Description of the present-day town

Vision of Cēsis

In 2022 Cēsis is our home-town. The breath from the old centuries is still felt in Cēsis. It is a city with well-found and clean setting around, inviting guests from all the corners of the world. Using knowledge, got from modern technologies, we live in a safe and dynamic Europian city with high living standards. The enterprises of the city are able to compete in global economy: in tourism industry, wood-working and food-processing industries, textile industry, industry of information’s and technologies, presenting high value both to city and regional economics. Our children want to live in Cēsis and are proud of their city!"

Nature conditions

Geographical position

Cēsis is located in the north-eastern part of Latvia, in Vidzeme Upland (87 km from Rīga and 70 km from the Baltic Sea), where the Upland meets the Gauja ancient river valley. Right here, at the physically-geopgraphical contact zone of both regions there is a unique and picturesque landscape spreading on both banks of the river valley. That is why the surroundings of Cēsis is one of the most beautiful places of Latvia, playing a great role in recreation and health care of population.

Climate

The climate of Latvia is influenced by its geopgraphical position - the location near the Baltic Sea - the district, where the air mass comes mainly from the Atlantic Ocean.

Cēsis is located in humid, continental, ralatively mild climatic region of Latvia. The average air temperature of the year is +5.1°C, the coldest month of the year is January with the month’s average air temperature –6.2°C , the warmest month is July with the month’s average air temperature +16.7°C. The predominating winds are south, southwest, the highest wind speed is in November–January (3-8m/s), the lowest in July–August (2-5m/s), the maximal wind speed in breezes-34m/s (in October, November).

The air mass from the Atlantic, which is the predominating one, provides humid conditions, notable cloud cover and significant rainfall. The rainfall on average is possible every second day. The average rainfall of the year is 691mm. Most of all it rains in June-September (77-96mm), often the rainstorm is accompanied by thunderstorm, hail, being intensive. Absolute maximum of the rainfall per month dates back to June 1928 - 224mm. Comparatively small amount of the rainfall is in February-March (24-29mm). In winter taking the form of snow the rainfall is less intensive, but durable.

Historic description of the town

In the 11^th and 12^th centuries, the region around Cēsis was populated by the Lettigalians and Livs of Vidzeme. Their lands were known as Idumeja and Tālava. At the place near the banks of the Gauja River at Riekstu kalns (Nut Hill), which is now within the borders of Cēsis, the city was really born. Before the settlement of the German feudal lords in the Baltic region, the hill was the site of a wooden castle, which was populated by the Vends – a tribe related to the Livs.

Cēsis appears in historical documents for the first time in 1206. In 1207 – 1209 German Crusaders on a hillock that stood opposite the Vendian castle mound began to construct a stone castle.

In the early 13^th century the settlement of the traders and craftsmen was established adjacent to the castle. The chronicles of Henricus first mentioned the village of Cēsis in 1221.

The village was found in what is now the south – western part of the Cēsis old city – where Līvu, Katrīnas and Mazā Katrīnas Streets are now.

In 1237 the Cēsis castle becomes a residence of the master of the Livonian Order. The reconstruction work of the castle begins. The adjacent village grows, too, and the territory of it enlarges to the East of the castle hill. New streets and squares appear and the new buildings are put up. From 1281 to 1284 the Dome Church was built. Later it was renamed St. John’s Church. A document from 1323 describes Cēsis as a city. In the latter half of the 13^th century Cēsis was enclosed with massive fortifying walls and towers. In the early 14^th century the Cēsis city fortifying walls were enlarged. Behind the stonewall there was St. Catherine’s Church and the outer building area along the roads, leading to Rīga and Limbaži. The wall, which had four gates, surrounded the city: Raunas, Rīgas, Ūdens and Katrīnas.

In the second half of the 14^th century the city centre moves from "the Livs’ part" to the East. Near St. John’s Church the central market - square was set up and the town hall was built.

With the development of trade, Cēsis flourished as a city in the 15^th century. The city joined the Hanseatic League and had a local branch of the international Guild of Blackheads, the Small and the Big Guild.

As a residence of the master of the Livonian Order, Cēsis was a city of the international significance. In the late 15^th century and up to the first half of the 16^th century the coins were struck in Cēsis. There was also a school in the city.

In the second half of the 16^th century the further development of the city was halted by the onset of the Livonian War. In 1577 the city was overrun by the forces of Ivan the Terrible, and both the castle and the city were sacked. One legend from this period claims that the residents of the castle filled the cellar with powder and blew themselves up in the West Tower rather than surrendering to Ivan the Terrible.

Next Cēsis fell into the hands of the Poles and the Swedes. The Polish – Swedish War began in 1600. Eventually Cēsis once again fell to the Swedes – King Gustav Adolf took the city in 1626. A part of the city was rebuilt at that period of time. Among the restored buildings there was a school building in Skolas Street 6.

The city was burned to the ground during the great fires in 1671 and 1686. But it was rebuilt and restored again. The city plan which dates back to the year 1693 serves as the evidence of the past: the street network, the parcels of land, the squares and separate public buildings are described there.

The horrors of war were once again visited upon the city during the Northern War (1700-1721). Saxon armies overran Cēsis in 1700, by the Swedes in 1701 and by the Russians in 1703.The Russians sacked the city thoroughly. The mighty walls of the castle and the city, the fortifying towers were destroyed and never restored again. People were killed, taken as prisoners of war and brought to Russia. Nearly everyone was killed during the epidemic of the Plague in 1710.

In 1748 there was another fire, this time burning down nearly the entire city. St. John’s Church burned down, as did the old town hall at the market square. During this period the Russian Count Alexei Bestuzhev – Rjumin, who had been given the city as a gift in 1747 by Empress Elizabeth, controlled the city. The count forbid local residents from rebuilding their own houses, and ordered that the ground upon which buildings once stood and the streets went, be ploughed under and that rye and oats be sown. It was only in 1762, that Empress Catharine the Great once again awarded Cēsis the rights of a city. The city slowly began to recover. There were 70 buildings in the city in 1764, 24 of which were the stone ones.

In 1777 Count Carl Georg Sievers bought the Cēsis Castle and the parcels of land around. It was an heirloom of Sievers’ till the Land Reform of 1920.

In 1785 Cēsis became the city of the region. There were more than 1000 residents in the city of that time.

In the 2^nd half of the 18^th century the following buildings were built:

The New Castle (1777)

• The Courthouse (Pils Street 12)
• The School Building (1789; Skolas Street 6)
• The Harmony Building (Rīgas Street 24)
• The City Hall (1767; Rīgas Street 7)
• The School Building ("People’s School") (1786; Torņa Street 3)
• The City Hospital (1762 – 1768; Lielā Katrīnas Street 27)

In the 19^th century the growth in population was remarkable: from 1300 residents in 1817 to 6356 residents in 1897.

The city enjoyed a period of particularly active development in the latter half of the 19^th century, thanks in large part to the Cēsis – Drabeši highway, which was installed in 1868 and connected Cēsis to the much larger Rīga – Pskov highway. The Rīga – Valka railroad was opened in 1889.

This served not only for promotion of the development of industry, trade and building in Cēsis, but also for the development of the city as a recreation area. At the end of the 19^th century Cēsis was known throughout the Russian Empire as a spa town. People built summer homes and resorts in the Gauja River valley.

A new church was built on the foundations of the former Catherine’s Church in 1845. The current tower of St. John’s Church was built in 1853. The church contains many gravestones. There are more than 30 gravestones. Among those who are buried at St. John’s Church are a number of masters of the Livonian Order, including Walther von Plettenberg.

A new courthouse was built in 1882 in Raunas Street 14. 1884 – 1885 the Latvian Society House ("Latviešu biedrības nams") was built.

Till 1914 some new public buildings were built in Cēsis: a hospital, 2 churches and several preaching-houses, a library with the reading-room, 3 schools, Seminary of Teachers, several Society Houses, and a telephone network and telegraph as well. The central sewerage – system and water-supply system, as well as electricity was installed in much of the city.

At the beginning of the 20^th century Cēsis was the largest town in Vidzeme region (except Valka on the Latvian – Estonian border which was later on divided into two separate tows.)

World War I had little effect on Cēsis – luckily enough. In 1921 the population of the city was 7, 403. There were cobbled streets and well - preserved public and apartment houses as well as nice parks and gardens in the city.

During the first period of Latvian independence (1920 – 1940), Cēsis was a political and economic centre of Vidzeme district.

World War II caused extensive damage to the city, the remnants of some of which can still be seen today. Military activity destroyed 38 buildings.

After World War II, industrial enterprises were built in Cēsis: "Autoremonta rūpnīca" (Auto repair shop and factory), "Cēsu autotransporta apvienība" (Transportation Service).

During the period of "Awakening" Cēsis was the first city in Latvia, where our country’s maroon–white– maroon flag was raised in the Tower of the New Castle.