History of Saldus
According to archaeological research, the territory of Saldus was inhabited by ancient Couronian tribes in the second millennium BC. The centre of the defended settlement was the castle, which stood on the hillfort next to Lake Saldus until the 13th century.
For the first time Saldus was mentioned in the Cours Treaty in 1253 whereupon the area (“Terra inter Schrunden et Semigallian” – the land between Skrunda and Zemgale) was given to the Livonian Order.
Saldus bore the German name Frauenburg for almost four centuries. A stone castle for the Order of German Knights was built in the 15th century, and a new settlement appeared near the castle.
In the 16th-17th centuries the area of Saldus became part of Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. In 1638 Saldus was the first estate of Duke Jacob (gouverned 1642-1682) during whose governance an iron furnace, a cannon foundry, a linen weaving mill, a leather processing factory, a sawmill, and a potassium production unit were operating in the area of Saldus. The Ciecere and the Venta rivers were used to deliver the produced goods to Skrunda and Ventspils. A post station on the road Jelgava-Klaipēda was founded in Saldus in 1632 and it promoted the development of the settlement.
During the Northern War the Frauenburg castle and the settlement were completely destroyed. In 1795 Saldus along with the rest of Kurzeme became part of the Russian Empire.
In the second part of the 19th century Saldus began to develop as a market place. First 42 building plots were measured from the land of Saldus estate and were sold in 1856.
In 1917 Saldus received full rights as a town. In 1919, Saldus was the first town in Latvia to be freed from Bolsheviks by the battalion of Latvian National Army led by Oskars Kalpaks. On 25 November 1919, the town was freed from the Bermont army. The town expanded after the Freedom Fights, and the town’s economy started to develop. At the final stage of World War II the town was in the middle of continuous fights in the Courland Pocket. On 8 May 1945, the USSR forces entered the town, and the Soviet occupation started. In 1991 Latvia regained independence, and economical and political changes in Saldus followed.
In July 2009 Saldus municipality was formed by the amalgamation of 16 local governments – Ezere, Jaunauce, Jaunlutriņi, Kursīši, Nīgrande, Novadnieki, Lutriņi, Pampāļi, Ruba, Saldus, Šķēde, Vadakste, Zaņa, Zirņi and Zvārde parishes, and Saldus town.
In 2021, Brocēni municipality was added to Saldus municipality. After the amalgamation, the current Saldus municipality consists of two towns – Saldus and Brocēni, and 19 parishes – Blīdene, Ciecere, Ezere, Gaiķi, Jaunauce, Jaunlutriņi, Kursīši, Lutriņi, Nīgrande, Novadnieki, Pampāļi, Remte, Ruba, Saldus, Šķēde, Vadakste, Zaņa, Zirņi, Zvārde.
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- Brīvības and Lielās Street. View from Kuldīga Road - circa 1885. Photo from the archive of the JRSVM Museum.
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- Brīvības and Lielās Street. View from Kuldīga Road - circa 1885. Photo from the archive of the JRSVM Museum.
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- Brivibas, Kuldīgas and Jelgavas streets. View from Brīvības Street - circa 1920. Photo from the archive of the JRSVM Museum.
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- Saldus Market Square – around 1935. Photo from the archives of the JRSVM Museum.
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- Saldus Market Square – around 1935. Photo from the archives of the JRSVM Museum.
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- Saldus Parish Council Building at Lielā Street No. 3 – around 1935. Photo from the JRSVM Museum archive.
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- The section of Lielās Street near E. Brandt's bicycle shop – around 1935. Photo from the JRSVM Museum archive.
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- Section of Skrundas Street at the intersection with Dārza Street. View from the fire tower – around 1935. Photo from the JRSVM Museum.
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- Construction of Brīvības, Kuldīgas, Saules, Rūpniecības and Tūristu streets – around 1975. Photo from the JRSVM museum archive.
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- Section of Lielā Street near O. Kalpakas Square – 1961. Photo from the JRSVM Museum.
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- Section of Skrundas Street at the intersection with Dārza Street – 1974. Photo from the JRSVM Museum archive.
| 13th century | Saldus was first mentioned in the Curonian Treaty of 1253, after which the Saldus region was transferred to the Livonian Order. |
| 15th century | For almost four centuries Saldus bore the name of the German Frauenburg. A stone castle was built for the German Order. A new settlement was built in its vicinity. |
| 16th - 17th century | Saldus was incorporated into the Duchy of Courland-Semigallia, and in 1638 Saldus was the first estate of Duke Jacob (reigned 1642-1682), during whose reign an iron furnace, cannon foundry, flax weaving mill, leather tannery, sawmill and potash brewery were operating in the Saldus area. The products were transported to Skrunda by the Ciecere river and then to Ventspils by the Venta. In 1632, a post station for the Jelgava - Klaipėda postal route was opened in Saldus, which contributed significantly to the development of the settlement. |
| 18th century | At the beginning of the Great Northern War, King Charles XII of Sweden and his army arrived at Frauenburg Palace. During the Great Northern War, the castle and the settlement were completely destroyed. In 1795 Saldus, like the rest of Courland, was incorporated into the Russian Empire. |
| 19th century | In 1856 Saldus began to develop as a trading town. |
| in 1917. | In 1917 Saldus was granted town rights. |
| 20th century | Saldus became the first town in Latvia to be liberated from the Bolsheviks on 10 March 1919 by the Kalpaka Battalion of the Latvian National Army. On 25 November 1919, the town was liberated from the Bermontians. After the Battle of Independence, the town expanded and the town economy began to develop. At the end of the Second World War, the town was in the Kurzeme Fortress, a zone of prolonged fighting. On 8 May 1945, the USSR troops entered Saldus. The Soviet occupation began. |
| 1991. | 1991 saw the restoration of the independent state of Latvia and the associated changes in the life of the city. |
| 21st century | In 2009, as a result of the administrative reform, the Saldus Region was established, consisting of 16 territorial units - the city of Saldus and 15 municipalities (Ezeres, Jaunauce, Jaunlutrini, Kursisi, Lutrini, Nīgrande, Novadnieki, Pampali, Ruba, Saldus, Šķede, Vadakste, Zaņa, Zirņu and Zvārde municipalities). |
| 2021. | From 1 July 2021, the territory of Brocēni municipality will be added to Saldus municipality. The newly created Saldus Municipality comprises 19 parishes - Blīdene, Ciecere, Ezeres, Gaiķi, Jaunauce, Jaunlutrini, Kursisi, Lutrini, Nygrande, Novadnieki, Pampali, Remte, Ruba, Saldus, Šķede, Vadakste, Zaņa, Zirņu, Zvārde parishes and two towns - Brocēni and Saldus. |