Jēkabpils (English: Jakobstadt) is a city in eastern Latvia, on the Daugava River halfway between Riga and Daugavpils. It is considered the unofficial capital of the Selija region. In 2022, Jēkabpils had 21,339 inhabitants.
The historical parts of Jēkabpils and the northern incorporated Krustpils lie on both sides of the Daugava, which is spanned by a bridge here. Since July 1, 2021, the city is part of Jēkabpils District.
The area was part of the state of Jersika. In 1237 the Knights of the Livonian Order built a stone castle called Cruczeborch (Kreutzburg) on the right bank of the river.
When Livonia was partitioned in 1561, the region south of the Daugava became part of the Duchy of Courland and Zemgale. In 1655 the settlement of Sloboda, which consisted of war refugees, is mentioned. During the 17th century, Old Believers persecuted by Russia also settled in Sloboda. By 1670 their settlement gradually grew around an inn called Salas Krogs (Island Jugs) to a town on the left bank of the river. The Duke of Courland, Jakob Kettler, who gave it city rights, gave it the name Jakobstadt.
During the Great Northern War, Jakobstadt was conquered by the Swedes in 1700 and then by the Russians in 1704. After the battle of Jakobstadt that followed shortly thereafter, however, the advance was over. A plague epidemic raged in 1710, but after the end of the war in 1721 the economy recovered. In 1764 a ferry to Kreutzburg was established.
From 1796 Jekabpils then belonged to the Russian governorate of Courland. The construction of the railway line on the other side of the Dvina reduced the transport importance of Jekabpils. Nevertheless, an economic upswing can be recorded until the beginning of the First World War. 280 buildings were destroyed in the fighting on the Dvina during this war. From July 1919, the Baltic State Army used Jekabpils as a base for a defensive position to the east.
In 1932 a sugar factory was built and in 1936 a bridge with a narrow-gauge connection to Krustpils was built.
The bridge was destroyed in World War II but rebuilt in 1962. This year Krustpils was incorporated. Large companies were a large sewing factory, a reinforced concrete prefabricated parts factory, the dairy and a canning factory. After Latvia's independence in 1991, many companies were closed (Wikipedia).
Old Town Square. At the time of the city's founding in the 17th century, the square was owned by the state, that is, by the duke, and its use was related to the operation of the port.
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