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Lielvārde

Lielvārde
Town
Lielvārde Lutheran church
Lielvārde Lutheran church
Coat of arms of Lielvārde
Coat of arms
Lielvārde is located in Latvia
Lielvārde
Lielvārde
Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 56°42′N 24°50′E / 56.700°N 24.833°E / 56.700; 24.833
Country  Latvia
District Ogre District
Town rights 1992
Government
 • Mayor Imants Balodis
Area
 • Total 10 km2 (4 sq mi)
 • Rural territory 60 km2 (20 sq mi)
Population
 • Total 6,708
 • Density 671/km2 (1,740/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 507(0-1)
Calling code +371 650
Website http://www.lielvarde.lv/

Lielvārde (About this sound pronunciation ; German: Lennewarden), population 6328, is a town in Vidzeme, Latvia, the administrative centre of Lielvārde municipality on the right bank of the Daugava river, 52 km southeast of Riga.

The area was a contact zone between the Finnic Livonians and the Balts, and many prehistoric artifacts have been uncovered there. A Baltic hill-fort named Lennewarden being taken in fief by Albert of Buxhoeveden in 1201 is mentioned in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia. This site is called Dievukalns (Hill of the Gods) in Latvian. A stone castle was constructed by the Riga diocese in 1229; its ruins are still accessible today.

A parochial school was established when the area was part of Swedish Livonia, but ca. 70% of the population perished in the Great Plague of 1710. The opening of the Riga–Daugavpils Railway in 1861 led to the expansion of the town around the railway station Ringmundhofa later named Rembate. The town was entirely destroyed in World War I but was swiftly rebuilt after Latvia achieved independence.


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