Saldus

Saldus, Latvia
Town

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Coat of arms
Saldus, Latvia

Location in Latvia

Coordinates: 56°40′N 22°30′E / 56.667°N 22.500°E / 56.667; 22.500Coordinates: 56°40′N 22°30′E / 56.667°N 22.500°E / 56.667; 22.500
Country  Latvia
District Saldus District
Town rights 1917
Government
 • Mayor Indra Rassa
Area
 • Total 10.1 km2 (3.9 sq mi)
Population
 • Total 12,224
 • Density 1,251/km2 (3,240/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code LV-3801
Calling code +371 638
Number of city council members 11

Saldus ( pronunciation ; German: Frauenburg) is a Latvian town located in Courland (Latvian: Kurzeme) and is the main town in Saldus District. In 2005 the town had a population of 12,707.

1856 is considered the year Saldus was founded, when the board of Domens' decided to establish a trade center. Although there was an active economy by the end of 19th century, and Saldus was the cultural center of the region, it wasn’t officially recognized as a town until 1917.

One of the oldest buildings in the town is Saldus St.John's church. Documents from 1461 mention a wooden church. It has been reconstructed several times. The tower, bombed in 1944, was rebuilt in 1981–1982.

Saldus has developed itself as an important cultural, educational, business and trade center. There are about 500 approved companies operating in Saldus, with main branches in building construction, wood processing and food processing.

These days Saldus also boasts a very active cultural life, featuring local musicians, poets, painters and artists.

Since 1946 Saldus has been home to the Saldus School of Music. In 1984 Saldus Art School was founded.

Notable people

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Saldus is twinned with:

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saldus.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 4/15/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.