Dobele (; german: Doblen) is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in the cultural region
Zemgale 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 ...
, and is located near the center of Latvia on the banks of the river
Bērze
Bērze is a river of Latvia. It flows for 107 kilometres before emptying into the Svēte. Major tributaries include the Bikstupe, Sesava, Ālav, Līčupe, Līčupe and Gardene. Major settlements along the river include Zebrene, Biksti, Ka ...
. It received
town rights
Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
in 1917 whilst being a part of the German occupied
Courland Governorate
The Courland Governorate, also known as the Province of Courland, Governorate of Kurland (german: Kurländisches Gouvernement; russian: Курля́ндская губерния, translit=Kurljándskaja gubernija; lv, Kurzemes guberņa; lt, K ...
during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
As of 2020, the population was 8,856.
Name origin
In a German document from 1254 a place name ''Dubelene'' or ''Dubelone'' has been used. Later the names ''Doblene'', ''Doblenen'' and ''Doblen'' also have been used for this inhabited location. The original place name can be reconstructed as ''Dobelene'' or ''Dobeliene'', but its origins are linked to the place name ''duobe'' (pit or delve) and ''duobele'' (dip, dimple). Most likely, the reconstructed place name ''Dobelene'' meant 'populated area in a dimple'.
History
Dobele is first mentioned in historical sources in 1254; however, at that time it was only a wooden fortress which was destroyed during the Semigallian War of Independence (1279–1290), the final phase of the
Northern Crusades
The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were Christianity and colonialism, Christian colonization and Christianization campaigns undertaken by Catholic Church, Catholic Christian Military order (society), military orders and kingdoms, primarily ...
in Latvia. On its spot, a new stone
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
was erected in 1335 and a small settlement grew up around it. The ruins of this fortress are still visible and are in the process of being restored. The original church was constructed in 1495, and eventually, the fortress developed into a trading post. In the 17th century, a watermill, sawmill, a cardigan mill, and a vinegar-works were constructed during the reign of duke
Jacob Kettler. In 1927, the
Jelgava–Liepāja Railway connected the city to other important towns and a period of development resulted.
Industry
Dobele is the home of many large enterprises, such as mills, the "Spodrība" chemical plant, and the "Baltic Candles" candle factory.
Uzņēmumi
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Education
In Dobele, as in other Latvian towns, there are several educational establishments: five comprehensive schools, including the Dobele State Grammar School, four kindergartens, Music and Art schools, a Vocational school and Adult Education Center, as well as Children and Youth Centres.
Culture
The town of Dobele has a Cultural Centre as well as a museum. The town is also the location of 8 nationally protected monuments, such as the old castle, church, and town hall.
There are several annual festivals and holidays celebrated including the ''Ielīgosim Jāņus'', the Midsummer celebration, and the ''jubileja'', or festival, which changes yearly.
Demographics
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 ...
ns make up 75.5% of the population while Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
ns, at 14%, are a significant minority. Other groups include Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
ians - 3.3%, Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
ns - 2.3%, Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
-1.8%, Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
- 1.5%, and 1.6% are of other nationalities.
File:Dobelelutaranu.JPG, Dobele Lutheran church (1495)
File:Dobeles katolubaznica.JPG, Catholic church (2003)
File:Dobeles stacija 04.JPG, Dobele Railway Station
File:Dobele, the city square.jpg, The main square
File:Dobele, houses on the city square.jpg, 19th-century buildings in the city center
Notable people
* Alexei Kudrin, Minister of Finances of Russia
* Andris Naudužs, racing cyclist
* Lauris Reiniks, musician
* Gunārs Saliņš, modernist poet
* Viktors Ščerbatihs, weightlifter, Olympic silver-medalist
* Ritvars Suharevs, weightlifter
* Kristers Tobers, Football player, Latvia National football team, Lechia Gdansk
See also
*List of cities in Latvia
There are 7 cities ( lv, Republikas pilsētas, "republican cities") and 81 towns ( lv, Novada pilsētas, "municipality towns") in Latvia. By Latvian law, towns are settlements that are centers of culture and commerce with a well-developed architec ...
*Dobele crater
Dobele crater is an impact crater in central Latvia. The town of Dobele is built over the site of the crater.
It is in diameter and the age is estimated to be 290 ± 35 million years (Cisuralian epoch of the Permian
The Permian ( ) is a g ...
References
{{Authority control
Dobele Municipality
Towns in Latvia
1917 establishments in Latvia
Populated places established in 1917
Doblen County