler of Semigallia. The city again became the capital of the united duchies in 1617. Because the duchy became a
vassal of the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Jelgava was also referred to by the Polish name
Mitawa. The Commonwealth's repeated wars with
Sweden subjected Jelgava to several sieges. Despite the wars, the city grew as a center for trade and industry. As Courland's neighbors increased in strength, however, the duchy and Jelgava began to fall under Russia's
sphere of influence;
Carl Christian Joseph of Saxony, Duke of Courland had to abdicate under Russian siege in 1763. The duchess from 1711-1730 was Anna Ivanovna, later Empress
Anna I of Russia.
The penultimate duke of Courland,
Ernst Johann von Biron, expanded the cultural aspects of Jelgava. He constructed the ducal palace and opened the first public library in the city. In 1775 the last Duke of Courland, Peter, founded the
Academia Petrina university, which became a spiritual center for the country. The duke also encouraged theatrical performances at his court.
Jelgava Aerial View. Academia Petrina, St. Simeon and Anna Orthodox Church, Catholic Church.
With the outbreak of the
French Revolution in 1789, the citizens of Jelgava clamored for more rights. However,
Imperial Russia annexed the city with Courland in 1795 during the
Partitions of Poland. As the seat of the
Count of Provence, the palace of Jelgava was the residence (1798-1801 and 1804-1807) of
Louis XVIII before he became the
French king. Although the city was occupied by
Prussian troops during the
Napoleonic Wars, it was largely spared destruction.
Jelgava further expanded after the construction of its railway in 1868. The development of its infrastructure encouraged rural Latvians to migrate to the city, as merchants, craftsmen, teachers, and officials. By 1914 Jelgava had over 45,000 inhabitants. However, Jelgava suffered considerably after the outbreak of
World War I. The spirited defence of Jeglava by two battaliosn of the Latvian Home Guard in 1915, helped inspire the formation of the
Latvian Rifles.
German troops occupied the city during the war, and after the war in 1919 Jelgava became a battleground between
Bolshevik Red Guards, German
paramilitaries, and Latvian freedom fighters. After the latter's victory, Jelgava became an important city in independent
Latvia.
As a result of the
Nazi-Soviet Pact, Jelgava was occupied and annexed with the rest of Latvia by the
Soviet Union during
World War II in 1940. Much of the city's remaining German population travelled westward during the
Nazi-Soviet population transfers. German forces from
Army Group North occupied Jelgava from 1941-1944 until the capture of the city by the
Red Army. The city's historical center, industry, rail network, and public buildings were heavily damaged by the fighting, with almost 90% of the city destroyed.
Jelgava was rebuilt after
World War II as part of the
Latvian SSR, and following Latvian independence, Jelgava is now a popular tourist site.
Notable people
- Jānis Lūsis (1939-), Latvian (and Soviet) athlete - javelin thrower
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
