Jelgava () is a state city in central

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 located about southwest of

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 ...

. It is the largest town 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. Jelgava was the capital of the united

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 ...

(1578–1795) and was the administrative center of the

Courland Governorate Courland Governorate, also known as the Province of Courland or Governorate of Kurland, and known from 1795 to 1796 as the Viceroyalty of Courland, was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the ...

(1795–1918). Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain rising only

above mean sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

on the right bank of the river

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 ...

. At high water, the plain and sometimes the town as well can be flooded. It is a railway center, and is also a host to the

Jelgava Air Base Jelgava Airfield is an airfield in Latvia located on the north border of Jelgava, a city in Latvia. During Soviet times, it was a military forward deployment attack base, but now is used by general aviation. Latest update on airfield conditio ...

. Its importance as a railway centre can be seen by the fact that it lies at the junction of over 6 railway lines connecting Riga to Lithuania, eastern and western Latvia, and Lithuania to the Baltic Sea.

Name

Until 1917, the city was officially referred to as Mitau. The name of Jelgava is believed to be derived from the Livonian word ''jālgab'', meaning "town on the river." The origin of the German name ''Mitau'' is unclear, although it is suggested that it came from the Latvian words ''mīt'' or ''mainīt'', meaning "to exchange" or "to trade," thus making it "trading-place." An alternate explanation is that ''Mitau'' came from ''Mitte in der Aue'', which is German for "the middle of the Aa", referring to the Lielupe River, formerly known as the Courland Aa (''Kurländische Aa'' in German). In Yiddish, the city was known as מיטאַווע (''Mitave'') or מיטאַו (''Mitar''). In publications dating from the Soviet period, the city name was occasionally spelled in English as "Yelgava", a back-transliteration from Russian ''Елгава''.

History

Settlement began developing in the Mitau locality between the rivers Lielupe and Driksa during the 10th century. Led by the Grand Master , the crusading

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 ...

constructed the

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

in Mitau on a natural island fortification (''Pilssala'') in 1265–1266. Using Mitau as a southern fortress, the German knights subdued the surrounding Livonians and Semigallians by 1290. The town rose in importance as a defensive fixture against 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 ...

ns to the south, who succeeded in plundering Mitau in 1345. As a result of the fall of the Livonian Order in 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 ...

of 1558-1583, Mitau became a town 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 1561. Mitau received city rights in 1573, and became the capital of the united duchies of Courland and Semigallia in 1578. When the Duchy of Courland split in 1596, Mitau became the residence of Duke

Friedrich Kettler Friedrich Kettler (; 25 November 1569 – 17 August 1642) was Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1587 to 1642. He was the son of Gotthard Kettler, the first Duke of Courland. Until 1617, he ruled only the eastern ''Zemgale'' (Semigallia) por ...

of Semigallia. The city again became the capital of the united duchies in 1617. Because the duchy became a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

from 1561, Mitau was also referred to by the Polish name ''Mitawa''. The Commonwealth's repeated wars with

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 ...

subjected Mitau to several sieges. Despite the wars, the city grew as a center for trade and industry. As Courland's neighbors increased in strength, however, the duchy - and Mitau - began to fall under Russia's

sphere of influence In the field of international relations, a sphere of influence (SOI) is a spatial region or concept division over which a state or organization has a level of cultural, economic, military, or political exclusivity. While there may be a formal a ...

. The

Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...

of Russia,

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

, received a promise from duke Friedrich Wilhelm that he would marry one of the daughters of the tsar's late half-brother. In 1710, Friedrich Wilhelm married

Anna Ioannovna Anna Ioannovna (; ), also russified as Anna Ivanovna and sometimes anglicized as Anne, served as regent of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia from 1711 until 1730 and then ruled as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740. Much of her administratio ...

(daughter of Tsar Ivan V (), and herself later Empress of Russia), but on his way back from

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

, he took ill and died (1711). Anna ruled as the duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730. Academia petrina

The penultimate duke of Courland,

Ernst Johann von Biron Ernst Johann von Biron (; ; ) was the duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1737 to 1740 and again from 1763 to 1769. He was also briefly the regent of the Russian Empire in 1740. Early years Biron was born as Ernst Johann von Bühren in Ka ...

( and 1763–1769), expanded the cultural aspects of Mitau. He constructed the ducal palace and opened the first public library in the city. In 1775 the last Duke of Courland,

Peter von Biron Peter von Biron (15 February 1724 – 13 January 1800) was the last duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1769 to 1795, when it was annexed by the Russian Empire. Life and reign Peter was born in Jelgava () as the oldest son of Ernst Johann ...

(), founded the Academia Petrina, which became a cultural center for the country. The duke also encouraged theatrical performances at his court. With the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, the citizens of Mitau clamored for more rights. Later,

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...

the city as part of Courland in 1795 during the

Third Partition of Poland The Third Partition of Poland (1795) was the last in a series of the Partitions of Poland–Lithuania and the land of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth among Prussia, the Habsburg monarchy, and the Russian Empire which effectively ended Polis ...

. The

Count of Provence The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

lived at the palace of Mitau (1798–1801 and 1804–1807) before he became the French king

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...

in 1814. Although the city was occupied by

Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...

troops during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

, it was largely spared destruction. Mitau further expanded after the construction of its railway in 1868. The development of its infrastructure encouraged rural Latvians to migrate to the city, as merchants, craftsmen, teachers, and officials. By 1914 Mitau had over 45,000 inhabitants. However, Mitau suffered considerably after the outbreak of

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 ...

in 1914. The spirited defence of Mitau by two battalions of the Latvian Home Guard in 1915 helped inspire the formation of the Latvian Rifles.

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

troops occupied the city during the war, and British prisoners of war, sent there as forced labour, suffered atrocious conditions and treatment. After the war, in 1919, Mitau became a battleground between

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

Red Guards The Red Guards () were a mass, student-led, paramilitary social movement mobilized by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 until their abolition in 1968, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a ...

, German

paramilitaries A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...

, and Latvian freedom-fighters. After the victory of the latter group in November 1919, Mitau renamed to Jelgava, became an important city in independent Latvia. In 1925 a

sugar factory Sugar factory may refer to: Industry * Beet sugar factory, a factory that produces raw sugar from sugar beet and refines it * Sugarcane mill, a factory that produces raw sugar from sugar cane and refines it * Sugar refinery A sugar refine ...

was built in Jelgava, the first such factory in Latvia. In 1939 Jelgava Academy of Agriculture opened in the

Jelgava Palace Jelgava Palace () or historically Mitau Palace (, ) is the largest Baroque-style palace in the Baltic states. It was built in the 18th century based on the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli as a residence for the Dukes of Courland in their capital o ...

. As a result of the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939, Jelgava was occupied and annexed with the rest of Latvia by the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in 1940. Many of the city's remaining German population were resettled into the territory of German-occupied Poland during the Nazi–Soviet population transfers. German forces from

Army Group North Army Group North () was the name of three separate army groups of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Its rear area operations were organized by the Army Group North Rear Area. The first Army Group North was deployed during the invasion of Pol ...

occupied Jelgava from 1941 to 1944 until the re-capture of the city by the

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 ...

. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, German police along with Latvian auxiliary police murdered the Jewish inhabitants of the city during a series of mass shootings (see Jelgava massacres). The main synagogue was burned to the ground. 19440816 soviet soldiers attack jelgava

In late July 1944, the Soviet

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 ...

launched an attack from the south in the direction of Jelgava and

Tukums Tukums (; ; ) is a town in Latvia and serves as the administrative center of Tukums Municipality. It is located in the eastern part of the historical region of Courland, and with more than 16,000 inhabitants Tukums is the 13th largest settlem ...

to encircle the German

. Jelgava was declared a fortress (''Festung'') however, there were only a few scattered German and Latvian units in the city. From 30 July until 7 August, after heavy street fighting and several air raids, the Red Army managed to occupy the left bank of the Lielupe river. In late August, the German army launched a counterattack on Jelgava from the north but it failed to drive back the Soviets. Jelgava remained on the frontline until 10 October when the German army retreated to

Courland Courland is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. Courland's largest city is Liepāja, which is the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were ...

. The city's historic centre, industry, rail network, and public buildings were heavily damaged by the fighting, with almost 90% of the city destroyed. Among lost buildings was famous Kurland Provincial Museum and Athenaeum. Jelgava was rebuilt in typical Soviet style after

as part of the

Latvian SSR The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Also known as the Latvian SSR, or Latvia) was a Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republic of the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1941, and then from 1944 until 1990. The Soviet occupation of the Bal ...

. Jelgava became home to several big factories. Among them were the sugar factory, which was heavily expanded from 1975

assembly line An assembly line, often called ''progressive assembly'', is a manufacturing process where the unfinished product moves in a direct line from workstation to workstation, with parts added in sequence until the final product is completed. By mechan ...

, and administration buildings for the Riga Autobus Factory (RAF). Following Latvian independence, Jelgava has slowly regained its original Germanic heritage and is now a popular tourist site. Owing to Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, many of Jelgava's inhabitants are students or people connected with education. For this reason Jelgava is sometimes called the ''Student capital of Latvia''.

Climate

Jelgava 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'').

Demographics

As of 1 January 2022, the city had a population of 54,694.

Sights

Jelgava before the Second World War had regular, broad streets lined with the mansions 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 ...

nobility who resided at the former capital of Courland. The old castle (1266) of the dukes of Courland, situated on an island in the river, was destroyed by Duke Biren, who had a spacious palace erected (1738–1772) by

Bartolomeo Rastrelli Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (; 1700 – 29 April 1771) was an Italian architect who worked mainly in Russia. He developed an easily recognizable style of Late Baroque, both sumptuous and majestic. His major works, including the Winter Palace ...

at the bridge across the Lielupe. The palace contains the

sarcophagi A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek σάρξ ' meaning "flesh", and φ� ...

of almost all of the Curonian dukes, except the last one. The future

sojourned in the palace between 1798 and 1800. It now functions as

Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies The Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU; ), previously Latvia University of Agriculture (LLU; ), is a university in Jelgava, Latvia, specializing in agricultural science, forestry, food technology and related areas. Histo ...

. Other landmarks include the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

church of (Liela Street 22a), the tower of the destroyed Jelgava (Akadēmijas Street 1), and two handsome structures: the and the Academia Petrina. In addition the following cultural and historical objects can be seen:

(Lielā Street 2), Jelgava Old Town, Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary (Katoļu Street 11), St Simeon and St Anne's Cathedral (Raina Street 5), (Jāņa Street 1), Jelgava Baptist Church (Matera Street 54), Love Alley (Dobele highway), (Rīgas Street 22),

Jelgava Station Jelgava Station is the main railway station serving the city of Jelgava in the Semigallia region of southern Latvia. The station is located in the central part of the city, on the southeastern edge of the historic town centre, and a short distan ...

(Stacijas Street 1). File:Jelgava palace aerial view.jpg,

File:Academia Petrina.Jelgava.jpg, Academia Petrina File:Jelgavas Sv. Annas luterāņu baznīca 2003-03-08 - panoramio.jpg, St. Anne's Church File:Jelgavas Svētās Trīsvienības baznīca 2013-05-01.jpg, Destroyed Jelgava St. Trinity Church File:Jelgava Churches 01.jpg, Cathedral of the Immaculate Virgin Mary

Culture

Jelgava regularly hosts an international

Ice Sculpture Ice sculpture is a form of sculpture that uses ice as the raw material. Sculptures from ice can be abstract or realistic and can be functional or purely decorative. Ice sculptures are generally associated with special or extravagant events becaus ...

festival, Student Folk Festival, Easter Walk, Latvian Plant Days, Business Days, Jelgava City Festival, Summer

solstice A solstice is the time when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly sun path, excursion relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. Two solstices occur annually, around 20–22 June and 20–22 December. In many countries ...

in Jelgava, medicine market, International Cat Show "Jelgava Cat", Sports Day, International

Sand Sculpture Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural cl ...

Festival, and Milk Packet Boat Regatta, Beginning of the School Year, Metal Festival, Azemitologa Festival, Autumn fair " Miķeļdienas waiting", Latvian Amateur Theater Festival "Jokes come from the actor", Student Days,

Proclamation Day of the Republic of Latvia Latvia's Independence Day, officially known as the Proclamation Day of the Republic of Latvia, is celebrated annually on 18 November in Latvia. It marks the anniversary of the Proclamation of Independence of Latvia by the People's Council of Lat ...

s celebrations, New Year's Eve. The following museums operate in the city: Jelgava History and Art Museum, , historical expositions tower, , museum exposition in Jelgava Castle "Tombs of the Dukes of Kurzeme and Zemgale", Latvian Railway Museum Jelgava exposition, psychiatric hospitals "" museum, exposition. Libraries: (Akadēmijas Street 26), Pārlielupe Library (Loka highway 17), Miezīte Library (Dobele highway 100), children's library "Zinītis" (Lielā Street 15).

Parks

Green territories and parks: Jelgava Castle Park, Station Park, Rainis Park, Duke Jacob's Square, Square in Mātera Street, Alunāns Park, Svētbirze, Ozolpils Park, Valdeka Park, Ozolskers, Victory Park, Jelgava Psychoneurological Hospital Park, Lielupe floodplain meadows, Grēbner Park, forest near RAF residential area, forest near Jelgava bypass.

Sports

The city's main football team,

FK Jelgava FK Jelgava is a Latvian football club that is based in Jelgava. The club plays its home-matches at the Zemgales Olimpiskais Sporta Centrs stadium with capacity of 1,560 people. In 2021, the club dissolved its professional team, which was abso ...

, plays in the

Latvian Higher League Latvian Higher League or Virslīga, also known as TonyBet Virslīga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Latvia and the highest level of the Latvian football league system. Organised by the Latvian Footbal ...

and has won the

Latvian Football Cup The Latvian Football Cup () is the main knockout cup competition in Latvian football. Since 2021, its full name is Responsible Gaming Latvian Football Cup (''Atbildīgas spēles Latvijas kauss'') due to the sponsorship by sports betting company W ...

four times.

Notable people

Johann Heinrich Baumann Johann Heinrich Baumann (; 9 February 1753 – 29 July 1832) was a Baltic German artist who mainly lived and worked in what is today Latvia. Early life and education Johann Heinrich Baumann was born in Jelgava () into a German-speaking family. ...

(1753-1832) - painter * August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein (1826-1907) – linguist, folklorist, ethnographer *

(1724-1800), Duke of Courland * Vilnis Edvīns Bresis (1938-2017), politician * Jan Krzysztof Damel (1780-1840), painter *

Karl Eichwald Karl Eduard von Eichwald known as Karl Eichwald (, ''Eduard Ivanovich Eykhvald''; 4 July 1795, in Mitau, Courland Governorate – 10 November 1876, in Saint Petersburg) was a Baltic German geologist, physician, and naturalist, who lived his whole ...

(1795-1876), geologist, paleontologist and physician. * Johannes Engelmann (1832-1912), jurist * Kaspars Gerhards (born 1969), politician * Johannes von Guenther (1886-1973), writer *

Joseph Hirshhorn Joseph Herman Hirshhorn (August 11, 1899 – August 31, 1981) was an entrepreneur, financier, and art collector. Biography Born in Mitau, Latvia, the twelfth of thirteen children, Hirshhorn emigrated to the United States with his widowed moth ...

(1899-1981), entrepreneur,

financier An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital the investor usually purchases some species of property. Types of in ...

and

art collector A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individual ...

* Elise von Jung-Stilling (1829-1904), painter *

Edijs Jurēvics Edijs Jurēvics (sometimes anglicized as Eddie Jurevics; born 18 December 1989 in Jelgava) is a Latvian rock singer, guitarist, clarinetist, pianist and songwriter. He is the lead singer of the Latvian rock band Crow Mother. He began his music c ...

(born 1989), rocksinger and guitarist *

Renārs Kaupers Renārs Kaupers (sometimes anglicised as Reynard Cowper; born 1 September 1974) is a Latvian pop/rock singer, instrumentalist, and songwriter who is the vocalist of the band Prāta Vētra (known internationally as Brainstorm). Biography Kaupe ...

(born 1974), Latvian singer *

(1569-1642), Duke of Courland * Frederick Casimir Kettler (1650-1698), Duke of Courland * Ferdinand Kettler (1655-1737), Duke of Courland *

Frederick William, Duke of Courland Frederick William (; 19 July 1692 – 21 January 1711) was Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1698 to 1711. Frederick Wilhelm was the son of Friedrich Kasimir Kettler, Duke of Courland and Semigallia and Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Brande ...

(1692-1711), Duke of Courland *

Maria Amalia of Courland Princess Maria Amalia of Courland (Maria Anna Amalia Kettler; 12 June 1653 – 16 June 1711) was a Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel by her marriage to Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. She was a daughter of Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland and ...

(1653-1711), Landgravine of Hesse-Kassel *

Wilhelm Kettler Wilhelm Kettler (20 June 1574 – 7 April 1640) was the Duke of Courland, a Baltic German region in today's Latvia. He ruled the western Courland portion of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, while his brother Friedrich ruled the eastern ...

(1574-1640), Duke of Courland *

Adolph Theodor Kupffer Adolph Theodor Kupffer Fellows of the Royal Society, ForMemRS (17 January 1799 Jelgava – 4 June 1865) was a Baltic German (subject of Russian Empire) chemist, and physicist. He founded the Depot of Standard Weights and Measures, and the main ph ...

(1799-1865), chemist, and physicist *

Max Lazerson Maksis "Max" Lazerson (; 1 February 1887 in Jelgava, Russian Empire (present day Latvia) – 29 November 1951 in New York City, New York, USA) was a Latvian politician, jurist and philosopher. He was a member of Saeima from 1922 to 1925 and a ...

(1887-1951), politician *

Friedrich Ludwig Lindner Friedrich Ludwig Lindner (23 October 1772 - 11 May 1845) was a German writer, journalist and physician. Life Family provenance Friedrich Ludwig Lindner was born in Mitau, a prosperous midsized town in Courland (modern day Latvia) which at that ...

(1772-1845), German writer, journalist and physician * Paul von Medem (1800-1854), diplomat * Friedrich von der Pahlen (1780-1863), diplomat and administrator. * Elza Radziņa (1917-2005), Latvian actress * Johann Friedrich von Recke (1764-1846), senior public official in the Baltic Germans Duchy of Courland. * Einars Repše (born 1961), Latvian politician * Friedrich von Rüdiger (1783-1856), Baltic German military officer in service of the Russian Empire and a general of the Imperial Russian Army. *

Princess Pauline, Duchess of Sagan Luise ''Pauline'' Maria Biron, Princess of Courland, Duchess of Sagan (19 February 1782 – 8 January 1845) was the Duchess Regnant of Sagan between 1838 and 1845. She was Princess consort of Hohenzollern-Hechingen by marriage to Friedrich H ...

(1782-1845), Duchess of Sagan *

Princess Wilhelmine, Duchess of Sagan Katharina Friederike ''Wilhelmine'' Benigna, Princess of Courland, Duchess of Sagan (born 8 February 1781 in Mitau, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia); died 29 November 1839 in Vienna, Austrian Empire) was a German noble from the ruling family of ...

(1781-1839), Duchess of Sagan *

Carl Christian Joseph of Saxony Prince Karl Christian Joseph of Saxony, also anglicized as Charles of Saxony (13 July 1733 – 16 June 1796), was a German prince of the House of Wettin. He was Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, Duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1758 to 17 ...

Duke of Courland and Semigallia 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 Kingdo ...

(1759-1763) * Paul Schiemann (1876-1944), journalist, editor and politician * Carl Schmidt (1822-1894), chemist *

Artūrs Skrastiņš Artūrs Skrastiņš (born 18 September 1974) is a Latvian people, Latvian actor. In the theater, since 1996 he has worked for Dailes teātris. He also has taken part in several films. In 1998 he received the Latvian National Film Prize Lielais K ...

(born 1974), stage and film actor * Mamert Stankiewicz (1889-1939), the

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of the Polish merchant marine * Feodor Stepanovich Rojankovsky (1891-1970), illustrator *

Eduard Totleben Franz Eduard Graf von Tottleben (, tr. ; – ), better known as Eduard Totleben in English, was a Baltic German military engineer and Imperial Russian Army general. He was in charge of fortification and sapping work during a number of imp ...

(1818–1884), Russian military engineer *

Ernst Rudolf von Trautvetter Ernst Rudolf von Trautvetter (20 February 1809, in Jelgava – 24 January 1889, in St. Petersburg), was a Baltic German botanist, specialising in the flora of the Caucasus and central Asia. He was the son of Ernst Christian Johann von Trautvetter ...

(1809-1889), botanist * Gunars Upatnieks (born 1983), musician * Inese Vaidere (born 1952), politician * Johann Walter-Kurau (1869-1932), painter *

Kaspars Znotiņš Kaspars Znotiņš (born 7 October 1975) is a Latvian stage and film actor. Born in Jelgava, Latvia, Znotiņš began his career working on the New Riga Theatre, and has performed in stage productions at the Latvian National Theatre and Daile ...

(born 1975), stage and film actor

Sport

* Aleksejs Auziņš (1910-1997) – footballer, coach, ice hockey player * Andrejs Dūda (born 1981), swimmer * Ieva Gaile (born 1997), figure skater *

Kristīne Gaile Kristīne Gaile (born 26 January 1997) with her twin sister Ieva Gaile are Latvia, Latvian figure skaters. She was born in Jelgava, Latvia, where she started her skating career at the age of four. After two years she switched her coaches and star ...

(born 1997), figure skater * Olga Jakušina (born 1997), ice dancer *

Dzintars Lācis Dzintars Lācis (18 May 1940 – 17 November 1992), also known as Dzintars Latsis (), was a 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, alo ...

(1940-1992), cyclist * Natalia Laschenova (born 1973) Olympic team gold medalist (gymnastics) * Jānis Lūsis (1939-2020), Latvian (and Soviet) athlete — javelin thrower *

Vitālijs Samoļins Vitālijs Samoļins (born March 7, 1990, in Jelgava) is a Latvian chess player who holds the FIDE title of International Master (2009). He won the Latvian Chess Championship in 2009 and 2012. Vitālijs Samoļins played for Latvia in Chess Olympi ...

(born 1990), chess player *

Igors Šaplavskis Igors Šaplavskis (born 21 January 1968) is a Latvian boxing, boxer. He competed in the Boxing at the 1992 Summer Olympics – Light middleweight, men's light middleweight event at the 1992 Summer Olympics. References External links

* ...

(born 1968), boxer * Gatis Sprukts (born 1996), ice hockey player

Twin towns – sister cities

Jelgava is twinned with: *

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

, Estonia (1957) *

Šiauliai Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...

, Lithuania (1960) *

Vejle Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality (''Municipalities of De ...

, Denmark (1992) *

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the List of cities and towns in Poland, tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Biał ...

, Poland (1994) * Xinying (Tainan), Taiwan (2000) *

Alcamo Alcamo (; ) is the fourth-largest town and communes of Italy, commune of the Province of Trapani, Sicily, with a population of 44.925 inhabitants. It is on the borderline with the Metropolitan City of Palermo at a distance of about 50 kilometr ...

, Italy (2002) *

Hällefors Hällefors () is a locality and the seat of Hällefors Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders N ...

, Sweden (2004) *

Nacka Nacka () is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality and part of Stockholm urban area in Sweden. The municipality's name harks back to a 16th-century industrial operation established by the Crown at Nacka farmstead where conditions for water mi ...

, Sweden (2004) *

Rueil-Malmaison Rueil-Malmaison () or simply Rueil is a Communes of France, commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department, Île-de-France Regions of France, region. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is ...

, France (2006) *

Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk (, ), formerly Stanyslaviv, Stanislav and Stanisławów, is a city in western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast as well as Ivano-Frankivsk Raion within the oblast. Ivano-Frankivsk also host ...

, Ukraine (2007) * Nova Odessa, Brazil (2007) *

Como Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...

, Italy (2016) * Carmel, United States (2022) In 2022, Jelgava suspended the cooperation agreements with

Magadan Magadan ( rus, Магадан, p=məɡɐˈdan) is a Port of Magadan, port types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative centre of Magadan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the isthmus of the Staritsky Peninsula by the ...

and

Baranavichy Baranavichy or Baranovichi is a city in the Brest Region of western Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Baranavichy District, though it is administratively separated from the district. As of 2025, it has a population of 170,817. ...

due to

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

.Jelgava suspends cooperation agreement with twin cities Magadan (Russia) and Baranovichi (Belarus)
/ref>

References

External links

*
Map of Jelgava

City paper
{{Authority control Capitals of former nations State cities of Latvia Cities and towns in Semigallia Dobele county Holocaust locations in Latvia Populated places established in the 10th century