While looking about the countryside of Latvia on Google earth, I happened upon what looks to be the ruins of a church on the banks of the river Lielupe.  The shadows cast by the walls give the impression of what was once a steeple.  The site is 15 miles SE of the airport at Jelgava.  For the more technically minded, its at 56º31’35.00” N, 23º59’25.00”E.

Does anyone know what this place is, or was?  Where can one go to find out about the history that took place here?  I’m tempted to fly to Latvia just to poke around and see what it really looks like.

This is not it, but interesting......
You could ask the folks at Jelgava
city hall.
http://alise.jzb.lv/alise/?critattr=SUBJKEYWORD&critval;=#ā#Hercoga+Jēkaba+laukums-attēli&opty=3&srchty=1&izdty_book=on&izdty_periodic=on&izdty_analythic=on&Hid1;=&Hid2=on&Hid3;=&lang=lv&catsrc=local

I looked on a new Latvian map to identify the site and then looked on my 1940 road map of Latvia and it was a church in 1940. The name by it is Pazoļi but I can’t tell if it is the name of the church or the family living beside it.

Sveiki!

I believe that your sharp eye caught sight of the ruins of the Salgales Lutheran Church, which was destroyed during WWII.  Parts of the interior were saved and are now displayed at the Rundales castle museum.  Here are some fotos of the remains and a map:

http://www.vietas.lv/index.php?p=2&id=10810

For Latvian language readers, there is more information about the church’s history – including efforts to preserve the remains in the last decade+ – that can be found at:

http://www.zz.lv/drukat.php?id=18428

Although the old church hasn’t been renovated, a new, more centrally located church was built in 2003 that was easier for the local community to reach.

Visu labu,

Elizabete

Wow - thanks so much.  That is definitely the Salgale church.  The shape of the river that adjoins the Lielupe matches exactly, as does the steeple seen in the shadows on Google Earth.

With my fledgling attempts at learning Latvian, I will have a fun time translating the history that was linked.  More opportunities to enlist corrections from Latvian friends.

One of the only pieces of family documentation that I have is a photocopy of my Grandmother’s baptismal certificate.  While the writing is only mostly legible, it looks like it reads ‘Ota 10th Aprīli 1894 Salgales baznīcā’.

One of the only pieces of family documentation that I have is a photocopy of my Grandmother’s baptismal certificate. While the writing is only mostly legible, it looks like it reads ‘Ota 10th Aprīli 1894 Salgales baznīcā’.

Ota must be the last 3 letters of “izdota”,
a date of issue.

pete