Ikšķile

Ikšķile
Town

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Coat of arms
Ikšķile

Location in Latvia

Coordinates: 56°49′N 24°29′E / 56.817°N 24.483°E / 56.817; 24.483Coordinates: 56°49′N 24°29′E / 56.817°N 24.483°E / 56.817; 24.483
Country  Latvia
District Ogre District
Town rights 1992
Government
  Mayor Indulis Trapiņš
Area
  Total 2.2 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
Population
  Total 8,331
  Density 3,800/km2 (9,800/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code LV-5052
Calling code +371 650
Number of city council members 15

Ikšķile ( pronunciation ; German: Uexküll; Livonian: Ikškilā) is a town in Latvia, the administrative centre of Ikšķile municipality. It was the first capital of the Roman Catholic Bishopric of Livonia, known by the German name of Üxküll. Saint Meinhard, known from the Livonian Chronicle of Henry, was the first bishop of Üxküll. In 1197 Berthold of Hanover, a Cistercian abbot of Loccum, was made the second bishop of Üxküll. Those days the town was the center of the upcoming crusading activities in the Livonian area. Bishop Berthold moved the episcopal see to Riga, but was killed by the Livs in battle. Ikšķile is one of the oldest Latvian populated counties, which can be seen by an ancient burial ground in today's rural areas of Ikšķile. The coast by the Daugava river has held a Livonian village on this site as far back as the 9th - 12th century.

Ikšķile Evangelical Lutheran Church

The Livonian word Ikšķile (or the German Uexküll) denotes "the ford or islet(s), i.e. a place (on the Daugava River) where it was possible to cross the river, belonging to the son of the nobleman Ike”. The personal name Ike has the honourable meaning ‘age, lifetime’. The Ike family had a great power in Livonia. They controlled the military and trade traffic across the Daugava at Ykescola ~ Ykescole.[1]

See also

List of cities in Latvia

References

Source: William Urban, The Teutonic Knights, a Military History, (London 2003) 82,83. ISBN 1-85367-535-0

  1. Urmas Sutrop (2003). "Ykescola ~ Ykescole attested in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia and Üksküla (Uexküll). To Tõnu Karma on his 80th birthday". Estonian Mother Tongue Society Year Book 49.
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