Liepaja
Encyclopedia
Liepāja; ), is a republican city in western Latvia
, located on the Baltic Sea
directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region
of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga
and Daugavpils
and an important ice-free port. As of 1 January 2011, Liepāja had a population of approximately 83,000.
Liepāja is known throughout Latvia as "The city where the wind is born", possibly because of the constant sea breeze. A song of the same name was composed by Imants Kalniņš
and has become the anthem of the city. The reputation of Liepāja as the windiest city in Latvia has been further endorsed as the biggest wind power plant in Latvia (33 Enercon
wind turbines) was constructed nearby.
The Coat of Arms of Liepāja was adopted four days after it gained city rights on 18 March 1625. These are described as: "on a silver background, the lion of Kurzeme
with a divided tail, who leans upon a linden
tree with its forelegs." The flag of Liepāja has the coat of arms in the center, with red in the top half and green in the bottom.
fishermen of Piemare
and was known by the name Līva (from the name of the river Līva
on which Liepāja was located, which in turn originated from the Livonian
word Liiv meaning "sand"). The oldest written text mentioning the name is dated 4 April 1253. The Livonian Order
under the aegis
of the Teutonic Order established the settlement as the village of Liba(u) in 1263. In 1418 the city was sacked and burned by the Lithuanians
. During the 15th century, a part of the trade route from Amsterdam
to Moscow passed through Līva and it was known as the "white road to Lyva portus". By 1520 the river Līva had become too shallow for easy navigation, and this negatively influenced on the development of the city.
loaned all the Grobiņa district including Liepāja to Albert, Duke of Prussia for 50,000 gulden
s. Only in 1609 after the marriage of Sofie Hohenzollern, princess of Prussia, to Wilhelm Kettler
did the territory return to the Duchy. During the Livonian War
, Liepāja was attacked and destroyed by the Swedes. In 1625, Duke Friedrich Kettler
of Courland
granted the town city rights, which were affirmed by King Sigismund III
of Poland
in 1626. The name Liepāja was mentioned for the first time in 1649 by Paul Einhorn
in his work "Historia Lettica
". Under Duke Jacob Kettler
(1642–1681), Liepāja became one of the main ports of Courland as it reached the height of its prosperity. In 1637 Courland colonization
was started from the ports of Liepāja and Ventspils
. Jacob was an eager proponent of mercantilist ideas. Metalworking and ship building became much more developed and trading relations developed not only with nearby countries, but also with Britain, France, the Netherlands and Portugal. In 1697–1703 a canal was cut to the sea and a port was built. In 1701, during the Great Northern War
, Liepāja was captured by Charles XII of Sweden
, but the end of the war saw the city in Polish possession. In 1710 an epidemic of plague killed about a third of the population of Liepāja. In 1780 the first Freemasonry
lodge "Libanons" was set up in the port of Liepāja by Provincial Grandmaster Ivan Yelagin
on behalf of the Provincial Lodge of Russia and was registered with a number 524 in the Grand Lodge of England.
in 1795 during the third Partition of Poland and became the Courland Governorate
of Russia. Growth during the nineteenth century was rapid. During the Crimean War
when the Royal Navy was blockading Russian Baltic ports, the busy yet still unfortified port of Liepāja was briefly captured on 17 May 1854 without a shot being fired, by a landing party of 110 men from HMS Conflict and HMS Amphion. In 1857 the engineer Jan Heidatel
developed a project to reconstruct the port of Liepāja. In 1861–1868 the project was realized – including the building of a lighthouse and breakwaters. Between 1877–1882 the political and literary weekly newspaper Liepājas Pastnieks was published – the first Latvian language
newspaper in Liepāja. In the 1870s the rapid development of Russian railways, the 1871 opening of the Libava-Kaunas
and the 1876 Liepāja-Romny
railways ensured that a large proportion of central Russian trade passed through Liepāja. By 1900, 7% of Russian exports were passing through Liepāja. The city became a major port of the Russian Empire on the Baltic Sea, as well as a popular resort. On the orders of Alexander III
Liepāja was fortified against possible German attacks. The Libava fortress was subsequently built around the city, and in the early 20th century a major military base was established on the northern edge, including formidable coastal fortifications and extensive quarters for military personnel. As part of the military development a separate military port was excavated. This area became known as Kara Osta
(War Port) and served military needs throughout the twentieth century. Early in the twentieth century the port of Liepāja became a central point of embarkation for immigrants traveling to the United States. By 1906 the direct service to the United States was used by 40,000 migrants per year. Simultaneously, the first Russian training detachment of submarine navigation was founded. In 1912 one of the first water aerodromes in Russia was opened in Liepāja. By 1913, 1738 ships entered Libava with 1,548,119 tones of cargo passing through the port. The population had increased from 10,000 to over 100,000 within about 60 years.
on 7 May 1915; in memory of this event, a monument was constructed on Kūrmājas prospect in 1916 (destroyed in 1919). On 23 October 1915, the German cruiser was sunk by the British submarine , 37 kilometers west of Liepāja. In 1915, Liepāja's local government issued its own money – Libava rubles.
During the war, the words of The Jäger March
were written in Liepāja by Heikki Nurmio
.
, fled from Riga on a ship "Saratov". In 1918 Libava was renamed Liepāja. In 1935 KOD started to manufacture the light aircraft KOD-1 and KOD-2.
of Liepāja and Ventspils were targets of Joseph Stalin
and part of the reason for the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact
. In 1940 upon annexation by the Soviet Union, private property was nationalized and many thousands of former owners were arrested and deported to Siberia
; and thousands also fled to North America, Australia and western Europe. In 1941 Liepāja was among the first cities captured by the 291st Division of Army Group North
after Nazi Germany began the war with the Soviet Union. The local Jewish population, which had numbered about 7,000 before the war, was virtually exterminated by German Nazis and Latvian collaborators. Most of these mass murders took place in the dunes of Šķēde
north of the city. Fewer than 30 Jews remained alive in Liepāja by the end of the war. Film footage of an Einsatzgruppen
execution of local Jews was taken in Liepāja. During the period 1944–1945 Liepāja was within the "Courland Pocket
" and was only recaptured by the Soviet army
on 9 May 1945. World War II devastated the city, most of the buildings and industrial plant were destroyed.
to Siberia
occurred from Liepāja. In 1950 the monument to Stalin was erected on Station square but was dismantled in 1958. During 1953–1957 the city center was reconstructed under the direction of architects A. Kruglov and M. Žagare. In 1952–1955 the Liepāja Academy of Pedagogy building was constructed under the direction of A. Aivars. In 1960 the Kurzeme shopping centre was opened. During the Soviet occupation
, Liepāja was a closed city
and even nearby farmers and villagers needed a special permit to enter it. The Soviet military set up its Baltic naval base and nuclear weapon
warehouses there; The Beberliņš sandpit
was dug out to extract sand used for constructing underground warehouses. The port was completely closed to commercial traffic in 1967. One third of the city was taken up with a Soviet naval base with 26 thousand military staff. In Liepāja the 14th Submarine Squadron of the USSR's Baltic Fleet
was stationed with 16 submarines (Types: 613
, 629a
, 651
); as was the 6th group of Rear Supply of the Baltic Fleet, and the 81st Design Bureau and Reserve Command Center of the same force. In 1971 the script of one of the most popular Soviet comedies, Gentlemen of Fortune
, was written in Liepāja by Georgi Daneliya
. In 1977, Liepāja was awarded the Order of the October Revolution
for heroic defense against Nazi Germany in 1941. In Liepāja 5 people were awarded the honorary title Hero of Socialist Labor
– Anatolijs Filatkins, Artūrs Fridrihsons, Voldemārs Lazdups, Valentins Šuvajevs and Otīlija Žagata. Because of the rapid growth of the city's population, a shortage of apartment houses became an issue. To resolve this, most of the modern Liepāja districts – Dienvidrietumi
, Ezerkrasts
, Ziemeļu priekšpilsēta
, Zaļā birze
and Tosmare
– were built. The majority of these blocks were constructed of ferro-concrete panels in standard projects designed by the state Latgyprogorstroy
Institute . In 1986 the new central city hospital in Zaļa birze
was opened. In 1979 a part of the film Moonzund
was filmed in the town.
and weapons in the Baltic states, and the main supply centre of the Latvian army. At the beginning of the 21st century many ambitious construction projects were planned for the city, including building the NATO military base, the biggest amusement park in the Baltic states
– Baltic Sea Park – and a modern concert hall, "Lielais Dzintars"; but most of these projects have not been realised due to economic and political factors. On the other hand, some of the earlier planned projects were completed. Liepāja's heating network was renovated in cooperation with French company Dalkia
and Russian company Gazprom
. In 2008 the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia decided to build the coal cogeneration
400 MW power plant near Liepāja. In 2006, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
, a direct descendant of Jacob Kettler
visited Liepāja.
, providing a mild winter and a cool summer. During the winter the sea around Liepāja is virtually ice-free. Although occasionally some land-fast ice may develop, it seldom reaches a hundred meters from the shore and does not last long before melting. The sea warms up fully only in the beginning of August, so the best bathing season in Liepāja is from August to September. Regular meteorological observations in the city have been conducted from 1857.
in the south-western part of Latvia. The westernmost geographical point of Latvia is located approximately 15 kilometers to the south thus making Liepāja Latvia's furthest west city. Liepāja is situated between the Baltic Sea and Liepāja Lake
with residential and industrial areas spreading north of the lake. The Trade Channel connects the lake to the sea dividing the city into southern and northern parts, which are often referred to as the Old Town and the New Town respectively. The city center is located in the southern part and, although called the Old Town, is relatively more developed. Most of the administrative and cultural buildings are found here as well as the main leisure areas. Along the coast the city extends northwards until it reaches the Tosmare
Channel . North of the Tosmare Channel is an area called Karosta
which is now fully integrated into Liepāja and is the northernmost district of the city. Liepāja's coastline consists of an unbroken sandy beach and dunes as does most of Latvia's coastline. The beach of Liepāja is not as exploited as other places (e.g. the Gulf of Riga
, Jūrmala
and Pärnu
in Estonia) but also lacks the tourist infrastructure needed for a fashionable, modern resort.
At the end of Peldu Street are Latvia's largest drums – one of the objects of Liepāja's environmental design which reminds one that Liepāja is the music capital of Latvia.
The open-air concert stage Pūt, vējiņi! (Blow, wind, blow!) was built in 1964. It has been the venue for a good many concerts and festivals, with the festival "Liepājas Dzintars" ("Amber of Liepāja") being the most famous among them, as it could be regarded as the oldest rock festival of the former Soviet Union. It was held for the first time in 1968.
Alongside the stage is an interesting building, the former Bath House built in 1902 and designed by Max Paul Bertschy. At the beginning of the 19th century Liepāja was a renowned health resort and the Russian tsar and his family had been visiting Liepāja. This all encouraged other aristocrats from Russia and Europe to spend their summers in Liepāja as well.
on the Baltic sea. The massive concrete fortifications with eight cannon batteries was built to protect the city and its population from German attacks. Secret underground passages of the fortress became the most famous Liepāja's urban legend
. Nowadays the ruins of the fortress are the popular place for playing paintball
.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, located on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region
Kurzeme Region
Kurzeme Region , officially Kurzeme Planning Region is one of five planning regions of Latvia, situated in the western part of Latvia, at the shores of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga. The state institution was founded on 2 October 2006, based on the creation of the region territory as prescribed...
of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and Daugavpils
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
and an important ice-free port. As of 1 January 2011, Liepāja had a population of approximately 83,000.
Liepāja is known throughout Latvia as "The city where the wind is born", possibly because of the constant sea breeze. A song of the same name was composed by Imants Kalniņš
Imants Kalninš
Imants Kalniņš is one of the most important composers in the history of Latvian music. Having studied classical, as well as choral music, he has written six symphonies, several operas , oratorios, cantatas, choir songs, a lot of movie and theater music...
and has become the anthem of the city. The reputation of Liepāja as the windiest city in Latvia has been further endorsed as the biggest wind power plant in Latvia (33 Enercon
Enercon
Enercon GmbH, based in Aurich, Germany, is the fourth-largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world and has been the market leader in Germany since the mid-nineties. Enercon has production facilities in Germany , Sweden, Brazil, India, Canada, Turkey and Portugal...
wind turbines) was constructed nearby.
The Coat of Arms of Liepāja was adopted four days after it gained city rights on 18 March 1625. These are described as: "on a silver background, the lion of Kurzeme
Kurzeme District, Riga
Kurzeme District is one of six administrative districts of Riga, the capital of Latvia....
with a divided tail, who leans upon a linden
Tilia
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
tree with its forelegs." The flag of Liepāja has the coat of arms in the center, with red in the top half and green in the bottom.
Piemare
The original settlement at the location of modern Liepāja was founded by CuronianCuronians
The Curonians or Kurs were a Baltic tribe living on the shores of the Baltic sea in what are now the western parts of Latvia and Lithuania from the 5th to the 16th centuries, when they merged with other Baltic tribes. They gave their name to the region of Courland , and they spoke the Old...
fishermen of Piemare
Piemare
Piemare was one of the main Curonian kihelkonds and with an administrative center in Esestua before the 13th century. It was founded by Viking B. Lamekin in the 10th century and was located between Bandava, Duvzare and the Baltic sea on the territory of present Liepāja district in Latvia. For the...
and was known by the name Līva (from the name of the river Līva
Līva (river)
Līva was a famous river in Kurzeme in today Latvia. It was located between the Baltic Sea and Liepāja Lake and had a length about 6 kilometers and a width near the mouth about 50 meters. The source of the Līva was located in Liepāja Lake near the former Pērkone river...
on which Liepāja was located, which in turn originated from the Livonian
Livonian language
Livonian belongs to the Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. It is a nearly extinct language, with one of its last native speakers having died in February 2009. It is closely related to Estonian...
word Liiv meaning "sand"). The oldest written text mentioning the name is dated 4 April 1253. The Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
under the aegis
Aegis
An aegis is a large collar or cape worn in ancient times to display the protection provided by a high religious authority or the holder of a protective shield signifying the same, such as a bag-like garment that contained a shield. Sometimes the garment and the shield are merged, with a small...
of the Teutonic Order established the settlement as the village of Liba(u) in 1263. In 1418 the city was sacked and burned by the Lithuanians
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
. During the 15th century, a part of the trade route from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to Moscow passed through Līva and it was known as the "white road to Lyva portus". By 1520 the river Līva had become too shallow for easy navigation, and this negatively influenced on the development of the city.
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
In 1560, Gotthard KettlerGotthard Kettler
Gotthard von Kettler was the last Master of the Livonian Order and the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia....
loaned all the Grobiņa district including Liepāja to Albert, Duke of Prussia for 50,000 gulden
Rhenish guilder
Rhenish guilder is the name of the golden, base currency coin of the Rhineland in the 14th and 15th centuries.- Formation :...
s. Only in 1609 after the marriage of Sofie Hohenzollern, princess of Prussia, to Wilhelm Kettler
Wilhelm Kettler
Wilhelm Kettler was the second Duke of Courland, a region of Latvia. Wilhelm ruled the western Courland portion of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia while his brother Friedrich ruled the eastern Semigallia portion.Wilhelm Kettler was the youngest son of Gotthard Kettler and his wife Anna of...
did the territory return to the Duchy. During the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
, Liepāja was attacked and destroyed by the Swedes. In 1625, Duke Friedrich Kettler
Friedrich Kettler
Friedrich Kettler was a Duke of Courland , a region in Latvia, from 1587 to 1642....
of Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
granted the town city rights, which were affirmed by King Sigismund III
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
of Poland
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
in 1626. The name Liepāja was mentioned for the first time in 1649 by Paul Einhorn
Paul Einhorn
Paul Einhorn was a famous historian of the Latvians and a Lutheran pastor.He was a pastor from 1621 and superintendent of Courland from 1636. He is described as an ardent Lutheran, and he spent much effort fighting against superstition...
in his work "Historia Lettica
Historia Lettica
Historia Lettica - one of the oldest historical books about Latvia, Latvian mythology and Latvian language. Was written by Lutheran priest Paul Einhorn in 1649.Historia Lettica was published in Königsberg in 1649 in German language....
". Under Duke Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler was a Baltic German Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia . Under his rule, the duchy was brought to its greatest peak in wealth and engaged in colonization.- Life :...
(1642–1681), Liepāja became one of the main ports of Courland as it reached the height of its prosperity. In 1637 Courland colonization
Courland colonization
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a vassal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, being small but wealthy took a modest part in European colonialism, in West Africa and the Caribbean.- History :...
was started from the ports of Liepāja and Ventspils
Ventspils
Ventspils is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Courland historical region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. As of 2006, Ventspils had a population of 43,806. Ventspils is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port...
. Jacob was an eager proponent of mercantilist ideas. Metalworking and ship building became much more developed and trading relations developed not only with nearby countries, but also with Britain, France, the Netherlands and Portugal. In 1697–1703 a canal was cut to the sea and a port was built. In 1701, during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
, Liepāja was captured by Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
, but the end of the war saw the city in Polish possession. In 1710 an epidemic of plague killed about a third of the population of Liepāja. In 1780 the first Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
lodge "Libanons" was set up in the port of Liepāja by Provincial Grandmaster Ivan Yelagin
Ivan Yelagin
Ivan Perfilievich Yelagin was an amateur poet and translator who acted as unofficial secretary to Catherine the Great in the early years of her reign....
on behalf of the Provincial Lodge of Russia and was registered with a number 524 in the Grand Lodge of England.
Russian Empire
Courland passed to the control of the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1795 during the third Partition of Poland and became the Courland Governorate
Courland Governorate
Courland Governorate, also known as the Province of Courland, Governorate of Kurland , and Government of Courland , was one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, that is now part of the Republic of Latvia....
of Russia. Growth during the nineteenth century was rapid. During the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
when the Royal Navy was blockading Russian Baltic ports, the busy yet still unfortified port of Liepāja was briefly captured on 17 May 1854 without a shot being fired, by a landing party of 110 men from HMS Conflict and HMS Amphion. In 1857 the engineer Jan Heidatel
Jan Heidatel
Jan Rotwill Heidatel was a famous Russian engineer, general-mayor, Candidate of Philosophy, head of Liepāja port.Heidatel was born to a French father and Polish mother...
developed a project to reconstruct the port of Liepāja. In 1861–1868 the project was realized – including the building of a lighthouse and breakwaters. Between 1877–1882 the political and literary weekly newspaper Liepājas Pastnieks was published – the first Latvian language
Latvian language
Latvian is the official state language of Latvia. It is also sometimes referred to as Lettish. There are about 1.4 million native Latvian speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad. The Latvian language has a relatively large number of non-native speakers, atypical for a small language...
newspaper in Liepāja. In the 1870s the rapid development of Russian railways, the 1871 opening of the Libava-Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
and the 1876 Liepāja-Romny
Romny
Romny is a city in the northern Ukrainian Oblast of Sumy. It is located on the Romen River and is the administrative center of the Romny Raion...
railways ensured that a large proportion of central Russian trade passed through Liepāja. By 1900, 7% of Russian exports were passing through Liepāja. The city became a major port of the Russian Empire on the Baltic Sea, as well as a popular resort. On the orders of Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
Liepāja was fortified against possible German attacks. The Libava fortress was subsequently built around the city, and in the early 20th century a major military base was established on the northern edge, including formidable coastal fortifications and extensive quarters for military personnel. As part of the military development a separate military port was excavated. This area became known as Kara Osta
Karosta
Karosta is a neighbourhood in the north of Liepāja in western Latvia by the Baltic sea.Karosta was constructed in 1890-1906 as a naval base for the Russian Tsar Alexander III, and later served as a base for the Soviet Baltic Fleet...
(War Port) and served military needs throughout the twentieth century. Early in the twentieth century the port of Liepāja became a central point of embarkation for immigrants traveling to the United States. By 1906 the direct service to the United States was used by 40,000 migrants per year. Simultaneously, the first Russian training detachment of submarine navigation was founded. In 1912 one of the first water aerodromes in Russia was opened in Liepāja. By 1913, 1738 ships entered Libava with 1,548,119 tones of cargo passing through the port. The population had increased from 10,000 to over 100,000 within about 60 years.
World War I
During World War I, German dirigibles bombed Liepāja in January, 1915. Liepāja was occupied by the German armyGerman Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
on 7 May 1915; in memory of this event, a monument was constructed on Kūrmājas prospect in 1916 (destroyed in 1919). On 23 October 1915, the German cruiser was sunk by the British submarine , 37 kilometers west of Liepāja. In 1915, Liepāja's local government issued its own money – Libava rubles.
During the war, the words of The Jäger March
The Jäger March
The Jäger March Op. 91a was composed by Jean Sibelius in 1917 to the words written by the Finnish Jäger, Hilfsgruppenführer Heikki Nurmio who served in Libau, in the Royal Prussian 27th Jäger Battalion of the Imperial German Army. This unit was fighting against the Russian Empire, of which the...
were written in Liepāja by Heikki Nurmio
Heikki Nurmio
Heikki Nurmio - Finnish jäger and writer. He is remembered for writing the lyrics for "Jääkärien marssi" composed by Jean Sibelius in 1917....
.
1918–1940
After the war, when the independent state of Latvia was founded, Liepāja became the de facto capital of Latvia for six months when the interim government of Latvia, headed by Kārlis UlmanisKarlis Ulmanis
Kārlis Augusts Vilhelms Ulmanis was a prominent Latvian politician in pre-World War II Latvia during the Latvian period of independence from 1918 to 1940.- Education and early career :Ulmanis studied agriculture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and...
, fled from Riga on a ship "Saratov". In 1918 Libava was renamed Liepāja. In 1935 KOD started to manufacture the light aircraft KOD-1 and KOD-2.
World War II
The ports and human capitalHuman capital
Human capitalis the stock of competencies, knowledge and personality attributes embodied in the ability to perform labor so as to produce economic value. It is the attributes gained by a worker through education and experience...
of Liepāja and Ventspils were targets of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and part of the reason for the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and signed in Moscow in the late hours of 23 August 1939...
. In 1940 upon annexation by the Soviet Union, private property was nationalized and many thousands of former owners were arrested and deported to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
; and thousands also fled to North America, Australia and western Europe. In 1941 Liepāja was among the first cities captured by the 291st Division of Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
after Nazi Germany began the war with the Soviet Union. The local Jewish population, which had numbered about 7,000 before the war, was virtually exterminated by German Nazis and Latvian collaborators. Most of these mass murders took place in the dunes of Šķēde
Škede
Šķēde is a suburban settlement near Liepāja, Latvia, in Medze parish. It is located on the north border of the city. Šķēde was the biggest dacha cooperative in Latvia in the times of Latvian SSR. One of the Šķēde's notable features are street names, which are called "lines" and numbered from 1 to...
north of the city. Fewer than 30 Jews remained alive in Liepāja by the end of the war. Film footage of an Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen were SS paramilitary death squads that were responsible for mass killings, typically by shooting, of Jews in particular, but also significant numbers of other population groups and political categories...
execution of local Jews was taken in Liepāja. During the period 1944–1945 Liepāja was within the "Courland Pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
" and was only recaptured by the Soviet army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
on 9 May 1945. World War II devastated the city, most of the buildings and industrial plant were destroyed.
Latvian SSR
On 25–29 March 1949, a second mass deportationDeportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
to Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
occurred from Liepāja. In 1950 the monument to Stalin was erected on Station square but was dismantled in 1958. During 1953–1957 the city center was reconstructed under the direction of architects A. Kruglov and M. Žagare. In 1952–1955 the Liepāja Academy of Pedagogy building was constructed under the direction of A. Aivars. In 1960 the Kurzeme shopping centre was opened. During the Soviet occupation
Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940
The Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940 refers, according to the European Court of Human Rights, the Government of Latvia, the State Department of the United States of America, and the European Union, to the military occupation of the Republic of Latvia by the Soviet Union ostensibly under the...
, Liepāja was a closed city
Closed city
A closed city or closed town is a settlement with travel and residency restrictions in the Soviet Union and some of its successor countries. In modern Russia, such places are officially known as "closed administrative-territorial formations" ....
and even nearby farmers and villagers needed a special permit to enter it. The Soviet military set up its Baltic naval base and nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
warehouses there; The Beberliņš sandpit
Sandpit
A sandpit or sandbox is a low, wide container or shallow depression filled with sand in which children can play. Many homeowners with children build sandpits in their backyards because, unlike much playground equipment, they can be easily and cheaply constructed...
was dug out to extract sand used for constructing underground warehouses. The port was completely closed to commercial traffic in 1967. One third of the city was taken up with a Soviet naval base with 26 thousand military staff. In Liepāja the 14th Submarine Squadron of the USSR's Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
was stationed with 16 submarines (Types: 613
Whiskey class submarine
Whiskey-class submarines are a class of naval submarines that the Soviet Union built in the early Cold War period.-Design:...
, 629a
Golf class submarine
Project 629, also known by the NATO reporting name of Golf class, were diesel electric ballistic missile submarines of the Soviet Navy. They were designed after six Zulu class submarines were successfully modified to carry and launch Scud missiles...
, 651
Juliett class submarine
The Project 651, known in the West by its NATO reporting name Juliett class, was a class of Soviet diesel-electric submarines armed with cruise missiles. They were designed in the late 1950s to provide the Soviet Navy with a nuclear strike capability against targets along the east coast of the...
); as was the 6th group of Rear Supply of the Baltic Fleet, and the 81st Design Bureau and Reserve Command Center of the same force. In 1971 the script of one of the most popular Soviet comedies, Gentlemen of Fortune
Gentlemen of Fortune
Gentlemen of Fortune is a Soviet comedy, filmed at Mosfilm. The stars of the film include famous Soviet actors such as Savely Kramarov, Yevgeny Leonov, Georgy Vitsin, and Radner Muratov....
, was written in Liepāja by Georgi Daneliya
Georgi Daneliya
Georgi Daneliya is a Soviet/Georgian/Russian film director, who became known throughout the Soviet Union for his "sad comedies" .Daneliya graduated from the Moscow Architecture Institute and worked as an architect...
. In 1977, Liepāja was awarded the Order of the October Revolution
Order of the October Revolution
The Order of the October Revolution was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was awarded to individuals or groups for services furthering communism or the state, or in enhancing the defenses of the Soviet Union, military and civil...
for heroic defense against Nazi Germany in 1941. In Liepāja 5 people were awarded the honorary title Hero of Socialist Labor
Hero of Socialist Labor
Hero of Socialist Labour was an honorary title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries. It was the highest degree of distinction for exceptional achievements in national economy and culture...
– Anatolijs Filatkins, Artūrs Fridrihsons, Voldemārs Lazdups, Valentins Šuvajevs and Otīlija Žagata. Because of the rapid growth of the city's population, a shortage of apartment houses became an issue. To resolve this, most of the modern Liepāja districts – Dienvidrietumi
Dienvidrietumi (Liepaja)
Dienvidrietumi or Southwestern is one of the prestigious and modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. It is located near the southern border of the city, on the coast of the Baltic Sea.Most of the neighbourhood's blocks were built in the 1960s....
, Ezerkrasts
Ezerkrasts
Ezerkrasts is one of the largest and most modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. It is located near the southern border of the city, on the western coast of Liepāja lake. Ezerkrasts named so after the naming contest in 1975, in which this name was selected from 108 other variants.Ezerkrasts...
, Ziemeļu priekšpilsēta
Ziemelu priekšpilseta (Liepaja)
Ziemeļu priekšpilsēta is a modern neighborhood in Liepāja, Latvia. Located south from Karosta next to Jaunliepāja. In the recent years there has been a high crime rate and it is considered as an unsafe neighborhood....
, Zaļā birze
Zala birze
Zaļa birze is one of the modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. Located at the north-eastern part of the city. In Zaļa birze is located Liepāja Central Hospital and Liepāja Business Center....
and Tosmare
Tosmare
Tosmare is a district north of Liepāja, Latvia near the Karosta and lake "Tosmare".Tosmare is well known mostly because of its shipyard "Tosmare", currently owned by Rigas Kugubuvetava.-Notable residents:...
– were built. The majority of these blocks were constructed of ferro-concrete panels in standard projects designed by the state Latgyprogorstroy
Latgyprogorstroy
Institute "Latgyprogorstoy" - was a main institute of designing apartment houses in Latvian SSR.Full name of the institute was Latvian state institute of designing state construction . Founded in 1951, the institute took part in construction of the most modern Riga, Liepāja and Daugavpils...
Institute . In 1986 the new central city hospital in Zaļa birze
Zala birze
Zaļa birze is one of the modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. Located at the north-eastern part of the city. In Zaļa birze is located Liepāja Central Hospital and Liepāja Business Center....
was opened. In 1979 a part of the film Moonzund
Moonzund (film)
Moonzund is a 1987 Soviet war film by Aleksandr Muratov based on a novel with the same name by Valentin Pikul. The film's name is derived from the old name of West Estonian archipelago where the Battle of Moon Sound took place during World War I.- Cast :...
was filmed in the town.
1990–present
After Latvia regained independence, Liepāja has worked hard to change from a military city into a modern port city (now marked on European maps after the secrecy of the Soviet period). The commercial port was re-opened in 1991, and in 1994 the last Russian troops left Liepāja. Since then, Liepāja has engaged in international co-operation, has been associated with 10 twin and partner cities and is an active partner in several co-operation networks. Facilities are being improved as the city hosts Latvia's largest naval flotilla, the largest warehouses of ammunitionAmmunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
and weapons in the Baltic states, and the main supply centre of the Latvian army. At the beginning of the 21st century many ambitious construction projects were planned for the city, including building the NATO military base, the biggest amusement park in the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
– Baltic Sea Park – and a modern concert hall, "Lielais Dzintars"; but most of these projects have not been realised due to economic and political factors. On the other hand, some of the earlier planned projects were completed. Liepāja's heating network was renovated in cooperation with French company Dalkia
Veolia Energy-Dalkia
Dalkia is an energy service company that offers management and maintenance services to operators of industrial production sites, public utilities, offices and hospitals....
and Russian company Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
. In 2008 the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia decided to build the coal cogeneration
Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of a heat engine or a power station to simultaneously generate both electricity and useful heat....
400 MW power plant near Liepāja. In 2006, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
, a direct descendant of Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler
Jacob Kettler was a Baltic German Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia . Under his rule, the duchy was brought to its greatest peak in wealth and engaged in colonization.- Life :...
visited Liepāja.
Climate
Liepāja is located in a zone with a temperate marine climate. The major factor influencing the weather in the region is the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, providing a mild winter and a cool summer. During the winter the sea around Liepāja is virtually ice-free. Although occasionally some land-fast ice may develop, it seldom reaches a hundred meters from the shore and does not last long before melting. The sea warms up fully only in the beginning of August, so the best bathing season in Liepāja is from August to September. Regular meteorological observations in the city have been conducted from 1857.
- Average temperatures:
- February: -3.1 °C
- July: 16 °C (61 °F)
- Absolute minimum of temperature: -33 °C
- Absolute maximum of temperature: 34 °C (93 °F)
- Number of sunny days per year: 196
- Average speed of wind: 5.8 m/sMetre per secondMetre per second is an SI derived unit of both speed and velocity , defined by distance in metres divided by time in seconds....
(13 mph) - Average annual norm of precipitation (mostly rain): 692 mm (27.2 in)
- Typical wind directions: in the winter – southern, in the summer – western.
Geography
Liepāja is situated on the coast of the Baltic SeaBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
in the south-western part of Latvia. The westernmost geographical point of Latvia is located approximately 15 kilometers to the south thus making Liepāja Latvia's furthest west city. Liepāja is situated between the Baltic Sea and Liepāja Lake
Liepaja lake
Lake of Liepāja — the fifth-largest lake in Latvia, located near Liepāja in Liepāja district.Total area of the lake - 37,15 km2, length - 16.2 km, average depth - 2.0 m, coastal line length - 44.6 km....
with residential and industrial areas spreading north of the lake. The Trade Channel connects the lake to the sea dividing the city into southern and northern parts, which are often referred to as the Old Town and the New Town respectively. The city center is located in the southern part and, although called the Old Town, is relatively more developed. Most of the administrative and cultural buildings are found here as well as the main leisure areas. Along the coast the city extends northwards until it reaches the Tosmare
Tosmare
Tosmare is a district north of Liepāja, Latvia near the Karosta and lake "Tosmare".Tosmare is well known mostly because of its shipyard "Tosmare", currently owned by Rigas Kugubuvetava.-Notable residents:...
Channel . North of the Tosmare Channel is an area called Karosta
Karosta
Karosta is a neighbourhood in the north of Liepāja in western Latvia by the Baltic sea.Karosta was constructed in 1890-1906 as a naval base for the Russian Tsar Alexander III, and later served as a base for the Soviet Baltic Fleet...
which is now fully integrated into Liepāja and is the northernmost district of the city. Liepāja's coastline consists of an unbroken sandy beach and dunes as does most of Latvia's coastline. The beach of Liepāja is not as exploited as other places (e.g. the Gulf of Riga
Gulf of Riga
The Gulf of Riga, or Bay of Riga, is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. According to C.Michael Hogan, a saline stratification layer is found at a depth of approximately seventy metres....
, Jūrmala
Jurmala
Jūrmala is a city in Latvia, about 25 kilometers west of Riga. Jūrmala is a resort town stretching and sandwiched between the Gulf of Riga and the Lielupe River...
and Pärnu
Pärnu
Pärnu is a city in southwestern Estonia on the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is a popular summer vacation resort with many hotels, restaurants, and large beaches. The Pärnu River flows through the city and drains into the Gulf of Riga...
in Estonia) but also lacks the tourist infrastructure needed for a fashionable, modern resort.
Jūrmala Park
Jūrmala Park (Seaside Park) is located in the western part of the city at the seaside. The park is 3 km long with a total area of 70 ha and is one of the largest planted parks in Latvia. It was developed at the end of the 19th centuryAt the end of Peldu Street are Latvia's largest drums – one of the objects of Liepāja's environmental design which reminds one that Liepāja is the music capital of Latvia.
The open-air concert stage Pūt, vējiņi! (Blow, wind, blow!) was built in 1964. It has been the venue for a good many concerts and festivals, with the festival "Liepājas Dzintars" ("Amber of Liepāja") being the most famous among them, as it could be regarded as the oldest rock festival of the former Soviet Union. It was held for the first time in 1968.
Alongside the stage is an interesting building, the former Bath House built in 1902 and designed by Max Paul Bertschy. At the beginning of the 19th century Liepāja was a renowned health resort and the Russian tsar and his family had been visiting Liepāja. This all encouraged other aristocrats from Russia and Europe to spend their summers in Liepāja as well.
Libava fortress
In the beginning of the 20th century, Libava fortress was the most expensive and ambiguous project of the Russian armyImperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
on the Baltic sea. The massive concrete fortifications with eight cannon batteries was built to protect the city and its population from German attacks. Secret underground passages of the fortress became the most famous Liepāja's urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
. Nowadays the ruins of the fortress are the popular place for playing paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
.
Districts
- Vecliepāja
VecliepajaVecliepāja is the largest and oldest district in Liepāja, Latvia....- Ezerkrasts
EzerkrastsEzerkrasts is one of the largest and most modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. It is located near the southern border of the city, on the western coast of Liepāja lake. Ezerkrasts named so after the naming contest in 1975, in which this name was selected from 108 other variants.Ezerkrasts...- Dienvidrietumu rajons
- Ziemeļu priekšpilsēta
Ziemelu priekšpilseta (Liepaja)Ziemeļu priekšpilsēta is a modern neighborhood in Liepāja, Latvia. Located south from Karosta next to Jaunliepāja. In the recent years there has been a high crime rate and it is considered as an unsafe neighborhood....- Jaunliepāja
- Velnciems
VelnciemsVelnciems is one of the oldest districts of Liepāja, Latvia. Located near Lauma's district, at the east side of the city....- Karosta
KarostaKarosta is a neighbourhood in the north of Liepāja in western Latvia by the Baltic sea.Karosta was constructed in 1890-1906 as a naval base for the Russian Tsar Alexander III, and later served as a base for the Soviet Baltic Fleet...- Tosmare
TosmareTosmare is a district north of Liepāja, Latvia near the Karosta and lake "Tosmare".Tosmare is well known mostly because of its shipyard "Tosmare", currently owned by Rigas Kugubuvetava.-Notable residents:...- Zaļā birze
Zala birzeZaļa birze is one of the modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. Located at the north-eastern part of the city. In Zaļa birze is located Liepāja Central Hospital and Liepāja Business Center....- Jauna pasaule
Jauna Pasaule (Liepaja)Jauna Pasaule is the smallest and least known district of Liepāja, Latvia. Located near the east border of the city....- Sestā grupa
Sesta grupa (Liepaja)Sestā grupa is the most northern district of Liepāja, located near Karosta and Tosmare. On the present territory of the district in the second half of 20th century was located USSR military warehouses - sixth group of rear supply of Baltic Fleet, which gives the name to this area of the city...
Suburban settlements
- Aucugals
- Grīnvalti
GrinvaltiGrīnvalti is a village in the Nīca parish of Liepāja District, Latvia. Grīnvalti is located on the narrow strip of the land between the Baltic Sea and Liepāja lake, near the southern border of Liepāja. Through it passes bus route Nr. 2092 . Grīnvalti mostly known because near it in the times of...- Cenkone
- Pērkone
PerkonePērkone is a small suburban settlement in Nīca parish, near the south border of Liepāja, Latvia. Near Pērkone is located Reiņu forest , the one of the closest to Liepāja forests....- Cimdenieki
CimdeniekiCimdenieki is a small suburban settlement in Grobiņa parish near Liepāja, Latvia. The river Ālande flows through Cimdenieki.Cimdenieki is mostly known for its proximity to Liepāja International Airport.- References :...- Kapsēde
- Šķēde
ŠkedeŠķēde is a suburban settlement near Liepāja, Latvia, in Medze parish. It is located on the north border of the city. Šķēde was the biggest dacha cooperative in Latvia in the times of Latvian SSR. One of the Šķēde's notable features are street names, which are called "lines" and numbered from 1 to...- Jēči
Closest cities
The closest city to Liepāja is GrobiņaGrobinaGrobiņa is a town in western Latvia, eleven kilometers east of Liepāja. It was founded by the Teutonic Knights in the 13th century. Some ruins of their Grobina castle are still visible. The town was given its charter in 1695....
located about 10 km away towards RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. Other main cities in the region are KlaipėdaKlaipedaKlaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
(approx. 110 km to the south), VentspilsVentspilsVentspils is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Courland historical region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. As of 2006, Ventspils had a population of 43,806. Ventspils is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port...
(approx. 115 km to the north) and SaldusSaldusSaldus is a Latvian town located in Courland and is main town in Saldus District. As of 2005, the town has a population of 12,707.The year 1856 is considered as foundation of Saldus town when the board of Domens' decided to establish a trade center...
(approx. 100 km to the east). The distance to Riga (the capital of Latvia) is about 200 km to the east. The nearest point to Liepāja across the Baltic sea is the SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
island of GotlandGotlandGotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
approximately 160 km to the north-west. The distance to StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
is 216 nautical mileNautical mileThe nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s.
Architecture and sightseeing
Liepāja is rich in different architecture styles: wooden houses, Art NouveauArt NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
buildings, Soviet-era apartments and a number of green parks all contribute to the character of the city. The main areas of interest for tourists include the city center with its many churches, the Seaside park with white sandy beaches and the northern suburb of KarostaKarostaKarosta is a neighbourhood in the north of Liepāja in western Latvia by the Baltic sea.Karosta was constructed in 1890-1906 as a naval base for the Russian Tsar Alexander III, and later served as a base for the Soviet Baltic Fleet...
, a former secret military encampment which is now a major tourist attraction. Other areas of interest for tourists are VecliepājaVecliepajaVecliepāja is the largest and oldest district in Liepāja, Latvia....
; EzerkrastsEzerkrastsEzerkrasts is one of the largest and most modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. It is located near the southern border of the city, on the western coast of Liepāja lake. Ezerkrasts named so after the naming contest in 1975, in which this name was selected from 108 other variants.Ezerkrasts...
, which is close to Liepāja lake; and the Karosta beaches with their picturesque blasted forts.
Monuments and Memorials
- Monument to the sailors and fishermen lost at sea
Monument to the sailors and fishermen perished in the sea (Liepaja)Monument to the sailors and fishermen lost at sea is a notable modern monument and sightseeing place in Liepāja, Latvia.The monument was built in 1977 by architect Gunārs Asaris and sculptor Alberts Terpilovskis with a funding from LBORF and the fishing kolhoz Boļševiks...
– 1977- Monument to the Defenders of Liepāja in 1941–1960
- Monument to 1919 Freedom Fighters
- Monument to Mirdza Ķempe
Mirdza KempeMirdza Ķempe was a noted Latvian poet and translator.Mirdza Ķempe was born into a working class family in Liepāja, Latvia. From 1914 to 1926 she lived in Tosmare at Ģen. Baloža st., 47; later she and her family lived at Bernatu st., 41 in Liepāja. In 1915-1919 she studied at the 1st Liepāja...
– 1989- Monument to Ēvalds Rimbenieks – 2008
- Memorial wall in Zaļa birze
Zala birzeZaļa birze is one of the modern neighbourhoods of Liepāja, Latvia. Located at the north-eastern part of the city. In Zaļa birze is located Liepāja Central Hospital and Liepāja Business Center....- Monument to Yanis Sudmalis
- Nikolay Dedaev Monument
- Statue of Hermes
HermesHermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
(Liela 10)- 1 Rock Café Guitar
- The Amber clock
Former monuments
- Monument to Imants Sudmalis
Imants SudmalisImants Sudmalis was a Latvian historian and later Soviet communist and partisan, the Hero of the Soviet Union ....
– 1978 (partially dismantled and relocated)- Monument to Lenin
Vladimir LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
– 1970 (dismantled)- Monument to Nelson Stepanyan
Nelson StepanyanNelson Gevorgi Stepanyan was a Soviet Armenian dive bomber pilot during the second World War in the Red Air Force. He was twice awarded with the military title of the Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest title in the former USSR.-Education:...
(relocated to KaliningradKaliningradKaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
)- Monument to the 11 sailors of Soviet submarine L-3
Soviet submarine L-3The World War II Soviet submarine L-3 belonged to the L-class or Leninets class of minelayer submarines. It had been named Bolshevik and later Frunzenets, before it was decided that submarines should stop having names and carry numbers instead....
(relocated to Moscow)
Museums
- The Liepāja Museum
Liepaja MuseumLiepāja Museum is the largest museum in the historical region of Courland, Latvia and possesses over 100 000 articles, but in the halls of the museum you can see 1500 exhibits. Permanent displays tell of Liepāja’s history, starting from its early days and of the ethnography of South Kurzeme...- Department of Liepaja Museum "Liepaja during the occupational regimes"
- Museum "History of Liepāja Community of Jews"
- Museum "Liepājas Metalurgs" (founded in 2007)
- Museum "Karosta Prison"
Churches
- St. Anna's Lutheran Church (1587)
- Liepāja Holy Trinity Lutheran Cathedral (1758)
- St. Joseph's Catholic Cathedral (1762)
- Holy Trinity Orthodox Church (1867)
- St. Nicholas Orthodox Naval Cathedral (1901–1903)
- St. Meinhard
Saint MeinhardSaint Meinhard was a German canon regular and the first Bishop of Livonia. His life was described in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia. His body rests in the now-Lutheran Riga Cathedral....
's church
Notable buildings
- Rose square
- Swan Pond (remnant of river Līva)
- Hotel "Libava"
- Peter The Great house – the oldest house in Liepāja
- Graudu 45 – Graudu nams (Jugendstil
Art NouveauArt Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
)- Graudu 42 – former "Bonic Café"
- Pētertirgus – Central market
- Liepājas teatris
- City council building – former District court
- Restaurant "Vecais Kapteins"
- University of Liepāja building
- 1st Latvian Rock Café
Transport
The urban transport network of Liepāja relies mainly on buses and minicoachesMinibusA minibus or minicoach is a passenger carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, the word "minibus" is used to describe any full-sized passenger carrying van. Minibuses have a...
. As of 2009 there are 12 bus routes and 5 minibus routes in Liepāja. The city also has a single two-way 6.9 km long tram line running through some parts of the city from north-east to south-west, which also provides a vital transport link. The tram line was founded after the opening of the first Liepāja power plant in 1899, which makes it the oldest electric tram line in the Baltic states; it is now operated by the municipal company Liepājas tramvajsLiepajas tramvajsLiepājas tramvajs is a municipal company that operates a single tram line in Liepāja, Latvia. As of 2007 the company owns 17 Tatra KT4 trams, of which only seven are actively used for passenger transportation.- 1899 :...
. The Port of Liepāja has a wide water area and consists of three main parts. The Winter harbor is located in the Trade channel and serves small local fishing vessels as well as medium cargo ships. Immediately north of the Trade channel is the main area of the port, separated from the open sea by a line of breakwaterBreakwater (structure)Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
s. This part of the port can accommodate large ships and ferries. Further north is Tosmare harbor, also called Tosmare channel, which was formerly a military harbor but is now used for ship repairs and other commercial purposes. Liepāja also welcomes yachtYachtA yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
s and other leisure vessels which can enter the Trade channel and moor almost in the center of the city. Liepāja has a railway connection to JelgavaJelgava-Sports:The city's main football team, FK Jelgava, plays in the Latvian Higher League and won the 2009/2010 Latvian Football Cup.- Notable people :*August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein - linguist, folklorist, ethnographer...
and RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and through them to the rest of Latvia's railway network. There is just one passenger station in the New town, but the railway extends further and links to the port. There is also a northward railway track leading to VentspilsVentspilsVentspils is a city in northwestern Latvia in the Courland historical region of Latvia, the sixth largest city in the country. As of 2006, Ventspils had a population of 43,806. Ventspils is situated on the Venta River and the Baltic Sea, and has an ice-free port...
, but in recent decades it has fallen into disuse for economic reasons. The railway provides the main means of delivering cargo to the port. Two main highways, the A9 and A11, connect the city and its port to the rest of the country. The A9 leads north-west towards RigaRigaRiga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
and central Latvia and the A11 leads south to the border with LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and its only port KlaipėdaKlaipedaKlaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
and to Palanga International AirportPalanga International AirportPalanga International Airport is an international airport located in the western part of Lithuania near the Baltic Sea. The airport focuses on servicing short and mid-range routes. The facility expansion completed in 2007 has made long-range route servicing a possibility. Since 1993, the number of...
. The city also hosts Liepāja International AirportLiepaja International AirportLiepāja International Airport is a regional airport in western Latvia which is certified for international air traffic. Together with Riga International Airport and Ventspils Airport this airport is one of the three notable airports in Latvia....
, one of three international airports in Latvia; it is located outside the city limits, north of the Lake of Liepāja near CimdeniekiCimdeniekiCimdenieki is a small suburban settlement in Grobiņa parish near Liepāja, Latvia. The river Ālande flows through Cimdenieki.Cimdenieki is mostly known for its proximity to Liepāja International Airport.- References :...
. Only charter races are available from the Liepāja airport.
Communications
Communication systems in Liepāja are well-developed. The city is connected to the global Internet by three optical lines owned by LattelecomLattelecomLattelecom is a Latvian internet service provider and telecommunications company.The Lattelecom group provides IT, telecommunication and outsourced business process solutions that are provided by all of the companies of the group...
, TeliaSonera International CarrierTeliaSonera International CarrierTeliaSonera International Carrier is a global provider of cross-border and domestic communication services. It is wholly owned by the TeliaSonera Group, the largest telecommunications group in the Nordic and Baltic regions...
and LatvenergoLatvenergoLatvenergo is a state-owned energy company in Latvia. The company generates about 70% of the country's electricity.Latvenergo has three hydroelectric power plants, Pļaviņu HES, Rīgas HES and Ķeguma HES-2, with a total installed capacity of 1,463 MWe, two combined heat power plants with electricity...
and a radio relay line owned by LVRTC. There are four Lattelecom telephone exchanges and the LVRTC TV station and tower, which transmits four national TV channels, one local TV channel "TV Dzintare" and six radio stations. It has two local cable TV operators with a total number of subscribers about 15000 and three local ISPs. The city also has its own amateur radioAmateur radioAmateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
community and a city-wide wireless video monitoring system. As of 2010, digital terrestrial television is fully operational; mobile television and broadband wireless networks are ready for implementation. All four Latvian mobile operators have stable zones of coverage (GSM 900/1800, UMTS 2100 CDMA450Code division multiple accessCode division multiple access is a channel access method used by various radio communication technologies. It should not be confused with the mobile phone standards called cdmaOne, CDMA2000 and WCDMA , which are often referred to as simply CDMA, and use CDMA as an underlying channel access...
) and client service centers in Liepāja. The city also has fourteen post offices as well as DHLDHL ExpressDHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
, UPSUnited Parcel ServiceUnited Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
and DPDDeutscher Paket DienstDPD is a German parcel delivery company. It has more than 500 depots in more than 40 countries. The company was founded in 1977 in Aschaffenburg. In its first year of operation, over 1.4 million parcels were shipped - by 1980 this figure had risen to 7 million...
depots.
Economy
In the second half of 20th century under Soviet rule Liepāja became an industrial city and a large number of high technology plants were founded, including:
- Mashzavod
- Liepajselmash – 1954 (now Hidrolats)
- Sarkanais Metalurgs (now Liepājas Metalurgs)
- SRZ-29 (now Tosmares kuģu būvētava)
- LBORF – 1964
- Bolshevik – 1949 (now Kursa)
- Perambulator factory "Liepāja"
- Mixed fodder plant
- Sugar plant
- Match factory "Baltija" – 1957
- Ferro-concrete constructions plant – 1959
- Oil extraction plant
- SU-426 of BMGS (now BMGS)
- Lauma – 1972
- Linoleum plant
- Shoes factory
After collapse of USSR's centrally planned economyEconomy of the Soviet UnionThe economy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was based on a system of state ownership of the means of production, collective farming, industrial manufacturing and centralized administrative planning...
, only a small number of these plants continue to operate.
Within Latvia Liepāja is well known mostly by coffee brand Liepājas kafija, beer Līvu alus and sugar Liepājas cukurs.
In 1997 the Liepaja Special Economic ZoneLiepaja Special Economic ZoneLiepāja Special Economic Zone - is a zone in Liepāja, Latvia with a lowered tax rates, compared to the rest of the territory of Latvia. Liepāja Special Economic zone was established in 1997 for a 20-year period with the aim of developing trade, industry, shipping and air traffic, as well as...
was established for 20 years providing a low tax environment in order to attract foreign investments and facilitate the economic development of Liepāja, but investment growth remained slow due to a shortage of skilled labor force. The main industries in Liepāja are the steel producer Liepājas Metalurgs, building firm UPB and the underwear brand Lauma. The economy of Liepāja relies heavily on its port which accepts a wide range of cargo. The most notable companies working in Liepaja's port are Baltic Transshipment Center, Liepajas Osta LM, Laskana, Astramar and Terrabalt. After joining European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
in 2004, most Liepāja companies was faced with strict European rules and terse competition and was forced to stop production or to sell enterprises to European companies. In 2007 were closed Liepājas cukurfabrika and Liepājas sērkociņi; Līvu alus, Liepājas maiznieks and Lauma has been sold to European investors.
Literature, theater and films
Liepāja currently has one cinema, one theater ("Liepājas teatris"), one puppet theater, and two regional newspapers ("Kurzemes Vārds" with a circulation of about 10,000 and "Kursas Laiks" with a circulation of about 6,500). The city also has several regional Internet portalsWeb portalA web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
. Web forums, blogs, computer games and social networking sites are very popular among young people.
Music
Liepaja is often called the capital of Latvian rock music. Many famous composers and bands have been inspired by Liepaja, including LīviLiviLīvi is a Latvian hard rock band, that was influential in forming the Latvian rock music culture. Their signatures are poetic lyrics and guitar solos....
, Credo, 2xBBM and Tumsa. In the very heart of Liepaja you can find the 1st Latvian Rock Café and Latvian Musician's Walk of Fame. The city features the regionally acclaimed annual music festival Liepājas Dzintars presenting bands from Baltic statesBaltic statesThe term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
as well as internationally famous guests. The city is also a place of the annual Baltic Beach Party which features a stage for rock bands raised directly on the beach and draws thousands of fans each year. Liepāja is also a place of Organ Music festivalPipe organThe pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
and Piano Stars festival, being organized by one of the country's two State Orchestras, Liepaja Symphony OrchestraLiepaja Symphony OrchestraLiepāja Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra located in Liepāja, Latvia. The groups is among the oldest orchestras in the Baltic States, and was begun at the same time as the first Philharmonic in the Baltic in 1883....
.
Sport
In 1998 an ice hall was built in the city which has since hosted regular ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
games including two youth World championshipIce Hockey World ChampionshipsThe Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
games. In the Liepāja also located Daugava StadiumDaugava Stadium (Liepaja)Daugava Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Liepāja, Latvia. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FHK Liepājas Metalurgs. The stadium holds 5,083 people, and hosted the Baltic Cup 1992....
and Olimpija Stadium – the home stadiums of FHK Liepājas MetalurgsFHK Liepajas MetalurgsFK Liepājas Metalurgs is a Latvian football club, based in the city of Liepāja and playing in the Virslīga. They play at the Daugava Stadium...
and tennis courts. On 2 August 2008 a new multifunctional sport center was officially openned. The city is also a place of international rally Kurzeme and chess tournament Liepājas RokādeLiepājas RokādeLiepājas rokāde - international "open" chess championship, annually held in Liepāja, Latvia. The tournament usually taking place in Liepāja Biedrības nams in August. The first Liepājas rokāde was held in 1994.- Rules :...
.
Tourism and entertainment
Liepāja encourages tourism the main attraction being pristine Blue Flag beachBlue Flag beachThe Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
with white sand and rolling dunes, but it also offers a number of historical sites including Protestant and orthodoxRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
churches and the ruins of military fortifications from the times of the Russian Empire. Another historical place is a surprisingly well preserved wooden hut, where the Russian tsarTsarTsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Peter the Great lived for some time while traveling through the area during the Grand Embassy in 1697.
Demographics
With 85,345 inhabitants in 2007, Liepāja is the third largest city in Latvia, though its population has been in decline since 1991. The most notable decrease in population was due to the withdrawal of Soviet army personnel and the emigration of many Russian speaking families to Russia in 1991–2000. Other causes include emigration to western European countries after Latvia joined the EU in 2004, and lower birth rates. Some have estimated that the population may fall by as much as 50% by 2050.
According to 2007 data, native Latvians make up 52.0% of the population of Liepāja (in comparison, the proportion of native Latvians nationwide is 59%). Russians constitute a considerable minority.
Year 1638 1800 1840 1881 1897 1907 1914 1921 1940 1950 1959 1970 1975 1989 1995 2000 2007 2011 Th. people 1.0 4.5 11.0 29.6 64.5 81.0 94.0 51.6 52.9 64.2 71.0 92.9 100.0 114.5 100.3 89.1 85.3 83.4
Religion
Liepāja has a number of churches, as might be expected in a city of its size. As elsewhere in central and western Latvia, Protestant churchesProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
– mostly Lutheran and BaptistBaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
– are predominant. The congregations of St. Anne church (Lutheran) and St. Paul church (Baptist) are among the best established. Owing to the regional importance of Liepāja during the last decades of the Russian Empire a number of Russian OrthodoxRussian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
churches were established in the city early in the twentieth century, and are still attended mainly by the Russian speaking population. Catholic faith is represented in Liepaja by a well established church, Catholic primary school and the Catholic centre established in a pavilion, which represented the VaticanHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in Expo 2000Expo 2000Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in HanoverHanoverHanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
and was transferred to Liepāja after the event. Several other Christian churches such as Old Ritualists, AdventistAdventistAdventism is a Christian movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening revival in the United States. The name refers to belief in the imminent Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It was started by William Miller, whose followers became known as Millerites...
, Pentecostal, Latter Day Saints and Jehovah's WitnessesJehovah's WitnessesJehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
are also represented in the city by single congregations.
Government
Fourteen deputies and a mayor make up the Liepāja City Council. City's voters select a new government every four years, in March. The Council selects from its members the Chairman of City Council (also called City Mayor), the First Vice Chairperson and a Vice Chairperson (Deputy Mayors) which are full time positions. City Council also appoints the members of four standing committees, which prepare issues to be discussed in the Council meetings: Finance Committee; City Economy and Development Committee; Social Affairs, Health Care, Education and Public Order Committee; Culture and Sports Committee. The City of Liepāja had an operating budget of LVLLatvian latsThe lats is the currency of Latvia. It is abbreviated as Ls. The lats is sub-divided into 100 santīmi ....
31 millions in 2006, more than half of which comes from income tax. Traditionally, political leanings in Liepāja have been right-wingRight-wing politicsIn politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
, although only about 70% of the population have voting rights. In recent years the Liepājas partija have dominated the polls.
Former city mayors
- Johanns Ruprehts (about 1631–1638) – the first city burgomaster
BurgomasterBurgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
Russian Empire
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
- Kārlis Gotlībs Sigismunds Ūlihs (1878–1880) – the first publicly elected city mayor
- Ādolfs fon Bagehūfilds (1882–1886)
- Hermanis Adolfi (1886–1902)
- Kristiāns Cinks (1902–1906) and (1908–1910)
- Viljams Dreiersdorfs (1906–1908)
- Alberts Volgemuts (1910–1914)
- Teodors Breikšs (1914–1915)
- Andrējs Bērziņš (1918–1919)
Independent Latvia
LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
(1918–1940)
- Ansis Buševics (19.01.1919–17 February 1921)
- Jēkabs Cincelis (02.1921–08.1921)
- Jānis Baumanis (Liepāja mayor) (29.08.1921–27 February 1922)
- Ēvalds Rimbenieks (1922–1928) and (1934–1940)
- Leo Lapa (1928–1934)
Soviet Union
- Biļēvičs (1940–1941)
- Miķelis Būka (1941) First Secretary
- Matīss Edžiņš (10.05.1945–05.10.1945)
- Rodions Ansons (05.10.1945–21 April 1950)
- Pēteris Ezeriņš (27.12.1950–18 June 1953)
- Voldemārs Lejiņš (1953–1956)
- Yuri Ruben (1960–1963) First Secretary
- Ž. Revenieks (1963–1966) First Secretary
- Kārlis Strautiņs (09.11.1965–09.1.1971)
- Janis Vagris (1967–1973) First Secretary
- Egils Ozols (19.03.1971–29 June 1977)
- Jānis Liepiņš (29.06.1977–07.03.1985)
- Alfrēds Drozda (1985–1990)
LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
(1990–present)
- Imants Vismins (1990–1994)
- Teodors Eniņš
Teodors EninšTeodors Eniņš — was a Latvian doctor, former mayor of Liepāja and former Minister of Welfare of Latvia. Awarded with the Order of the Three Stars of the III rate ....
(1994–1997)- Uldis Sesks
Uldis SesksUldis Sesks — a mayor of Liepāja, Latvia, businessman and former racer.He is also the Chairman of Board in Liepaja Special Economic Zone Authority, Chairman of Board in "Liepājas partija" and Liepaja Development Fund, member of Rotary Club. He studied in 6th Liepaja school...
(1997–present)
Education and Science
Liepāja has wide educational resources and long traditions of Soviet education, but most well educated young people leave the city because of a lack of high-technology and prospective firms and low wages. The city has 21 kindergartens, 8 Latvian schools, 5 Russian schools, 1 school with mixed language of education, 1 evening school, 2 music schools and two internat schools. Interest education for children and youth is available in 8 municipal institutions: Children and Youth Centre, Youth Centre, Centre for Young Technicians, Art and Creation Centre "Vaduguns", Complex Sport School, Gymnastics School, Tennis Sports School, Sports School "Daugava" (football, track-and-field athletics) and Basketball Sports School.
Higher and professional education in Liepāja represented by:
- University of Liepāja
- Riga Technical University
Riga Technical UniversityRiga Technical University is located in Riga, Latvia.- Riga Polytechnical Institute, 1862-1918 :...
Liepāja branch- Baltic Russian Institute
Baltic International AcademyThe Baltic International Academy is the largest non-government higher education establishment in the Baltic States and Eastern European countries...
Liepāja branch- School of Business Administration Turiba
School of Business Administration TuribaThe School of Business Administration Turiba is a business school in Latvia. It was founded in 1993.-External links:* - official site...
Liepāja branch- Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy Liepāja branch
- Liepāja Applied Art School
- Liepāja Marine College
- Liepaja Medical College
- Liepāja 48 College
- Liepāja 31 College
Liepāja Central Library has 6 branches and audio record library. Literature fund consists of about 460000 copies and online catalog. Average annual number of visitors – 25000.
- Percent of resident population with only primary education (2001) – 14%
- Percent of resident population with secondary education (2001) – 40%
- Percent of resident population with tertiary education (2001) – 9%
Notable natives
- Indriķis Šterns – historian
- Eugen Altschul – economist
- Teofils Biķis
Teofils BikisTeofils Biķis was a Latvian pianist.He was trained at the Moscow Conservatory under Lev Vlasenko, graduating in 1975. That same year he won the Vianna da Motta International Music Competition and was appointed a teacher at the Novosibirsk Conservatory. In 1989 he was promoted to the Latvian...
– pianist- Aron Boyarsky – economist
- Aleksandra Briede – sculptor
- Herberts Cukurs
Herberts CukursHerberts Cukurs was a Latvian aviator. He was a member of the notorious Arajs Kommando and was involved in murders of Latvian Jews as part of the Holocaust but he never stood trial. There are eyewitness accounts linking Cukurs to war crimes...
– aviator- Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler
Eliyahu Eliezer DesslerEliyahu Eliezer Dessler was an Orthodox rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and Jewish philosopher of the 20th century. He is known as mashgiach ruchani of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Israel and through collections of his writings published posthumously by his pupils.-Lithuania:Eliyahu Dessler Eliyahu Eliezer...
(1892–1953) – rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...- Reuven Dov Dessler
Reuven Dov DesslerReuven Dov Dessler was a rabbinic leader of the Musar movement and the director of the Kelm Talmud Torah from 1918 until 1931.He was born in 1863 in the city of Liepāja in Courland, Latvia. His parents were strong supporters of the Musar movement and especially of the efforts of Rabbi Simcha...
(1863–1935) – rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...- Alexander Faltin (1819–1899) – lawyer, politician
- Ivo Fomins and Tomass Kleins
Fomins & KleinsThe Latvian rock band Fomins & Kleins was founded at the end of 2002.Its members Ivo Fomins and Tomass Kleins were already accomplished and recognized rock musicians. Both are from the western Latvian port city of Liepāja, which is famous for its rock music traditions - many famous Latvian rock...
– artists- Dora Gordine
Dora GordineDora Gordine, FRBS aka La Gordine, was a British sculptress.-Early career to 1939:Dora Gordine's childhood has not been well documented. There is confusion over her date of birth with various dates 1895 , 1898 and 1906 mentioned...
– Sculptress- Morris Halle
Morris HalleMorris Halle , is a Latvian-American Jewish linguist and an Institute Professor and professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
– famous linguist- Leonard Herzenberg – linguist
- Jēkabs Janševskis – writer
- Arvids Jansons – conductor, father of the conductor Mariss Jansons
Mariss JansonsMariss Ivars Georgs Jansons is a Latvian conductor, the son of conductor Arvīds Jansons. His mother, the singer Iraida Jansons, who was Jewish, gave birth to him in hiding in Riga, Latvia, after her father and brother were killed in the Riga Ghetto...- Rolf Kahn – football player, father of the German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn
Oliver KahnOliver Rolf Kahn is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987...- Mirdza Ķempe
Mirdza KempeMirdza Ķempe was a noted Latvian poet and translator.Mirdza Ķempe was born into a working class family in Liepāja, Latvia. From 1914 to 1926 she lived in Tosmare at Ģen. Baloža st., 47; later she and her family lived at Bernatu st., 41 in Liepāja. In 1915-1919 she studied at the 1st Liepāja...
– poetess- Talivaldis Kenins
Talivaldis KeninsTālivaldis Ķeniņš was a Canadian composer born in Latvia.Kenins's father was a lawyer, poet and government official, and his mother was a journalist. He first began playing piano at the age of five, and his first compositions followed at age eight...
– composer- Woldemar Kernig
Woldemar KernigWoldemar Kernig, better known as Vladimir Mikhailovich Kernig was a notable Russian and Baltic German internist and neurologist whose medical discoveries saved thousands of people with meningitis. He is best known for his pioneering work on diagnostics...
– neurologistNeurologistA neurologist is a physician who specializes in neurology, and is trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders.Neurology is the medical specialty related to the human nervous system. The nervous system encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. A specialist...
- Jacob Klein
Jacob Klein (philosopher)Jacob Klein was a German-American philosopher and interpreter of Plato.-Biography:Klein was born in Liepāja, Latvia. He studied at Berlin and Marburg, where he received his Ph.D. in 1922. A student of Nicolai Hartmann, Martin Heidegger, and Edmund Husserl, he later taught at St. John's College in...
(1899–1978) – philosopher- Miroslavs Kodis – journalist, Latvian Television
- Vinifreds Kraučis – translator
- John Martens (1875–1936) – architect
- Victor Matison – TV commentator, Rotarian
Rotary InternationalRotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...- Yanka Maur
Yanka MaurYanka Maur , was a famous Belarusian writer. Yanka Maur was actually his pseudonym, while his real name was Ivan Mikhailavich Fiodarau . His son, Fiodar Fiodaraŭ, was a famous Belarusian physicist.He was born in Liepāja, Courland and grew up in the Belarusian village Lebianishki, which is now in...
– writer- Zenta Mauriņa
Zenta MaurinaZenta Mauriņa , was a writer, essayist with a degree in philology . She was married to the EVP researcher Konstantin Raudive.-References:...
(1897–1978) – writer- Romans Miloslavskis
Romāns MiloslavskisRomāns Miloslavskis is a swimmer from Latvia. He has participated in 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics. Miloslavskis was 35th in 100 m freestyle at Athens Olympics and achieved 25th place in 200 m freestyle at Beijig Olympics. He holds several Latvian records in swimming.-References:...
– swimmer- Arthur Sakheim (1889–1931) – writer and journalist
- Mikhail Sheleg – Russian shanson
ShansonRussian chanson is a neologism for a musical genre covering a range of Russian songs based on the themes of the urban underclass and the criminal underworld. This song style, originally called blatnaya pesnya , has been popular in Eastern Europe ever since its first appearance in the beginning of...
singer- Simeon Shubin – physicist
- Lina Stern
Lina SternLina Solomonovna Stern was a notable Soviet biochemist, physiologist and humanist whose medical discoveries saved thousands of lives at the fronts of World War II...
(1878–1968) – biochemist, physiologist- Eduards Tisse
Eduard TisseEduard Kazimirovich Tisse April 1897 - 18 November 1961) was a Soviet cinematographer born to a Swedish father and Russian mother in Liepāja, Courland. He grew up in Liepāja and started his career as a newsreel cameraman during the Russian Civil War...
– cameraman- Miķelis Valters
Mikelis ValtersMiķelis Valters was a prominent Latvian politician, diplomat, writer, and editor....
– politician- Janis Vanags
Janis VanagsJānis Vanags is the archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia . Vanags is seen as a "conservative" on theological or moral issues and opposed women's ordination as well as homosexuality...
– archbishop- Māris Verpakovskis
Maris VerpakovskisMāris Verpakovskis , is a Latvian football forward, currently playing for the Azerbaijan Premier League club FK Baku in Azerbaijan and the Latvia national football team.-Latvia:...
– football strikerStrikerForwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...- Voldemārs Zandbergs – actor
Twin towns – Sister cities
Liepāja is twinnedTown twinningTwin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
Nynäshamn
Nynäshamn- References :...
, Sweden (1990)Elbląg
ElblagElbląg is a city in northern Poland with 127,892 inhabitants . It is the capital of Elbląg County and has been assigned to the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship since 1999. Before then it was the capital of Elbląg Voivodeship and a county seat in Gdańsk Voivodeship...
, Poland (1991)Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, WashingtonBellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, USA (1992)Darmstadt
DarmstadtDarmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, Germany (1993)Nykobing Falster, Denmark (1993)
Homyel
HomyelGomel ; also Homiel, Homel is the administrative center of Gomel Voblast and the second-largest city in Belarus. It has a population of 482,652...
, Belarus (1999)
, Sweden (1997)Klaipėda
KlaipedaKlaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
, Lithuania (1997)
, Poland (1999)Rogaland
Rogalandis a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
county, Norway (1999)
, Norway (2001)
, Lithuania (2001)
, Sweden (2005)
See also
- List of companies in Liepāja
- List of monuments of architecture in Liepāja
- List of Liepāja inventors
- Ports of the Baltic Sea
Ports of the Baltic SeaThere are over 200 ports in the Baltic Sea. When only those ports that handle minimum of 50,000 tonnes of cargo annually, and where at least part of this cargo is international, are taken into account the number of ports reaches approximately 190. In 2008, the total amount of cargo handled in the...
External links
- www.liepaja.lv – Liepāja City Council official website
- www.liepajniekiem.lv – Liepāja news in Latvian and Russian
- History forum of Liepāja
- www.rusliepaja.lv – Liepāja news in Russian
- www.portofliepaja.lv – Port of Liepaja
- www.liepaja.info – virtual tour of Liepaja
- www.orkestris-liepaja.lv – Liepaja Symphony orchestra
- Kurzemes Vārds – Liepāja regional newspaper
- Kursas Laiks – Liepāja district newspaper
- Rožu laukums – Webcam showing "Rose square" in Liepaja
- www.liepajnieks.lv – Liepaja in photos