Dobele

Dobele (pronunciation^ⓘ; German: Doblen) is a town in the Semigallia region of Latvia. It is located near the center of Latvia on the banks of the river Bērze. It received town rights in 1917 whilst being a part of the German occupied Courland Governorate during the First World War.^[3] As of 2020, the population was 8,856.^[4]

Dobele
Town
Dobele castle ruins.
Flag Coat of arms
Dobele Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 56°37′N 23°16′E
Country	Latvia
Municipality	Dobele Municipality
Town rights	1917
Government
• Mayor	Andrejs Spridzāns
Area [1]
• Total	8.03 km2 (3.10 sq mi)
• Land	7.91 km2 (3.05 sq mi)
• Water	0.12 km2 (0.05 sq mi)
Population  (2024)[2]
• Total	8,589
• Density	1,100/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	LV-370(1-2)
Calling code	+371 637
Climate	Dfb
Website	www.dobele.lv

Proportional distribution of different ethnicities in Dobele

Name origin

In a German document from 1254 a place name Dubelene or Dubelone has been used. Later the names Doblene, Doblenen and Doblen also have been used for this inhabited location. The original place name can be reconstructed as Dobelene or Dobeliene, but its origins are linked to the place name duobe (pit or delve) and duobele (dip, dimple). Most likely, the reconstructed place name Dobelene meant 'populated area in a dimple'.^[5]

History

Dobele is first mentioned in historical sources in 1254; however, at that time it was only a wooden fortress which was destroyed during the Semigallian War of Independence (1279–1290), the final phase of the Northern Crusades in Latvia. On its spot, a new stone castle was erected in 1335 and a small settlement grew up around it. The ruins of this fortress are still visible and are in the process of being restored. The original church was constructed in 1495, and eventually, the fortress developed into a trading post. In the 17th century, a watermill, sawmill, a cardigan mill, and a vinegar-works were constructed during the reign of duke Jacob Kettler. In 1927, the Jelgava–Liepāja Railway connected the city to other important towns and a period of development resulted.

Industry

Dobele is the home of many large enterprises, such as mills, the "Seal" chemical plant, and the "Baltic Candles" candle factory.^[6]

Schools

• Dobele State Gymnasium

Culture

The town of Dobele has a Cultural Centre as well as a museum. The town is also the location of 8 nationally protected monuments, such as the old castle, church, and town hall.^[7]

There are several annual festivals and holidays celebrated including the Ielīgosim Jāņus, the Midsummer celebration, and the jubileja, or festival, which changes yearly.

Climate

Dobele has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).

Climate data for Dobele (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1949-present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	10.4 (50.7)	13.8 (56.8)	20.0 (68.0)	26.5 (79.7)	30.6 (87.1)	33.1 (91.6)	35.8 (96.4)	35.1 (95.2)	30.7 (87.3)	23.5 (74.3)	16.8 (62.2)	11.5 (52.7)	35.8 (96.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−0.3 (31.5)	0.0 (32.0)	4.5 (40.1)	12.0 (53.6)	17.7 (63.9)	20.9 (69.6)	23.7 (74.7)	23.0 (73.4)	17.5 (63.5)	10.7 (51.3)	4.7 (40.5)	1.2 (34.2)	11.3 (52.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−2.6 (27.3)	−2.7 (27.1)	0.7 (33.3)	6.6 (43.9)	12.0 (53.6)	15.6 (60.1)	18.1 (64.6)	17.4 (63.3)	12.6 (54.7)	7.0 (44.6)	2.5 (36.5)	−0.8 (30.6)	7.2 (45.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−5.2 (22.6)	−5.6 (21.9)	−2.8 (27.0)	1.9 (35.4)	6.2 (43.2)	10.0 (50.0)	12.7 (54.9)	12.1 (53.8)	8.1 (46.6)	3.6 (38.5)	0.3 (32.5)	−3.1 (26.4)	3.2 (37.7)
Record low °C (°F)	−34.1 (−29.4)	−35.9 (−32.6)	−25.7 (−14.3)	−13.2 (8.2)	−3.7 (25.3)	0.3 (32.5)	4.7 (40.5)	1.9 (35.4)	−3.7 (25.3)	−9.2 (15.4)	−21.7 (−7.1)	−31.9 (−25.4)	−35.9 (−32.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	38.6 (1.52)	29.6 (1.17)	29.6 (1.17)	32.3 (1.27)	42.9 (1.69)	66.6 (2.62)	77.1 (3.04)	64.0 (2.52)	53.8 (2.12)	62.2 (2.45)	45.0 (1.77)	38.8 (1.53)	580.5 (22.87)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	9	8	8	7	8	9	10	9	9	11	10	10	108
Average relative humidity (%)	88.0	86.0	79.4	71.1	68.6	73.0	75.2	76.2	81.5	86.3	89.9	89.9	80.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours	40.1	69.6	147.1	209.2	291.4	286.8	305.5	262.9	175.9	107.7	40.5	30.7	1,967.4
Source 1: LVĢMC[8][9]
Source 2: NOAA (precipitation days, humidity 1991-2020)[10]

Demographics

Latvians make up 75.5% of the population while Russians, at 14%, are a significant minority. Other groups include Belarusians - 3.3%, Lithuanians - 2.3%, Ukrainians -1.8%, Poles - 1.5%, and 1.6% are of other nationalities.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% 1840 100 —     1881 1,083 +983.0% 1914 2,000 +84.7% 1915 375 −81.2% 1925 1,551 +313.6% 1935 2,470 +59.3% 1943 2,650 +7.3% 1959 6,246 +135.7% 1979 13,027 +108.6% 1989 15,023 +15.3% 1997 12,765 −15.0% 2007 11,146 −12.7% 2008 11,201 +0.5% 2009 11,241 +0.4%	Year Pop. ±% 2010 11,214 −0.2% 2011 11,066 −1.3% 2012 10,895 −1.5% 2013 10,771 −1.1% 2014 10,540 −2.1% 2015 10,348 −1.8% 2016 10,113 −2.3% 2017 9,868 −2.4% 2018 9,702 −1.7% 2019 9,575 −1.3% 2020 9,452 −1.3% 2021 9,371 −0.9% 2022 9,225 −1.6%
Source: Latvian Geospatial Information Agency

Gallery

• 
  Dobele Lutheran church (1495)
• 
  Catholic church (2003)
• 
  Dobele Railway Station
• 
  The main square
• 
  19th-century buildings in the city center

Notable people

• Oskars Bārs (1848–1914), architect
• Gunārs Saliņš (1924–2010), modernist poet
• Alexei Kudrin (born 1960), politician, economist
• Linda Mūrniece (born 1970), politician, journalist
• Uldis Augulis (born 1972), politician
• Viktors Ščerbatihs (born 1974), weightlifter, Olympic silver-medalist
• Andris Naudužs (born 1975), racing cyclist
• Gatis Eglītis (born 1978), politician
• Lauris Reiniks (born 1979), musician
• Andrejs Šeļakovs (born 1988), basketball player
• Māris Bogdanovičs (born 1991), cyclist
• Emīls Liepiņš (born 1992), cyclist
• Ritvars Suharevs (born 1999), weightlifter
• Kristers Tobers (born 2000), football player
• Daniela Ivanova (born 2002), weightlifter

See also

• List of cities in Latvia
• Dobele crater