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Jelgava

City: Jelgava

Country: Republic of Latvia

    Address: Lielā iela 11, Jelgava, LV-3001 LATVIJA

Official page: jelgava.lv

Cooperation agreement: 25.10.2007

    Jelgava is a town in the Latgale region of Zemgale, on the Lielupe River, 40 km south of Riga.

    The settlement has been known since 1226. In 1561-1795 Mitava was the capital of the Duchy of Courland, later (1796-1920) of the Courland province, until 1917 it was called Mitava.

    The population of the city is 66 thousand inhabitants. It received the status of a city in 1573.

    Jelgava is the fourth largest city of national importance in Latvia. The name - "Mitau" - is rooted in the words "mīt, mainīt" ("exchange"). The Livy, in turn, gave the settlement the name Jelgab, which means a low place with high humidity.

    One of the main objects of the city is the Latvian Agricultural University, which annually enrolls 10,000 students. That is why Jelgava is popularly called the city of students. It is also home to Latvia's first university, the Akademia Petrina, and now houses the Gedert Elias History and Art Museum.

    The architectural gem is the Jelgava Palace, built by the Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, in which you can also see the tombs of the Dukes of Courland and Zemgale; also known as the Orthodox Cathedral of Simeon and Anna.

    In the 18th century, Jelgava was not only a trading city but also an important diplomatic center that established contacts between West and East. The following famous personalities of that time visited here: Peter the Great, Louis XVIII, Charles XII, Gustav Adolf, Alexander the Great, William II, Schumann, Wagner, Rubinstein, Casanova and others.

    The beautiful Villa Medem testifies to the aristocratic past. The villa was built in 1818 to serve as the summer residence of Count Medem. This building is considered one of the brightest sights of Jelgava.

    Investments are attracted for the development of the city, especially for the development of such knowledge-intensive industries as metalworking, woodworking and food production.