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Bauska () is a town in its eponymous municipality, found in the
Zemgale 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 trib ...
region of southern Latvia. Bauska is located from the Latvian capital
Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
, 62 km (38.5 mi) from
Jelgava Jelgava () is a state city in central Latvia. It is located about southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the Semigallia region of Latvia. Jelgava was the capital of the united Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1578–1795) and was the ad ...
and from the Lithuanian border on the busy
European route E67 European route E 67 is an E-road running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Estonia and by ferry to Finland. It goes via Prague, Wrocław, Warsaw, Kaunas, Panevėžys, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki. The route is known as the Via Baltica ...
. The town is situated at the confluence of the shallow rivers Mūsa and Mēmele, where they form the
Lielupe The Lielupe ( in Latvian language, Latvian Literal translation, literally: ''Large River'', , ) is a river in central Latvia. Its length is (the length would reach if the Mēmele River were counted as part of the Lielupe). The surface area of ...
River. Average temperatures in January are , and in July. Rainfall averages annually. The 80.4% of
Bauska Municipality Bauska Municipality () is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by Merger (politics), merging Brunava parish, Ceraukste parish, Code parish, Dāviņi parish, Gailīši parish, Īslīce parish, Mežotne parish, Vecs ...
territory is agricultural land and 13% of forests. In previous centuries, the city was known in German as "''Bauske"'', in
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
as "''Boisk"'', in
Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Lithuania, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe ** Lithuanian language ** Lithuanians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to Lithuania and the immediate geographical region ** L ...
as "''Bauskė",'' and in
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
as ''"Bowsk"''. The population of Bauska is estimated to be 8,200. Bauska is the centre of
Bauska Municipality Bauska Municipality () is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by Merger (politics), merging Brunava parish, Ceraukste parish, Code parish, Dāviņi parish, Gailīši parish, Īslīce parish, Mežotne parish, Vecs ...
, a first-level national subdivision that has a population of 24,370 with an approximate density of 30 people per km2.


History

By the early 13th century, this territory was inhabited by Semigallian tribes. In the mid-15th century,
Bauska castle Bauska Castle (; ) is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a later palace on the outskirts of the Latvian city of Bauska. While originally a hill fort, the Livonian Order, Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights built the c ...
was built by Germans of the
Livonian Order The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order, formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation. History The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after thei ...
, who then were a part of the ''
Terra Mariana Terra Mariana (Medieval Latin for 'Land of Mary (mother of Jesus), Mary') was the formal name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia. It was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade, and its territories were composed of present-day Estonia a ...
'' confederacy. In the shadow and protection of the castle, a small town called Schildburg grew on the narrow peninsula formed by the Mūsa and Mēmele rivers. Around 1580 on the orders of Duke
Gotthard Kettler Gotthard Kettler, Duke of Courland (also ''Godert'', ''Ketteler''; ; ; ; 2 February 1517 – 17 May 1587) was the last Master of the Livonian Order from 1559 to 1561 and the first Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, Duke of Courland and Semigallia f ...
this settlement was relocated to the present location of Bauska Old Town, eventually receiving city rights sometime before 1609. After the
Livonian War The Livonian War (1558–1583) concerned control of Terra Mariana, Old Livonia (in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia). The Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of the Denmark–Norway, Dano-Norwegian Realm, the Kingdom ...
, Bauska became part of the
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a duchy in the Baltic states, 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 th ...
and prospered. The castle and city suffered heavily in the 17th and 18th centuries, under attacks from
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
in the
Polish-Swedish War This is a List of wars between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to ...
and the Russians in the
Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
. In 1706, the retreating Russian army blew up the castle. In 1711, an outbreak of plague ravaged Bauska, exterminating half of the population, and war returned once more in 1812, when Bauska, after short skirmishes, became one of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's army's transit points en route to Moscow. Between 1812 and 1914, Bauska enjoyed a period of stability, and grew as a trade centre between Riga and Lithuania. Many inhabitants were merchants or worked in ceramic-making, but there was a large brewery and sawmill as well. Bauska was still primarily built of wooden houses: in 1823, only 6 of the 120 houses within the city were built of brick or stone. For this reason, devastating fires were not uncommon. Historically, all social affairs had been in the hands of the privileged
Baltic Germans Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since their resettlement in 1945 after the end of World War II, Baltic Germans have drastically decli ...
. After 1820 Jews were allowed to settle in the city, and by 1850 made up half the population, diluting the strong German influence. The city was taken by the
German Imperial 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 ...
on July 18, 1915, and roughly half the population fled (Jews were moved out on the orders of the Russian army). In 1916, the Germans installed the city's first electrical grid and built a
narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter cur ...
connection with Jelgava–Meitene Railway. During 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 ...
, Bauska experienced a couple of months of
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
occupation, followed by the periods of rule by the
Baltische Landeswehr The Baltic Landwehr or ("Baltic Territorial Army") was the name of the unified armed forces of Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919. Command structure The Landeswehr was subordinated to the German VI Re ...
and the
West Russian Volunteer Army The West Russian Volunteer Army or Bermontians was a pro-German White Russian military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War from November 1918 to December 1919. History The , unlike the pro- Entente Volunteer Army ...
until it was liberated in the early hours of November 17, 1919, by the Latvian army. From 1918 to 1940, the proportion of ethnic Latvians in the population grew strongly, making up 75% of the population, though the Jews and Germans still maintained a noticeable presence. In 1939, just before World War II, virtually the entire
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 ...
population of Bauska repatriated to the recently occupied
Reichsgau Wartheland The Reichsgau Wartheland (initially Reichsgau Posen, also Warthegau) was a Nazi Germany, Nazi German ''Reichsgau'' formed from parts of Second Polish Republic, Polish territory Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, annexed in 1939 during World War ...
, causing the city to lose one of its traditional ethnic populations. As part of the
Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...
during the June–August 1941, Bauska's other traditional minority, the Jews, were exterminated. During
Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...
, the Soviet army reached Bauska on July 29, 1944. For the next six weeks, the city was defended by an assortment of Latvian policemen, forcibly mobilized
Latvian Legion The Latvian Legion () was a formation of the Nazi German Waffen-SS during World War II. Created in 1943, it consisted primarily of ethnic Latvians.Gerhard P. Bassler, ''Alfred Valdmanis and the politics of survival'', 2000, p150 Mirdza Kate Balta ...
soldiers and
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
grenadiers. After Soviet shelling and air raids, almost one third of the city was destroyed and finally captured on September 14, 1944. Post-war reconstruction was slow. Rubble remained in the streets until the 1950s. During the Soviet period, the population surpassed 10,000, as the Latvian and especially Russian populations strongly increased.


History of the Jewish community

Bauska was home to a thriving Jewish community in the 19th century, many employed as scholars or in occupations such as baking and distilling. The town hosted several notable rabbis, including
Abraham Isaac Kook Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as HaRav Kook, and also known by the Hebrew-language acronym Hara'ayah (), was an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbina ...
, later
chief rabbi of Israel The Chief Rabbinate of Israel (, ''Ha-Rabbanut Ha-Rashit Li-Yisra'el'') is recognized by law as the supreme rabbinic authority for Judaism in Israel. It was established in 1921 under the British Mandate, and today operates on the basis of the C ...
, Mordechai Eliasberg, and
Chaim Yitzchak Bloch Hacohen Hayyim Yitzhak HaCohen Bloch (; 1864–1948) was a prominent Lithuanian born rabbi. In 1922 he left Latvia for the United States, where he became the Rabbi and Av Beit Din (head judge of religious court) of Jersey City, New Jersey. He remained th ...
. In 1850, Jews made up 50% of Bauska's population, and 60% in 1881. By 1920, the Jewish population had dwindled to about a sixth of the size it had been 40 years earlier. In 1941, following the Nazi invasion, the remaining Jews of Bauska and environs were tortured and executed. An exhibition on the city's Jewish history was opened in 2011 in Bauska museum following a conference on Bauska's Jewish cultural heritage in the 1990s. A group of Jews who were former inhabitants of Bauska proposed to establish a memorial on the site of the Great Synagogue burnt down in July 1941. In October 2017, the "Synagogue Garden," a monument/memorial created by the Council of Jewish Communities of Latvia and Latvian sculptor, Girts Burvis, was dedicated on the site. Demographics In December 2004, there were 10,178 inhabitants, 55% female and 45% male.


Tourist attractions

File:Bauskas pils 2015.JPG,
Bauska Castle Bauska Castle (; ) is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a later palace on the outskirts of the Latvian city of Bauska. While originally a hill fort, the Livonian Order, Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights built the c ...
File:Bauskas pils rudenī.JPG, Bauska Castle File:Bauskas luterāņu baznīca.JPG, Bauska Church of the Holy Spirit the oldest building in town File:Bauska Town Hall corner.JPG, Bauska Town Hall in the Market square File:Bauska, Rīgas 41.JPG, 19th-century buildings on Riga street File:Bauskas vecais kino 3.JPG, Stalin era cinema building File:Hängebrücke-Musa-Bauska.jpg, Suspension bridge over Mūsa File:Bauska Bus Station.jpg, alt=Fišers, Bauska Bus station
*
Bauska castle Bauska Castle (; ) is a complex consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a later palace on the outskirts of the Latvian city of Bauska. While originally a hill fort, the Livonian Order, Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights built the c ...
and museum * Bauska Church of the Holy Spirit, Lutheran * Bauska Town Hall *
Bauska museum Bauska () is a town in its Bauska Municipality, eponymous municipality, found in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. Bauska is located from the Latvian capital Riga, 62 km (38.5 mi) from Jelgava and from the Lithuanian border on t ...
* Bauska Freedom monument * Church of St. George, Orthodox * Bauska Church of the Most Holy Sacrament, Catholic * Stone of Peter the Great


Bauska's Defenders' Monument

On September 14, 2012, a monument to the inhabitants of city who organized the defense of Bauska against the Soviet assault in 1944 was unveiled in the city, with inscription "To the defenders of Bauska against the second Soviet occupation on July 28 – September 14, 1944".


Twin towns — sister cities

Bauska is twinned with: *
Hedemora Hedemora is a Urban areas in Sweden, town in Dalarna County and the seat of Hedemora Municipality, Sweden, with 7,273 inhabitants in 2010. Despite its small population, Hedemora is for historical reasons normally still referred to as a Stad (Swede ...
, Sweden *
Khashuri Khashuri ( ka, ხაშური ) is a city in the central part of Georgia and is the 9th largest settlement in Georgia. It is the administrative centre of Khashuri Municipality. It is located on the Shida Kartli plain, on the Suramula river ...
, Georgia *
Náchod Náchod (; ) is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It is known both as a tourist destination and centre of industry. The historic town centre with the castle complex is well preserved and i ...
, Czech Republic *
Pakruojis Pakruojis (; ) is a city in Lithuania. It is situated on the Kruoja River, which has a dam above the city. Forty three buildings of the manor, mentioned in 1531 still survive. History Pakruojis and it neighbourhood are within the boundaries of th ...
, Lithuania *
Radviliškis Radviliškis () (; ; , ''Radvilishok'') is a city in the Radviliškis district municipality, Šiauliai County, Lithuania. Radviliškis has been the administrative center of the district since 1950, and is an important railway junction. History ...
, Lithuania *
Rypin Rypin is a town in north-central Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, about 50 km east of Toruń. It is the capital of Rypin County. Population is 16,528 (2010). History Rypin was founded in the Middle Ages, and was part of Poland ...
, Poland *
Soroca Soroca is a city and municipality in northern Moldova, situated on the Dniester River about north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District. History It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by t ...
, Moldova


Notable people

* Friedrich Bernhard Albers, 18th-century silversmith. * Karl Constantin Kraukling, (1792–1873), Director of the Royal History Museum,
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
. *
Arthur Böttcher Jakob Ernst Arthur Böttcher (13 July 1831 – 10 August 1889) was a Baltic German pathologist and anatomist who was a native of Bauska, in what was then the Courland Governorate (present-day Latvia). He worked primarily within the Russian ...
, (1831 – 1889), pathologist and anatomist. * Lazar Nisselovich, (1858–1914), member of the 3rd
Russian Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993. The Duma headquarters are located in central Mos ...
. *
Abraham Isaac Kook Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook (; 7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935), known as HaRav Kook, and also known by the Hebrew-language acronym Hara'ayah (), was an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbi, and the first Ashkenazi Jews, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbina ...
, (1865–1935), Bauska
rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
1894-1904. *
Vilis Olavs Vilis Olavs (born ''Vilis Plute''; 18 May 1867 – 29 March 1917) was a Latvian political theorist, writer, and humanitarian who participated in the First Latvian National Awakening of the 19th century. Biography Vilis Olavs was born as Vili ...
, (1867–1917), active during
Latvian National Awakening The Latvian National Awakening () refers to three distinct but ideologically related national revival movements: * the First Awakening refers to the national revival led by the Young Latvians from the 1850s to the 1880s * the Second Awakening ...
. * Vilis Plūdons, (1874–1940), poet. *
Krišjānis Berķis Krišjānis Berķis (April 26, 1884, in Īslīce parish, Bauska municipality, Courland, modern Latvia – July 29, 1942, in Perm, Russia) was a Latvian general. Rising to prominence as an officer of the Latvian Riflemen in World War I, he was ...
, (1884–1942), general, Minister of War. *
Artuss Kaimiņš Artuss Kaimiņš (born Arturs Kaimiņš on November 3, 1980, in Bauska) is a Latvian actor, politician and radio host. He is known as a Boom FM (Latvia), Boom FM radio host. He is a well-known controversial figure in Latvian politics and culture ...
, (born 1980), actor, politician. * Kristīne Nevarauska, (born 1981), actress. *
Dainis Kazakevičs Dainis Kazakevičs (born 30 March 1981) is a Latvian professional football manager. Club career Kazakevičs began his career in the youth team of Jelgavas BJSS, later representing Jelgava-based club Dialogs in the 1995 edition of the Latvian Fi ...
, (born 1981), professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
manager. * Dace Lina, (born 1981), marathon runner. *
Dace Ruskule Dace Ruskule (born September 20, 1981) is a retired Latvian discus thrower. She represented her nation Latvia at the 2004 Summer Olympics, and later became a titleholder in women's discus throw at the 2006 NCAA Track and Field Championships in S ...
, (born 1981), discus thrower. *
Ivars Timermanis Ivars Timermanis (born February 4, 1982) is a retired Latvian professional basketball player who played the Small forward position. Pro career He was a member of the Latvian national basketball team. He has played in various teams in Latvia and ...
, (born 1982), basketball player. *
Dainis Upelnieks Dainis Upelnieks (born 1 October 1982) is a Latvian shooter. He represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an int ...
, (born 1982), sport shooter. *
Artūrs Toms Plešs Artūrs Toms Plešs (born 4 January 1992) is a Latvian politician. he serves as Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš. References Living people 199 ...
, (born 1992), politician *
Mārtiņš Podžus Mārtiņš Podžus (born 29 June 1994) is a Latvian tennis player. Podžus has a career high ATP singles ranking of 418 achieved on 17 February 2020. He also has a career high ATP doubles ranking of 390 achieved on 19 August 2019. Podžus has ...
and
Jānis Podžus Jānis Podžus (born 29 June 1994) is a Latvian tennis player. Podžus has a career high Association of Tennis Professionals, ATP singles ranking of 675 achieved on 2 March 2015. He also has a career high ATP doubles ranking of 634 achieved on 1 ...
, (born 1994), tennis players. *
Elchonon Wasserman Elchonon Bunim Wasserman (; ; 18746 July 1941) was a prominent rabbi and rosh yeshiva (dean) in prewar Europe. He was one of the closest students of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (the Chofetz Chaim) and a noted Talmid Chacham. In the interwar perio ...
(born 1875), rabbi and rosh yeshiva. * Inese Tarvida, (born 1998), taekwondo athlete


Climate

Bauska has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Dfb'').


External links


Map of BauskaBauska Tourism information


References

{{Authority control Cities and towns in Semigallia 1609 establishments in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Bauska county Holocaust locations in Latvia Populated places in Bauska Municipality