Subate
Encyclopedia
Subate population 964, is a town
in Latvia
near the border with Lithuania
. Subate is located in Selonia
, the eastern part of the Zemgale region, 40 km west of Daugavpils
.
In 1570 Gotthard Kettler
, the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia
, granted the Baltic German Plater family, the dominant nobles throughout southeastern Latvia, an estate at the lake of Subate, and Alt-Subbath (Old Subbath) was established. After the Counter-Reformation
, the Plater-Sybergs converted to Catholicism, founding a mission with the intention of converting their serfs, and the Lutherans
moved across the lake in protest, creating Neu-Subbath (New Subbath); the two towns were joined in 1894. By the late 19th century Jews
composed about half of the population, and in 1914 there were ca. 2300 inhabitants. The town traded primarily in Lithuanian flax, but this trade languished after World War I
. Almost all of Subate's Jews were brutally murdered in the Stahlecker
phase of the Holocaust
in 1941.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Latvia
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...
near the border with Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , 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...
. Subate is located in Selonia
Selonia
Selonia , also known as Augšzeme , is a cultural region of Latvia encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia...
, the eastern part of the Zemgale region, 40 km west of 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...
.
Gotthard Kettler
Gotthard von Kettler was the last Master of the Livonian Order and the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia....
, the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia
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 Baltic German Plater family, the dominant nobles throughout southeastern Latvia, an estate at the lake of Subate, and Alt-Subbath (Old Subbath) was established. After the Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
, the Plater-Sybergs converted to Catholicism, founding a mission with the intention of converting their serfs, and the Lutherans
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
moved across the lake in protest, creating Neu-Subbath (New Subbath); the two towns were joined in 1894. By the late 19th century Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
composed about half of the population, and in 1914 there were ca. 2300 inhabitants. The town traded primarily in Lithuanian flax, but this trade languished after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Almost all of Subate's Jews were brutally murdered in the Stahlecker
Franz Walter Stahlecker
Franz Walter Stahlecker was Commander of the Sicherheitspolizei and the Sicherheitsdienst for the Reichskommissariat Ostland in 1941/42...
phase of the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
in 1941.