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Jelgava
Jelgava , also Yelgava, Ger. Mitau, city (1992 est. pop. 74,516), in Latvia, on the Lielupe River. It is a major rail hub and a trade center for grain and timber. The city grew around a fortress established by the Livonian Knights in the 13th cent., but was destroyed by the Lithuanians in 1345. In 1561, Jelgava became the residence of the dukes of Courland; it passed to Russia with the duchy in 1795. German troops held Jelgava during World War I. In 1919, during the struggle for Latvian independence, the city was occupied in turn by Soviet forces, by German free corps, and by the Latvians. Part of independent Latvia from 1920 to 1940, Jelgava was then seized by the USSR, held by the Germans from 1941 to 1944, and taken by Soviet troops. City landmarks include the 16th-century Trinity Church and the 18th-century ducal palace. |
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"Jelgava." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Jelgava." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Jelgava.html "Jelgava." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Jelgava.html |
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Jelgava
Jelgava, Latvia Mitau, Mitava Founded as the castle of Mitau in 1226 by the Sword Brothers, a small military Order. The city passed to the Russians at the third partition of Poland in 1795 and was renamed Mitava. The mit in both cases is the Latvian mit ‘to exchange’ as this was a trading centre. The present name, adopted at the end of the First World War, comes from the Latvian jalgab ‘town’.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Jelgava." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Jelgava." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Jelgava.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Jelgava." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Jelgava.html |
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