Author Topic: Rundale Palace  (Read 22411 times)

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ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #15 on: September 01, 2005, 01:19:51 PM »

Still the political activities were quite strong in Courland. Some landowners supported Poland, some Russia. In fact, the further fate of Courland was decided, when Russia with its allies began the third division of Poland. Having a "nice recommendation" of Russia, duke Peter Biron gave up his rights to Russia in 1795. By signing the final document in March 28, 1795, the Duchy of Courland ceased to exist.
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Courland as part of Russia and Soviet Union
The land was mostly owned by nobles of German descent. In 1863, laws were issued to enable Latvians, who formed the bulk of the population, to acquire the farms which they held, and special banks were founded to help them. By this means some farms were bought by their occupants; but the great mass of the population remained landless, and lived as hired labourers, occupying a low position in the social scale.
On the large estates agriculture was conducted with skill and scientific knowledge. Fruit grew well. Excellent breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs were kept. Libau and Mitau (Jelgava) were the principal industrial centres, with ironworks, agricultural machinery works, tanneries, glass and soap works. Flax spinning was mostly a domestic industry. Iron and limestone were the chief minerals; a little amber was found on the coast. The only seaports were Libau, Windau (Ventspils) and Polangen, there being none on the Courland coast of the Gulf of Riga.
After World War I, Courland became a part of the newly formed nation of Latvia. In 1940, it was annexed by the USSR, briefly conquered by Germany during World War II. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Courland became part of independent Latvia once more and it remains so to this day.
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Courland during World War II

At the start of Operation Barbarossa in 1941, Courland, along with the rest of the Baltic area belonging to the Soviet Union, was overrun by Army Group North headed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb. In 1944, the Red Army lifted the siege of Leningrad and re-conquered the Baltic area along with much of Ukraine and Belarus. However, some 200,000 German troops held out in Courland. They were besieged with their backs to the Baltic Sea. They were senselessly stuck there; the Red Army naturally did not pay attention to them because the Soviets were putting forth all their men and weapons into the attacks on East Prussia, Silesia, Pomerania, and ultimately Berlin. Colonel-General Heinz Guderian, the Chief of the German General Staff, insisted to Adolf Hitler that the troops in Courland should be evacuated by sea and used for the defense of the Reich. However, Hitler refused and ordered the German forces in Courland to hold out. On January 15, 1945, Army Group Courland (Heeresgruppe Kurland) was formed under Colonel-General Dr. Lothar Rendulic. Until the end of the war, Army Group Courland including division of Latvian Freiwiliger SS Legion succesfully defended the Latvian peninsula. It held out until May 8, 1945, when it surrendered under Colonel-General Carl Hilpert, the army group's last commander.


ipflo

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ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #17 on: September 01, 2005, 01:26:08 PM »
Some small notes on the not so known Jelgava palace from http://www.rigathisweek.lv/index.php?p=1&pp=-1&freeid=4 , which I could not further summarize or better:

Jelgava Palace is irrefutably the largest baroque palace in the Baltics, located in Jelgava, central Latvia. This impressive palace, designed by the Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, once housed the Dukes of Courland.
In the 14th century, the Livonian Order the building of a castle on this site. After dissolution of the Order, its last ruler, Gotthard Kettler, became the first ruler of the newly established Courland-Segallen Duchy. In the 16th and 17th centuries the old castle of the Order was remodelled. After Duke Ferdinand died without an heir in 1737 the Kettler family ceased to exist.
Duke Ernst Johann Biron levelled the castle in November 1737. The foundation of the new place was laid on June 14th, 1738. Rastrelli, made famous for his works in and around St. Petersburg designed this palace. The palace's construction was cut short by Ernst Johann Biron's arrest on November 20th in St. Petersburg. Biron's rule was usurped by the Duke's enemies and exiled for 22 years. In 1762 Tsar Peter III pardoned him and Catherine II reassigned the Duchy to him. Restoration works on the huge edifice began early 1766. The Duke and his family moved into the palace on December 8, 1772. Sixteen years later, a fire destroyed nearly half of the palace. It was left unrestored until the Duchy was dissolved. The Jelgava Palace housed government offices until the founding of the independent Latvian Republic in 1918. The palace was further damaged in 2 fires and burned down completely in 1919. After restoration, the building housed the Latvian Chamber of Agriculture in 1937. In 1939, the Academy of Agriculture moved into the palace.During WWII, the palace burned down again in July 1944. In 1963, the Latvian Academy of Agriculture again was located in the Jelgava palace, where it remains to present day.Only the vaulted passages and the main entrance hall still survive from the palace's original interior. The palace museum, which was established in 1968, boasts exhibitions on the palace's history.

ipflo

ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #18 on: September 01, 2005, 01:36:29 PM »
some images of Jelgava ( I could not find better)





http://www.kb.nl/gabriel/treasures/country/Poland/pl03-jpg.html


Offline Belochka

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #19 on: September 01, 2005, 10:01:29 PM »
What magnificent property.

Thank you for all the images and links.

Belochka  :)


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nikks

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #20 on: September 04, 2005, 05:05:39 AM »
Very good!!

ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #21 on: September 04, 2005, 01:34:34 PM »
Another picture of Jelgava Palace


Offline amedeo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #22 on: September 06, 2005, 02:29:37 PM »
Thank you!

ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #23 on: September 06, 2005, 02:42:39 PM »
You're welcome.

I also have a picture of the 19th century of the palace, but I do not know how to paste it on this forum.

ipflo

ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #24 on: February 01, 2006, 01:42:41 PM »
Some other pictures I found from Jelgava and Rundale







ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #25 on: February 01, 2006, 01:44:12 PM »







ipflo

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Re: Rundale Palace
« Reply #26 on: February 01, 2006, 01:46:59 PM »