Daugavpils - History

History

The town's history began in 1275 when Dünaburg castle was built by the Livonian Order 20 km up the Daugava river from where Daugavpils is now situated. In 1561 it became part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (see: Duchy of Livonia) and in 1566 became capital of the Inflanty Voivodeship, which existed until the First Partition of Poland. In 1577, Dünaburg castle was captured and destroyed by Russian tsar Ivan the Terrible. That same year, a new castle was built 20 km downriver. In 1582 Daugavpils was granted Magdeburg town rights. In the 17th century, during the Russo–Swedish War initiated by Alexis of Russia, the Russians captured Daugavpils, renamed the town Borisoglebsk and controlled the region for 11 years, between 1656 and 1667. Russia returned the area to Poland following the Treaty of Andrusovo.

From 1784 onwards, the city had a large and active Jewish population among whom figured a number of prominent figures. According to the Russian census of 1897, out of a total population of 69,700, Jews numbered 32,400 (so around 44% percent).

As part of the Russian Empire the city was called Dvinsk (1893–1920). The town was renamed Daugavpils in 1920 as part of an independent Latvia. The city was the site of the Battle of Daugavpils from 1919 to 1920. Daugavpils was part of the Soviet Union between 1940–41 and 1944–1991, and was occupied by the Nazis between 1941–44. The Nazis established the Daugavpils Ghetto where the town's Jews were forced to live. During the Cold War it was the site of the Lociki air base, 12 km northeast of the town itself.

On Friday, April 16, 2010, vice mayor Grigory Nemtsov of Daugavpils was shot dead in the center of the city. The crime remains unsolved.