Jaunjelgava

Jaunjelgava Friedrichstadt
Town
250px
Coat of arms
Jaunjelgava Location in Latvia
Coordinates:
Country	Latvia
District	Jaunjelgava municipality
Town rights	1647
Area
• Total	6.1 km2 (2.4 sq mi)
• Rural territory	5.1 km2 (2.0 sq mi)
Population
• Total	2,245
• Density	440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	LV-5134
Calling code	+371 651
Number of city council members	9
Website	http://www.jaunjelgava.lv

Jaunjelgava (<phonos file="Lv-Jaunjelgava.ogg">pronunciation</phonos> German: Friedrichstadt) is a town in Latvia on the left bank of the Daugava River about 80 km southeast of Riga.

It was a fortress in Selonia which was levelled in the 13th century by Crusaders. A country estate and a settlement were formed around 1450. In 1590 Duke Friedrich Kettler founded the town market. At that time about 60 families lived at the market. The town was devastated in 1621, during the Polish-Swedish war, and was re-established as a city in 1646. In 1710 the plague, and 1831 and 1848 cholera, raged. In addition, there were several large fires in the town. Nevertheless, the town grew and was the district seat from 1795 on. After the opening of the Riga-Daugavpils railway line in 1861, the Daugava River waterway, and thus the city, lost its importance.

Shtetl

Jaunjelgava was one of many shtetls which once existed in the Pale of Settlement. Its Jewish community was established toward the close of the seventeenth century. In 1897, 3,800 of its population of 5,223 were Jews.

Jaunjelgava municipality

In 2009 the city joined six surrounding communities to form a local government district. (See also: Administrative divisions of Latvia)

Selected publications

• Heinz zur Mühlen: Baltisches historisches Ortslexikon, Tl. 2, Lettland (Südlivland und Kurland), ISBN 978-3-41206-889-9
• Latvijas Pagastu Enciklopēdeija, 2002, ISBN 9984-00-436-8
• Friedrichstadt entry in the Jewish Encyclopedia

See also

• List of cities in Latvia

Photo gallery

• Jaunjelgavas pasvaldiba.JPG

  Jaunjelgava town hall

• Jaunjelgavas lauva.JPG

  Sculpture of a lion, the symbol of Jaunjelgava

• Daugava pie Jaunjelgavas.JPG

  Daugava River

• Jaunjelgavas pareiztic baznica.JPG

  Jaunjelgava's Orthodox church

• Jjelgavas katolu baznica.JPG

  Jaunjelgava's Catholic church

• Jjelgavas autoosta.JPG

  Bus stop