Destroyed utterly following the Second World War, the House of Blackheads is now once again a jewel that adorns Rīga. Once upon a time, German traders gathered here, behind the most beautiful facade in the city.
History
As another Latvian Independence Day is upon us, it is a perfect time to look again at the events of November 18, 1918 and understand what enabled them to take place.
The name “Old Stenders” is familiar to any student in Latvia. The activities of this erudite priest-scientist were manifold and heavily influenced by the time he spent in Germany. But he would forever remain a Lett at heart.
Mid-November in Latvia is always the time of freedom celebration, starting on Lāčplēsis Day November 11 and ending with Independence Proclamation Day on November 18. Here are some ideas to enhance or test your knowledge on the history surrounding these events.
November 11 is Latvia's day to remember those who have fallen in defense of the Latvian nation and its hard-won freedoms.
Lāčplēsis Day is the day upon which Latvia's soldiers are honored, and though it coincides with the day upon which the end of the First World War is commemorated in many other countries, the Latvian events are subtly different, officially marking the day in 1919 when a crucial victory against allied German and White Russian forces was won in the fledgling republic, which had declared independence a year earlier.
For a long time, Jewish culture was an indispensable part of Latvia’s culture. Nazi crimes put an abrupt stop to that with the Rīga Ghetto a key part of the suffering.
Liepāja would look a lot different today if not for Paul Max Bertschy. In the late 19th century, this German architect substantially changed the city’s features, in which Latvia’s third city takes pride even now.
200 years ago, Richard Wagner experienced a short guest stint as Kapellmeister here in Rīga. He was destined for the world, but his stay in Rīga proved significant both to him and the city.
In the famous fairy tale published by the Brothers Grimm, the Town Musicians of Bremen drive robbers out of their forest house. In Old Rīga, the Town Musicians of Bremen drove out the specter of the Cold War. The sculpture of the Bremen Musicians is a favorite of tourists from across the globe.
On Saturday, October 16, an innovative exhibition will be opened at the Talsi Regional Museum, the name of which is "Nenotveramais" or "Elusive". The exhibition is created by the museum in cooperation with representatives of various fields - writers, musicians, actors and others, and it is dedicated to the legendary Latvian anarchist Jānis Žāklis, once the world's most wanted man.
Considered a walking encyclopedia, Wilhelm Neumann (Vilhelms Neimanis) was a pioneer in architecture, research and monument maintenance. The impressive career of this versatile researcher started in Daugavpils.
One month and a half after completing reconstruction works of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, it cannot open yet. State agency JSC Valsts nekustamie īpašumi (VNĪ) (State Real Estate) found 1,300 minor and major mistakes in the construction work, Latvian Television broadcast 'Kultūršoks' reported October 4.
A shipwreck that is at least 12 meters long has been found on the beach of Daugavgrīva, near Rīga, and probably dates back to the 19th century, according to the National Cultural Heritage Board, which is preparing documentation to give it the status of a newly discovered cultural monument.
The Latvian National Opera is an emblem of national culture. Many a musician’s careers took off here. But did you know the building was initially built for upper-class Baltic Germans in Rīga?
In this series we take a look at the lasting legacy of the German presence in Latvia over the centuries and in particular the many places you can visit today to see that legacy in physical form.
September 17, 2021 is exactly 30 years since Latvia became a member of the United Nations.
On the night of August 18, 1991, a coup or putsch was attempted in Moscow. Latvian Television has produced a documentary, now complete with English subtitles, unraveling the events of the days surrounding the coup in Moscow and in Latvia.
August 23, 2021 marks 32 years since the historical Baltic Way, also known as the Baltic chain - a human chain weaving through all three Baltic States August 23, 1989.
A planned exhibition to show parallels between the 'Baltic Way' of 1989 and the 'Hong Kong Way' of 2019 has been cancelled, organizers told LSM August 20.
A new video has been produced by the Latvian Saeima charting the events of August 21, 1991, when Soviet power made one last, desperate bid to re-assert itself by staging a coup in Moscow.
In a move that seems guaranteed to raise the hackles of the Chinese Communist Party, an exhibition is set to open at the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia that draws parallels between the struggle of the Baltic states to regain independence from the Soviet Union, and pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong thirty years later.
We have been contacted by a reader, Barbara Laimins, who would like to discover the significance of some family items she recently discovered. Perhaps one of our other readers can provide the necessary expertise?
Latgale has begun serious work to preserve old traditions and skills. Ludza Craftspeople Association has launched the production of educational films for the next generations, Latvian Radio reported July 30.
One of the darkest days in Latvian history is commemorated July 4: Jewish genocide memorial day.
Today, we each have our own last name, which we take with us if we move somewhere. But in the Middle Ages, each man had a name and even what seemed like a surname, but in fact it was not his own surname, but the name of the place from which he came - that is, the name of his house or homestead.
On June 14 Latvia commemorates the thousands of citizens deported to Siberia by the Soviet authorities 80 years ago - many of whom never came back.
To mark the tragic events of June 14, 1941, when more than 15,000 people were deported from occupied Latvia by order of the Soviet leadership, Latvian Television will premiere director Dzintra Geka's latest documentary "Road to Siberia, 1941".
A new object has been discovered in the course of the construction work of Riga Castle. Experts estimate it could be an around 600-year-old kitchen hearth or furnace, said Renārs Griškevičs, chair of the State Real Estate (VNĪ) May 24.
Almost every culture is familiar with the traditional way of bordering off a territory - the fence. The Latvian Television program "Pūra lāde" (The Dowry Chest) visited weaver Juris Milčs in Jelgava to learn about making a traditional wooden fence.