Jelgava
Jelgava (
German:
Mitau;
Lithuanian:
Mintauja;
Russian: Елгава / Митава;
Polish:
Mitawa) is a town in central
Latvia about 41 km southwest of
Riga with 66,087 inhabitants (
2006). It is the largest town in
Semigallia. Jelgava is often remembered as the former capital of the
Duchy of Courland (as
Mitau), and was the capital of the Courland region until
1919.
Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain rising only 12 ft. above sea level on the right bank of the river
Lielupe (formerly the
Kurländische Aa). 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 locations of former fortifications. It is a railway center and an important market for
grain and
timber.
The name Jelgava is believed to be derived from the
Livonian word
jelgab, meaning "low place." The origin of the German name Mitau is unclear, although it is suggested that it came from the words
mìt or
mainìt, meaning "to change." An alternate explanation is that Mitau came from
Mitte in der Aue, or "the middle of the Aa."
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 all of the Curonian dukes. The future
Louis XVIII sojourned in the palace between 1798 and 1800. Other landmarks include the
Baroque church of
St. Anne, the tower of the destroyed Trinity church, and two handsome
neoclassical structures, the Villa Medema and the Academia Petrina.
The
Livonian settlement Jelgava began development 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 Mitau atop a native 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 was 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. The duchess from
1711-
1730 was Anna Ivanovna, the later Empress
Anna I of Russia.
The penultimate duke of Courland,
Ernst Johann von Biron, or Duke Biren, expanded the cultural aspects of Jelgava. He constructed the ducal palace and opened the first public library in the city. In
1775 he founded the
Academia Petrina university, which became a spiritual center for the country. The duke also encouraged theatrical performances at his court.
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
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 was further expanded after the construction of its railway in
1868. The development of its infrastructure encouraged rural Latvians to immigrate to the city, taking residence 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.
German troops occupied the city during the war, and after the war in 1919 Jelgava was a battleground between
Soviets, 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 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 through 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.
The rebuilding of Jelgava commenced during the years of the
Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. Jelgava is now a city of independent Latvia and a popular tourist site.
*
Map of Jelgava*
City council*
Community*
City paper
