Dobele is a city on the banks of the Bērze River in Zemgale, the administrative center of Dobele region. Dobele Castle was the last ancient Latvian castle in the territory of Latvia, which carried out armed resistance to the Livonian Order until 1290. Dobele is the 18th largest city in Latvia.
In 1254, a place name Dubelene or Dubelone was recorded in a German document; later also Doblene, Doblenen, Doblen. The original place name can be reconstructed as Dobelene or Dobeliene, but its origin is related to the Latvian words duobe ('pit' or 'plank') and duobele ('maza pitre', 'gramba'). Most likely, the reconstructed place name Dobelene has meant 'a settlement in a small hollow'.
The city of Dobele
has formed on the site of the huge Dobele meteorite crater. Dobele
Castle with the ancient city was first mentioned in April 1254 in
the Zemgale division agreement, when the Dobele castle district
received manure depending on the Livonian Order. The treaty signed
in Riga on July 6, 1272, provided that the brothers of the German
Order were recognized as chiefs, but the Semigallians retained their
rule and rights. Master of the Livonian Order Conrad from Fehtwangen
1280-1281. in the winter of Jelgava went on a crusade against Dobele
Castle, but was unable to occupy it. In 1290, the brothers of the
order resorted to other tactics and repeatedly devastated Dobele
region until "they became naked and poor" and famine ensued.
Finally, the people of Dobele left their castle and moved to Raktė
castle mound in Žagarė and other counties, which are now located in
the territory of Lithuania. After the destruction and emigration of
the Semigallians, the county was sparsely populated for a long time.
In 1335, Eberhard, a master of the Livonian Order from Monheim,
fortified the Dobele castle mound and began to build a castle for
the war against the Samogitians. In 1376, Dobele Castle became the
administrative center of the castle district or commander. In 1495,
a church for the Latvian congregation was built in Dobele.
In
1561, in the treaty of surrender of the Livonian Order (Vilnius
Union), the Dobele Command was included in the Duchy of Kurzeme and
Zemgale, however, only in 1566 did the Duke's troops expel the last
Dobele Commander Tīsa von der Reki from the castle, who refused to
submit to the Duke. In 1579 and 1613, the Landtags of Kurzeme took
place in Dobele Castle. 1642-1682 During the reign of Duke Jacob,
Dobele operated a watermill, a wool carder, a vinegar boiler and a
sawmill. In 1710, Duke Friedrich Wilhelm wanted to move his
residence from Jelgava to Dobele during the Great Mayor, but this
was not possible due to the poor condition of the castle. In 1775,
Dobele Castle and the settlement were so dilapidated that the Duke
moved all administrative institutions to Jelgava, and a park was
established on the castle mound. In 1870, the Song and Dance
Festival of 1870 took place near the ruins of Dobele Castle, it is
believed that it was the first Song and Dance Festival in Latvia. In
1917, Dobele was granted city rights
The
Song Day of 1870 in Dobele was the first Latvian Song Festival in
the Kurzeme Province, which took place on June 26, 1870 in Dobele.
It was attended by 15 choirs from Dobele, Ārlava, Bauska, Bērzmuiža
(Jaunbērze), Bukaiši, Durbe, Džūkste, Iecava, Irlava, Jaunpils,
Kalnamuiža, Ķevele, Līvbērze, Sesava and Strutele with about 400
participants. The orchestra of the teachers' seminar arrived in
Dobele, Irlava, about 50 kilometers away, and a symphony orchestra
of about 40 men took part in the song day.
Dobele Song Day
gathered about 4,000 listeners, the total income was about 400 gold
rubles, which was bequeathed to the Latvian school for the deaf.
The coat of arms of the city of
Dobele is one of the official symbols of the city of Dobele.
Approved on October 31, 1925.
The shield of the coat of arms
forms the principle of the color distribution of the national flag -
a red background divided by a silver band. Across all three bars,
facing the upper left corner of the shield, is a white sword with a
blue shadow and a golden handle, symbolizing the Semigallian
struggles against the German crusaders.