Jelgava
Jelgava (pronounced [jælɡava] ) is a state city in central Latvia about 41 kilometres (25 miles) southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the region of Zemgale (Semigalia). Jelgava was the capital of the united Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1578–1795) and was the administrative center of the Courland Governorate (1795–1918).
"Mitava" redirects here. For the steamship, see SS Mitava.
Jelgava
1573
15
60.56 km2 (23.38 sq mi)
57.66 km2 (22.26 sq mi)
2.9 km2 (1.1 sq mi)
13 m (43 ft)
54,701
900/km2 (2,300/sq mi)
€0.740 billion (2021)
€13,500 (2021)
(+371) 630
Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain rising only 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) above mean sea level on the right bank of the river Lielupe. At high water, the plain and sometimes the town as well can be flooded. It is a railway center, and is also a host to the Jelgava Air Base. Its importance as a railway centre can be seen 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.
Name[edit]
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).
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.
St. Anne's Church
Destroyed Jelgava St. Trinity Church
Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary
Jelgava before the Second World War had regular, broad streets lined with the mansions of the Baltic German nobility who resided at the former 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 Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Other landmarks include the Baroque church of St. Anne's Church (Liela Street 22a), the tower of the destroyed Jelgava St. Trinity Church (Akadēmijas Street 1), and two handsome structures: the Villa Medem and the Academia Petrina.
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).
Parks[edit]
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.
Sports[edit]
The city's main football team, FK Jelgava, plays in the Latvian Higher League and has won the Latvian Football Cup four times.