Auce (; ; ) is a town in

Dobele Municipality Dobele Municipality () is a municipality in the historical region of Zemgale, and the Zemgale Planning Region in Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Dobele town and the Annenieki, Auri, Bērze, Biksti, Dobele, Jaunbēr ...

, in the

Semigallia Semigallia is one of the Historical Latvian Lands located to the south of the Daugava and to the north of the Saule region of Samogitia. The territory is split between Latvia and Lithuania, previously inhabited by the Semigallian Baltic tri ...

region of

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

. It is situated near the

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, 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, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

n border.

History

Before the 13th century, the territory of Auce was a part of a Semigallian Spārnene county. After the partition of Semigallia in 1254, the territory was granted to the

Archbishopric of Riga The Archbishopric of Riga (, ) was a Catholic diocese and civil government in Medieval Livonia, subject to the Holy See. It was established in 1186 and ended in 1561. History The diocese was established in 1186 as the Bishopric of Livonia a ...

. Auce is first mentioned in written sources in 1426 as Owcze. In 1616, the Old Auce () manor is mentioned for the first time when there was a regional assembly that was held (

landtag A ''Landtag'' (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence ...

) of the

Duchy of Courland The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a duchy in the Baltic region, then known as Livonia, that existed from 1561 to 1569 as a nominal vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and subsequently made part of the Crown of the Polish Kingd ...

. In 1667, the first

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church was erected in Auce. From 1768 until the Latvian agrarian reforms in the 1920s, the Old Auce manor was property of the

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

von

Medem The Medem () is a river of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Elbe, into which it flows near Otterndorf. See also *List of rivers of Lower Saxony All rivers in the German state of Lower Saxony flow directly or indirectly into ...

family. Auce village started rapid development after the construction of the Jelgava-Mažeikiai railway in 1889. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Auce was occupied by the

Imperial German army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

. The Germans established an aviation school and airfield (Artillerie-Fliegerschule Ost I) nearby. After the

Latvian War of Independence The Latvian War of Independence (), 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 proclaimed Republic of Latvia was invade ...

, Auce became part of the Republic of Latvia. In 1920, the Old Auce manor was nationalised, and it became property of the

University of Latvia University of Latvia (, shortened ''LU'') is a public research university located in Riga, Latvia. The university was established in 1919. History The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia () was founded on Se ...

for use as a teaching farm for students of

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. In 1924, Auce received its town rights. Auce was the centre of the Auce municipality up until 2021, when it was merged with the

Dobele municipality Dobele Municipality () is a municipality in the historical region of Zemgale, and the Zemgale Planning Region in Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Dobele town and the Annenieki, Auri, Bērze, Biksti, Dobele, Jaunbēr ...

. File:WWII cemetery in Auce.jpg, Cemetery of German soldiers killed during World War II in Auce.

Notable people

Signe Baumane Signe Baumane (born 7 August 1964) is a Latvian animator, artist, illustrator and writer, currently living and working in New York City. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, she was a 2005 Fellow in Film of the Ne ...

(born 1964), animator, fine artist, illustrator and writer *

Ramona Petraviča Ramona Petraviča (born 25 September 1967 in Auce) is a Latvian politician and financier, who is a member of the Saeima and who between 23 January 2019 and 3 June 2021 served as in the Kariņš cabinet led by Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš ...

(born 1967), politician *

Aivars Polis Aivars Polis (born 3 March 1972) is a Latvian luger. He competed in the men's doubles event at the 1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Albertville '92 (F ...

(born 1972), luger *

Ingus Bankevics Ingus Bankevics (born 18 April 1985) is a Latvian professional basketball player, who last played the shooting guard position for the English club Manchester Giants. He has previously played for Latvian national team Throughout his playing career. ...

(born 1985), basketball player

References

External links

Cities and towns in Semigallia 1426 establishments in Europe Populated places in Dobele Municipality {{Zemgale-geo-stub