Jelgava
Jelgava | |
---|---|
State city | |
UTC+3 (EEST) | |
Postal code | LV-300(1–9); LV-3024; LV-3035 |
Calling code | (+371) 630 |
Website | www |
Jelgava (pronounced
Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain rising only 3.5 metres (11.5 feet)
Name
Until 1917, the city was officially referred to as Mitau. The name of Jelgava is believed to be derived from the Livonian word jālgab, meaning "town on the river."[5] 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 "trading-place." An alternate explanation is that Mitau came from Mitte in der Aue, which is German for "the middle of the Aa", referring to the Lielupe River, formerly known as the Courland Aa (Kurländische Aa in German).[citation needed]
In Yiddish, the city was known as מיטאַווע (Mitave) or מיטאַו (Mitar).
In publications dating from the Soviet period, the city name was occasionally spelled in English as "Yelgava", a back-transliteration from Russian Елгава.
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
Settlement began developing in the Mitau locality between the rivers Lielupe and Driksa during the 10th century. Led by the Grand Master Konrad von Mandern , 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 Mitau in 1345.
As a result of the fall of the Livonian Order in the
The
The penultimate duke of Courland, Ernst Johann von Biron (r. 1737–1740 and 1763–1769), expanded the cultural aspects of Mitau. He constructed the ducal palace and opened the first public library in the city. In 1775 the last Duke of Courland, Peter von Biron (r. 1769–1795), founded the Academia Petrina, which became a cultural center for the country. The duke also encouraged theatrical performances at his court.
With the outbreak of the
Mitau further expanded after the
As a result of the
In late July 1944, the Soviet
Jelgava was rebuilt in typical Soviet style after
Climate
Jelgava has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).
Climate data for Jelgava (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1867−present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 10.7 (51.3) |
13.5 (56.3) |
19.7 (67.5) |
27.4 (81.3) |
30.0 (86.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
33.7 (92.7) |
30.1 (86.2) |
23.4 (74.1) |
17.0 (62.6) |
11.6 (52.9) |
36.0 (96.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.3 (31.5) |
0.3 (32.5) |
4.9 (40.8) |
12.4 (54.3) |
18.1 (64.6) |
21.3 (70.3) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.1 (73.6) |
17.8 (64.0) |
10.8 (51.4) |
4.8 (40.6) |
1.1 (34.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.7 (27.1) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.7 (33.3) |
6.7 (44.1) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.5 (59.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
17.0 (62.6) |
12.3 (54.1) |
6.9 (44.4) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
7.1 (44.8) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
1.1 (34.0) |
5.1 (41.2) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
10.8 (51.4) |
7.0 (44.6) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
2.4 (36.3) |
Record low °C (°F) | −34.5 (−30.1) |
−34.9 (−30.8) |
−30.1 (−22.2) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−10.1 (13.8) |
−22.4 (−8.3) |
−32.2 (−26.0) |
−34.9 (−30.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 43.6 (1.72) |
34.8 (1.37) |
33.8 (1.33) |
36.0 (1.42) |
52.4 (2.06) |
73.4 (2.89) |
82.1 (3.23) |
69.4 (2.73) |
59.9 (2.36) |
68.2 (2.69) |
50.4 (1.98) |
47.1 (1.85) |
651.1 (25.63) |
Average precipitation days | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 119 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
87.5 | 84.9 | 78.5 | 71.4 | 70.5 | 74.5 | 77.9 | 78.7 | 83.1 | 86.6 | 89.4 | 89.6 | 81.0 |
Source 1: LVĢMC[7][8] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (humidity and precipitation days 1991-2020)[9] |
Demographics
As of 1 January 2022, the city had a population of 54,694.[citation needed]
Sights
Jelgava before the Second World War had regular, broad streets lined with the mansions of the
In addition the following cultural and historical objects can be seen: Jelgava Palace (Lielā Street 2), Jelgava Old Town, Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary (Katoļu Street 11), St Simeon and St Anne's Cathedral (Raina Street 5), St. John's Church (Jāņa Street 1), Jelgava Baptist Church (Matera Street 54), Love Alley (Dobele highway), Valdeka Castle (Rīgas Street 22), Jelgava Station (Stacijas Street 1).[citation needed]
-
Academia Petrina
-
St. Anne's Church
-
Destroyed Jelgava St. Trinity Church
-
Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary
Culture
Jelgava regularly hosts an international
The following museums operate in the city: Ģederts Eliass Jelgava History and Art Museum, Adolf Alunan Memorial Museum , historical expositions St. Trinity Church tower, Latvia University of Agriculture Museum , Rundāle Castle museum exposition in Jelgava Castle "Tombs of the Dukes of Kurzeme and Zemgale", Latvian Railway Museum Jelgava exposition, psychiatric hospitals "Ģintermuiža " museum, Firefighter exposition.[citation needed]
Libraries: Jelgava City Library (Akadēmijas Street 26), Pārlielupe Library (Loka highway 17), Miezīte Library (Dobele highway 100), children's library "Zinītis" (Lielā Street 15).[citation needed]
Parks
Green territories and parks: Jelgava Castle Park, Station Park, Rainis Park, Duke Jacob's Square, Square in Mātera Street, Alunāns Park, Svētbirze, Ozolpils Park, Valdeka Park, Ozolskers, Victory Park, Jelgava Psychoneurological Hospital Park, Lielupe floodplain meadows, Grēbner Park, forest near RAF residential area, forest near Jelgava bypass.[citation needed]
Sports
The city's main football team,
Notable people
- Johann Heinrich Baumann (1753-1832) - painter
- August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein(1826-1907) – linguist, folklorist, ethnographer
- Peter von Biron (1724-1800), Duke of Courland[11]
- Vilnis Edvīns Bresis (1938-2017), politician
- Jan Krzysztof Damel (1780-1840), painter
- Karl Eichwald (1795-1876), geologist, paleontologist and physician.[12]
- Johannes Engelmann (1832-1912), jurist
- Kaspars Gerhards (born 1969), politician
- Johannes von Guenther (1886-1973), writer
- art collector
- Elise von Jung-Stilling (1829-1904), painter
- Edijs Jurēvics (born 1989), rocksinger and guitarist
- Renārs Kaupers (born 1974), Latvian singer
- Friedrich Kettler (1569-1642), Duke of Courland
- Frederick Casimir Kettler (1650-1698), Duke of Courland
- Ferdinand Kettler (1655-1737), Duke of Courland
- Frederick William, Duke of Courland (1692-1711), Duke of Courland
- Maria Amalia of Courland (1653-1711), Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel
- Wilhelm Kettler (1574-1640), Duke of Courland
- Adolph Theodor Kupffer (1799-1865), chemist, and physicist
- Max Lazerson (1887-1951), politician
- Friedrich Ludwig Lindner (1772-1845), German writer, journalist and physician
- Paul von Medem (1800-1854), diplomat
- Friedrich von der Pahlen (1780-1863), diplomat and administrator.
- Elza Radziņa (1917-2005), Latvian actress
- Johann Friedrich von Recke (1764-1846), senior public official in the Baltic Germans Duchy of Courland.
- Einars Repše (born 1961), Latvian politician
- Friedrich von Rüdiger (1783-1856), Baltic German military officer in service of the Russian Empire and a general of the Imperial Russian Army.
- Princess Pauline, Duchess of Sagan (1782-1845), Duchess of Sagan
- Princess Wilhelmine, Duchess of Sagan (1781-1839), Duchess of Sagan
- Carl Christian Joseph of Saxony, Duke of Courland and Semigallia(1759-1763)
- Paul Schiemann (1876-1944), journalist, editor and politician
- Carl Schmidt (1822-1894), chemist
- Artūrs Skrastiņš (born 1974), stage and film actor
- captainof the Polish merchant marine
- Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky (1891-1970), illustrator
- Eduard Totleben (1818–1884), Russian military engineer
- Ernst Rudolf von Trautvetter (1809-1889), botanist
- Gunars Upatnieks (born 1983), musician
- Inese Vaidere (born 1952), politician
- Johann Walter-Kurau (1869-1932), painter
- Kaspars Znotiņš (born 1975), stage and film actor
Sport
- Aleksejs Auziņš (1910-1997) – footballer, coach, ice hockey player
- Andrejs Dūda (born 1981), swimmer
- Ieva Gaile (born 1997), figure skater
- Kristīne Gaile (born 1997), figure skater
- Olga Jakušina (born 1997), ice dancer
- Dzintars Lācis (1940-1992), cyclist
- Natalia Laschenova(born 1973) Olympic team gold medalist (gymnastics)
- Jānis Lūsis (1939-2020), Latvian (and Soviet) athlete — javelin thrower
- Vitālijs Samoļins (born 1990), chess player
- Igors Šaplavskis (born 1968), boxer
- Gatis Sprukts (born 1996), ice hockey player
Twin towns – sister cities
- Pärnu, Estonia (1957)
- Šiauliai, Lithuania (1960)
- Vejle, Denmark (1992)
- Białystok, Poland (1994)
- Xinying (Tainan), Taiwan (2000)
- Alcamo, Italy (2002)
- Hällefors, Sweden (2004)
- Nacka, Sweden (2004)
- Rueil-Malmaison, France (2006)
- Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine (2007)
- Nova Odessa, Brazil (2007)
- Como, Italy (2016)
- Carmel, United States (2022)
In 2022, Jelgava suspended the cooperation agreements with Magadan and Baranavichy due to Russian invasion of Ukraine.[14]
See also
- Adolfa Alunāna Theatre
References
- ^ Jelgava City municipality web page Archived 30 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Reģionu, novadu, pilsētu un pagastu kopējā un sauszemes platība gada sākumā". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
- ^ "Iedzīvotāju skaits pēc tautības reģionos, pilsētās, novados, pagastos, apkaimēs un blīvi apdzīvotās teritorijās gada sākumā (pēc administratīvi teritoriālās reformas 2021. gadā) 2021 - 2022". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "Gross domestic product and gross value added by planning region, State city and municipality at current prices (after administrative-territorial reform in 2021)". stat.gov.lv.
- ISBN 9781443724449– via Google Books.
- ^ Meeting the Enemy by Richard Van Emden.
- ^ "Klimatisko normu dati" (in Latvian). Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ "Gaisa temperatūras rekordi" (in Latvian). Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ (in Latvian) LLU pirmkursnieki svin Azemitologa svētkus
- ^ "Last Duke of Courland's cause of death revealed". RSU. 28 December 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 132. .
- ^ "Sadraudzības pilsētas". jelgava.lv (in Latvian). Jelgava. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ^ Jelgava suspends cooperation agreement with twin cities Magadan (Russia) and Baranovichi (Belarus)
External links
- Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. XVI (9th ed.). 1883. .
- Map of Jelgava
- City paper