Cēsis (), (german: Wenden, liv, Venden, et, Võnnu, pl, Kieś) is a town in
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
located in the northern part of the
Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the
Gauja River
The Gauja River ( et, Koiva jõgi, german: Livländische Aa) is a river in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is the only large river of Latvia that begins and ends its flow in Latvia. Its length is 460 km, of which 93.5 km (approxim ...
valley, and is built on a series of ridges above the river overlooking the woods below. Cēsis was one of the candidate cities for the title of
European Capital of Culture 2014 (
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
was the Latvian city that won the title).
Castle
![Cesis Burgruine1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Cesis_Burgruine1.jpg)
The oldest settlement in Cēsis is the
hillfort
A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
on
Riekstu hill, a fortified wooden castle built by a tribe known as the
Vends
The Vends ( lat, wendi, lv, vendi, et, võndlased, võnnulased, vendid) were a Balto-Finnic people that lived between the 12th to 16th centuries in the area around the town of Wenden (now Cēsis) in present-day north-central Latvia.
Accordi ...
. The mound with its partly preserved fortification system can still be seen in the Castle Park. This settlement was located near major
trade route
A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water. Allowing goods to reach distant markets, a sing ...
s from west to east and dominated the regional countryside.
German crusaders known as the
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
german: Schwertbrüderordenfrench: Ordre des Chevaliers Porte-Glaive
, image=
, caption=
, dates=1204–1237
, country= Terra Mariana
, allegiance= Catholic Church
, garrison= Wenden (Cēsis), Fellin (Viljandi), Segewold (Sigulda). Aschera ...
began construction of a castle ''Wenden'' near the hill fort in 1209. When the castle was enlarged and fortified, it served as the residence for the Order's Master. In 1577, during the
Livonian War
The Livonian War (1558–1583) was the Russian invasion of Old Livonia, and the prolonged series of military conflicts that followed, in which Tsar Ivan the Terrible of Russia (Muscovy) unsuccessfully fought for control of the region (pre ...
, the garrison destroyed the castle to prevent it from falling into the control of
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – ), commonly known in English as Ivan the Terrible, was the grand prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and the first Tsar of all Russia from 1547 to 1584.
Ivan ...
, who was decisively defeated in the
Battle of Wenden (1578). In 1598 it was incorporated into the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...
and the
Wenden Voivodeship
Wenden Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo wendeńskie) was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia, part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was formed in 1598 by King Sigismund III Vasa, out of Wenden ...
was created. In 1620 Wenden was conquered by Sweden. It was rebuilt afterwards, but destroyed again in 1703 during the
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedi ...
by the
Russian army
The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска В Sukhoputnyye voyska V, also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Gro ...
and left in a ruined state. From the end of the 16th century, the premises of the Order's castle were adapted to the requirements of the Cēsis castle estate. When in 1777 the Cēsis castle estate was obtained by Count Sievers, he had his new residence house built on the site of the Eastern Block of the castle, joining its end wall with the fortification tower. Since 1949, the Cēsis History Museum has been located in the New Castle on the Cēsis Castle estate. The front yard of the New Castle is enclosed by a granary and a stable-coach house, which now houses the
Exhibition Hall
A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
of the Museum. Beside the granary there is the oldest brewery in Latvia—
Cēsu Alus
Cēsu Alus is a brewery and alcohol beverage producer in Cēsis, Latvia. As the roots of the brewery dates back in 1590, Cēsu Alus is considered to be the oldest brewery in Baltic and Nordic countries. Cēsu alus is the largest brewery produc ...
, which was built in 1878 during the latter years of Count Sievers' residency, but its origins date back to the period of the Livonian Order.
Further on is the Cēsis castle park, which was laid out in 1812. The park has the romantic characteristic of that time, with its foot-paths,
exotic plants
An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived there ...
, and the waters of the pond reflecting the castle's ruins.
The town
![View of Cēsis in 1793](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/View_of_C%C4%93sis_in_1793.jpg)
The planning of the town of Cēsis was done in the second half of the 13th century. The
market place
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a ''souk'' (from the Arabic), '' ...
with a church was in the centre of the town. The centre of housing was the stone castle of the Livonian Order with its three fortified towers. The town was also encircled by a dolomite
stone wall
Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction that has been used for thousands of years. The first stone walls were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones into a dry stone wall. Later, mortar and plaster ...
with eight towers and five gates. Buildings from the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
include
St. John's Church (built 1281–1284), the
ruins
Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...
of the Order's castle,
Cēsis Castle
Cēsis Castle () is one of the most iconic and best preserved medieval castles in Latvia. The foundations of the castle were laid 800 years ago by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. The most prosperous period Cēsis Castle experienced was durin ...
and fortification walls, fragments of which can still be seen at Vaļņu iela and Palasta iela. In addition, ancient road networks and building plots have survived from medieval times, although many of the buildings themselves have been ruined (the last destroyed in 1748). 18th century buildings can be seen at 16 and 25 Rīgas iela, while houses built in the first part of the 19th century are at 15 and 47 Rīgas iela, 6 Gaujas iela, and other streets.
Cēsis was occupied by the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
king
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
in 1621 during the
Polish–Swedish War.
In the second half of the 19th century, the construction of the Rīga-
Pskov
Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=pskov-ru.ogg, p=pskof; see also names in other languages) is a city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, located about east of the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population ...
highway (1868) and the Rīga-Valka
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
line (1889) accelerated the development of the town. Raunas iela, leading from the railway station to the Old Town, was developed as a wide, presentable street with the Latvian Society House at 10 Raunas iela (architect
Augusts Malvess
Augusts Malvess (2 November 1878, Gulbene – 9 May 1951, Riga) was a Latvian architect.
Augusts Malvess was born in Gulbene in northeastern Latvia and studied architecture at Riga Polytechnic Institute, today Riga Technical University. He gra ...
), the Building of the Regional Court at 14 Raunas iela (architect P. Mengelis), and other important buildings.
The
Battle of Cēsis in June 1919, when Estonian and Latvian forces defeated the Germans, was one of the decisive battles in the
Latvian War of Independence
The Latvian War of Independence ( lv, Latvijas Neatkarības karš), sometimes called Latvia's freedom battles () or the Latvian War of Liberation (), was a series of military conflicts in Latvia between 5 December 1918, after the newly proclaim ...
.
Cēsis was also developed as a
health resort
A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge and p ...
. Upmarket
summer house
A summer house or summerhouse has traditionally referred to a building or shelter used for relaxation in warm weather. This would often take the form of a small, roofed building on the grounds of a larger one, but could also be built in a garden ...
s and health centres were built in the vicinity of the Gauja. 'Cīrulīši' near the Svētavots (Holy Spring) Cave is the most remarkable of them, with a spring believed to possess healing powers.
Notable people
*
Johann Graf von Sievers (1778–1827), Russian general
*
Emanuel Count von Sievers (1817–1909), Russian Senator
*
Heinrich Leonhard Adolphi Heinrich may refer to:
People
* Heinrich (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Heinrich (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
*Hetty (given name), a given name (including a list of peo ...
(1852–1918), German-Baltic pastor and chess composer, Evangelical Lutheran martyr
*
Alfrēds Kalniņš
Alfrēds Bruno Jānis Kalniņš (23 August 1879, in Cēsis, Governorate of Livonia – 23 December 1951, in Riga, Latvian SSR) was a Latvian people, Latvian composer, organist, pedagogue, music critic and Conducting, conductor; the founder of n ...
(1879–1951), composer
*
Eduard Erdmann
Eduard Erdmann (5 March 1896 – 21 June 1958) was a Baltic German pianist and composer.
Erdmann was born in Wenden (Cēsis) in the Governorate of Livonia. He was the great-nephew of the philosopher Johann Eduard Erdmann. His first musical ...
(1896–1958), German pianist and composer
*
Max Hildebert Boehm (1891–1968), sociologist
*
Adolf Rüütel (1906–1981), Estonian national football player
*
Wilhelm Theodor Georg Lenz (1906–1976), historian
*
Nina Vatatsy (1908–1997), bibliographer
*
Anita Stukāne (born 1954), long-jumper
*
Laima Vaikule
Laima Vaikule (born 31 March 1954) is a Latvian actress, singer, director, and choreographer, best known in Europe and in the former USSR for such popular hits as "Vernisage" and "Charlie," among other songs.
Biography
Vaikule was born on 31 Mar ...
(born 1954), singer
*
Edvīns Ķeņģis
Edvīns Ķeņģis (born 12 April 1959, in Cēsis) is a Latvian chess Grandmaster.
Ķeņģis is an eight-time Latvian Champion, winning the national contest in 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1997, 2004 and 2005. He won the Baltic Chess Champion ...
(born 1959), chess player
*
Ingrīda Amantova (born 1960), luger
*
Gerda Krūmiņa
Gerda Krūmiņa (born 26 November 1984 in Cēsis) is a Latvian biathlete.
Krūmiņa competed in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics for Latvia. Her best finish was 18th, as part of the 2006 Latvian relay team. Her best individual showing was 48 ...
(born 1984), biathlete
*
Baiba Bendika (born 1991), biathlete
*
Rodions Kurucs
Rodions Kurucs (born 5 February 1998) is a Latvian professional basketball player for SIG Strasbourg of the French LNB Pro A. At tall, he plays the small forward position.
Professional career
Early career
In March 2014, Kurucs signed a multi-y ...
(born 1998), basketball player
Twin towns—sister cities
Cēsis is
twinned with:
*
Achim
Achim (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Achem''), commonly Achim bei Bremen, is a municipality and the largest town (population 30,059 in December 2006) in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, a ...
, Germany
*
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
, Azerbaijan
*
Gatchinsky District
Gatchinsky District (russian: Га́тчинский райо́н) is an administrativeOblast Law #32-oz and municipalLaw #113-oz district (raion), one of the seventeen in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the southwestern central part of ...
, Russia
*
Konstancin-Jeziorna
Konstancin-Jeziorna is a town in Piaseczno County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,566 inhabitants (as of March 2011, according to GUS). It is located about south of downtown Warsaw and is a part of the metropolitan area of that city.
Th ...
, Poland
*
Rakvere
Rakvere is a town in northern Estonia and the administrative centre of the Lääne-Viru ''maakond'' (county), 20 km south of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea. Rakvere is the 8th most populous urban area in Estonia. Rakvere has a tota ...
, Estonia
*
Rokiškis
Rokiškis () is a city in northeastern Lithuania with a population of about 14,400.
History
The legend of the founding of Rokiškis tells about a hunter called Rokas who had been hunting for hares ( Lit. "kiškis"). However, cities ending in "- ...
, Lithuania
*
Tyresö, Sweden
*
Venafro
Venafro (Latin: ''Venafrum''; Greek: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Isernia, region of Molise, Italy. It has a population of 11,079, having expanded quickly in the post-war period.
Geography
Situated at the foot of Mount Santa Croce, elevat ...
, Italy
*
Zhovkva
Zhovkva ( uk, Жовква ; pl, Żółkiew; yi, זאָלקוואַ, translit=Zolkva; russian: Жо́лква, 1951–1992: ''Nesterov'') is a city in Lviv Raion, Lviv Oblast (region) of western Ukraine. Zhovkva hosts the administration of Zho ...
, Ukraine
Gallery
File:Cesis Kirche 2.JPG, Saint John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
Lutheran church in Cēsis
File:Cesis - Raunas Tor (14. 15. Jh).jpg, Rauna Gate
File:Christ Transfiguration Orthodox Church at Cesis.jpg, Cēsis Transfiguration of Christ Orthodox Church
File:Cesis Rigas 7 2015-02-21 (1).jpg, Cēsis Old Town Hall
File:VictoryMonumentCesis.jpg, The Victory monument in Union square in Cēsis
File:Cēsis, Cēsu pilsēta, Latvia - panoramio (70).jpg
File:Цесис (Латвия) Rožu laukums - Площадь Роз - panoramio.jpg, Square of Roses
File:Cēsis naktī. No Vidzemes koncertzāle Cēsis jumta. Cesis at night - panoramio.jpg, City centre at night
File:Rīgas Iela Cēsis 20191109 111552.jpg, Riga's Street (''Rīgas Iela'')
File:Cesis clinic hospital (Cesu klinika) 2021.jpg, Cēsis Clinic
A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...
(''Cēsu klīnika'')
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cesis
Populated places established in the 13th century
Towns in Latvia
1206 establishments in Europe
Kreis Wenden
Cēsis Municipality
Vidzeme