Aluksne
Encyclopedia
Alūksne is a town
on the shores of Lake Alūksne
in northeastern Latvia
near the borders with Estonia
and Russia
. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality
.
tribes, and from the 8th-12th centuries by Latgalians
. The date of settlement at the current location of the town, then known as Olysta, Alyst, and Volyst, is given in the chronicle
s of Pskov
as 1284. The later name Alūksne comes from the Latgalian
word olūksna, meaning a spring in the forest.
The Latgalian inhabitants of the settlement were conquered by the German
crusaders of the Livonian Order
in 1342 . They built a castle
named Marienburg
(after Mary, the mother of Jesus) on a nearby island, which served to protect trade routes from Riga
to Pskov. The town which developed near the castle also became known as Marienburg.
Marienburg was captured by the troops of Ivan IV of Russia
in 1560 during the Livonian War
. It was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
in 1582. The town became part of the Swedish Empire
in 1629.
Ernst Glück, a Lutheran
clergyman and the first translator of the Bible into Latvian, founded the first Latvian language schools in Vidzeme
in 1683. It is now the Alūksne Museum
The Russian army led by Sheremetyev captured the town during the Great Northern War
in 1702, doing great damage to the area and deporting all the inhabitants, including Glück and his foster daughter, Marta Skavronska, who later became Empress Catherine I of Russia
.
The town's island is known as Pils Island (Castle Island) and Maria Island. Alūksne Castle
is now used as an open air theater.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
on the shores of Lake Alūksne
Lake Alūksne
Lake Alūksne is located in Aluksne municipality, Latvia.The city of Alūksne is located by the lake.The lake has four islands. The ruins of a historical Alūksne Castle are on the largest island .Alūksne River flows out of the lake....
in northeastern Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
near the borders with Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality
Alūksne municipality
Alūksne municipality is a municipality in Vidzeme, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Alsviķi parish, Anna parish, Ilzene parish, Jaunalūksne parish, Jaunanna parish, Jaunlaicene parish, Kalncempji parish, Liepna parish, Maliena parish, Mālupe parish, Mārkalne parish, Pededze...
.
History
The region around Lake Alūksne was originally settled by Finnic-speakingFinnic languages
The term Finnic languages often means the Baltic-Finnic languages, an undisputed branch of the Uralic languages. However, it is also commonly used to mean the Finno-Permic languages, a hypothetical intermediate branch that includes Baltic Finnic, or the more disputed Finno-Volgaic languages....
tribes, and from the 8th-12th centuries by Latgalians
Latgalians
The term Latgalians The term Latgalians The term Latgalians (Latgalian: latgalīši, latgali, (also spelt Latgallians and sometimes known as Lettigalls, Latgolans, or Lettigallians) can refer to the inhabitants of the Latgale region in eastern Latvia in general, the ethnic Latvians of Latgale...
. The date of settlement at the current location of the town, then known as Olysta, Alyst, and Volyst, is given in the chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
s of Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
as 1284. The later name Alūksne comes from the Latgalian
Latgalian language
Latgalian language can mean one of the following:#It was a language spoken by Latgalians in a great part of the area which is now Latvia. Latgalian was a member of the Baltic group of the Indo-European language family. Historically the Latvian language is derived from Latgalian Latgalian language...
word olūksna, meaning a spring in the forest.
The Latgalian inhabitants of the settlement were conquered by the German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
crusaders of the Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
in 1342 . They built a castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
named Marienburg
Alūksne Castle
Alūksne Castle is a castle of Teutonic Knights in current Alūksne, North-Eastern Latvia.- History :The castle was built in 1342 on the largest of the islands in the Lake Alūksne and called Marienburg . The first castle was constructed by the Landmeister Burkhard von Dreileben...
(after Mary, the mother of Jesus) on a nearby island, which served to protect trade routes from Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
to Pskov. The town which developed near the castle also became known as Marienburg.
Marienburg was captured by the troops of Ivan IV of Russia
Ivan IV of Russia
Ivan IV Vasilyevich , known in English as Ivan the Terrible , was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres,...
in 1560 during the Livonian War
Livonian War
The Livonian War was fought for control of Old Livonia in the territory of present-day Estonia and Latvia when the Tsardom of Russia faced a varying coalition of Denmark–Norway, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland.During the period 1558–1578,...
. It was incorporated into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
in 1582. The town became part of the Swedish Empire
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
in 1629.
Ernst Glück, a Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
clergyman and the first translator of the Bible into Latvian, founded the first Latvian language schools in Vidzeme
Vidzeme
Vidzeme is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. Literally meaning "the Middle Land" it is situated in north-central Latvia north of the Daugava River...
in 1683. It is now the Alūksne Museum
Aluksne Museum
Alūksne Bible Museum is a Latvian Christian museum in Alūksne in Latvia. It was in this place that Johann Ernst Glück famously translated the Holy Bible into the Latvian language. It is now designated as a museum to honour his work....
The Russian army led by Sheremetyev captured the town during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
in 1702, doing great damage to the area and deporting all the inhabitants, including Glück and his foster daughter, Marta Skavronska, who later became Empress Catherine I of Russia
Catherine I of Russia
Catherine I , the second wife of Peter the Great, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1725 until her death.-Life as a peasant woman:The life of Catherine I was said by Voltaire to be nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter the Great himself. There are no documents that confirm her origins. Born on...
.
The town's island is known as Pils Island (Castle Island) and Maria Island. Alūksne Castle
Alūksne Castle
Alūksne Castle is a castle of Teutonic Knights in current Alūksne, North-Eastern Latvia.- History :The castle was built in 1342 on the largest of the islands in the Lake Alūksne and called Marienburg . The first castle was constructed by the Landmeister Burkhard von Dreileben...
is now used as an open air theater.