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82-828: Strik-Strikfeldt was born in Riga , Latvia (then part of the Russian Empire), and attended the Nicholas Cavalry College  [ ru ] in St. Petersburg . He attended the centenary celebrations of the Battle of Borodino in 1912, and during World War I volunteered to fight as an officer in the Imperial Russian Army against Germany. During the Russian Civil War he fought against

164-793: A trade route since antiquity, part of the Vikings' Dvina–Dnieper navigation route to Byzantium. A sheltered natural harbor 15 km (9.3 mi) upriver from the mouth of the Daugava—the site of today's Riga—has been recorded, as Duna Urbs , as early as the 2nd century. It was settled by the Livs , a Finnic tribe. Riga began to develop as a centre of Viking trade during the early Middle Ages . Riga's inhabitants engaged mainly in fishing, animal husbandry , and trading, later developing crafts, including bone, wood, amber, and iron. The Livonian Chronicle of Henry testifies to Riga having long been

246-516: A 50-strong unit, was immediately increased in size to 1,200 on the urging of Strik-Strikfeldt. At Dabendorf Strik-Strikfeldt and his staff initiated two Russian language newspapers : Dobrovolets ("Volunteers") for ordinary Russian volunteers and auxiliaries serving in the Army and Zarya ("Dawn") for PoWs. Strik-Strikfeldt also persuaded Vlasov to publish, in March 1943, his article "Why I took up

328-715: A German PoW camp in Vinnitsa . The two developed a close rapport, with Vlasov addressing Strik-Strikfeldt privately by the Russian-style patronymic "Wilfried Karlovich". In September 1942 Strik-Strikfeldt was formally seconded to the OKW Propaganda Department office in Berlin as a Betreuer ("Confidante") responsible for Vlasov. Early in November 1942 Gehlen and von Stauffenberg were able to authorize

410-576: A campaign of forced Christianization . Berthold died soon afterwards and his forces were defeated. The Church mobilized to avenge this defeat. Pope Innocent III issued a bull declaring a crusade against the Livonians . Bishop Albert was proclaimed Bishop of Livonia by his uncle Hartwig of Uthlede , Prince-Archbishop of Bremen and Hamburg in 1199. Albert landed in Riga in 1200 with 23 ships and 500 Westphalian crusaders. In 1201, he transferred

492-592: A century earlier, and many Latvians had been baptized. Meinhard settled among the Livs, building a castle and church at Uexküll (now known as Ikšķile ), upstream from Riga, and established his bishopric there. The Livs, however, continued to practice paganism and Meinhard died in Uexküll in 1196, having failed in his mission. In 1198, the Bishop Berthold arrived with a contingent of crusaders and commenced

574-578: A fire caused by the Wehrmacht (renovated in 1954). Another example is the House of the Blackheads , completely destroyed, its ruins subsequently demolished; a facsimile was constructed in 1995. In 1989, the percentage of Latvians in Riga had fallen to 36.5%. In 2004, the arrival of low-cost airlines resulted in cheaper flights from other European cities such as London and Berlin, and consequently

656-532: A member of the Hanseatic League . The Hansa was instrumental in giving Riga economic and political stability, thus providing the city with a strong foundation which endured the political conflagrations that were to come, down to modern times. As the influence of the Hanseatic League waned, Riga became the object of foreign military, political, religious and economic aspirations. Riga accepted

738-461: A substantial increase in numbers of tourists. On 21 November 2013, the roof of a supermarket collapsed in Zolitūde , one of the neighbourhoods of the city, possibly as a result of the weight of materials used in the construction of a garden on the roof. Fifty-four people were killed. Latvian President Andris Bērziņš described the disaster as "a large-scale murder of many defenceless people". Riga

820-551: A trading centre by the 12th century, referring to it as portus antiquus (ancient port), and describes dwellings and warehouses used to store mostly flax, and hides. German traders began visiting Riga, establishing a nearby outpost in 1158. Along with German traders the monk Meinhard of Segeberg arrived to convert the Livonian pagans to Christianity. Catholic and Orthodox Christianity had already arrived in Latvia more than

902-476: Is humid continental (Köppen Dfb ). The coldest months are January and February, when the average temperature is −2.1  °C (28  °F ) but temperatures as low as −20 to −25 °C (−4 to −13 °F) can be observed almost every year on the coldest days. The proximity of the sea causes frequent autumn rains and fogs. Continuous snow cover may last eighty days. The summers in Riga are mild and rainy with an average temperature of 18 °C (64 °F), while

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984-658: Is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , noted for its Art Nouveau /Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. Riga was the European Capital of Culture in 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden. Riga hosted the 2006 NATO Summit , the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 , the 2013 World Women's Curling Championship , and the IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships in 2006 , 2021 , and 2023 . It

1066-585: Is a democratically elected institution and is the final decision-making authority in the city. The Council consists of 60 members or deputies who are elected every four years. The Presidium of the Riga City Council consists of the Chairman of the Riga City Council and the representatives delegated by the political parties or party blocks elected to the City Council. From February to October 2020,

1148-461: Is an abbreviation for the German phrase zur besonderen Verwendung , or alternatively the synonymous phrase zur besonderen Verfügung . Translations for the phrases zur besonderen Verwendung and zur besonderen Verfügung include: During World War II , some German state-controlled businesses in the civilian and military economy received the z. b. V. designation. In the Wehrmacht ,

1230-611: Is further divided into a Champions Competition and an Open Competition to allow choirs from all backgrounds to enter. Choral workshops and festivals are also witnessed in the host cities and are usually open to the public. The radio and TV tower of Riga is the tallest structure in Latvia and the Baltic States, and one of the tallest in the European Union, reaching 368.5 m (1,209 ft). Riga centre also has many great examples of Gothic revival architecture, such as

1312-680: Is home to the European Union 's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). In 2017, it was named as the European Region of Gastronomy . In 2019, Riga received over 1.4 million foreign visitors. The city is served by Riga International Airport , the largest and busiest airport in the Baltic States. Riga is a member of Eurocities , the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC), and Union of Capitals of

1394-700: Is one of the largest in the Baltics. It handled a record 34 million tons of cargo in 2011 and has potential for future growth with new port developments on Krievu Sala. Tourism is also a large industry in Riga and after a slowdown during the global economic recessions of the late 2000s , grew 22% in 2011 alone. Riga was intended to become the global financial centre in the former Soviet Union. One bank , which provided high levels of secrecy for its customers, promoted itself as "We are closer than Switzerland!" (Russian: «Мы ближе, чем Швейцария!» ). On 28 July 1995, twenty Latvian banks with assistance of persons from

1476-716: The Sicherheitsdienst ("Security Service") of the SS, and even rival elements within the Army who wanted to absorb and "assimilate" Dabendorf. When many Russian Hiwi 's were withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to work on fortifications in the West, Dabendorf sent propagandists to raise morale and soothe troubled spirits. However several were arrested in France and others sent directly back to Dabendorf. Strik-Strikfeldt

1558-673: The Allgäu . On 14 April Vlasov, Kroeger, and a few senior officers of the Russian Liberation Army tracked him down and they had their last meeting. Strik-Strikfeldt agreed to negotiate their surrender with the Western powers. Interrogated by the US Colonel Snyder and later General Patch , Strik-Strikfeldt became a PoW and was moved to Augsburg where he was interned with Göring and Gehlen amongst others. Later he

1640-673: The Bolsheviks in Latvia and Ingria , as a supporter of the White movement . In 1920 he met Gustav Hilger (later a counsellor to the Nazi German embassy in Moscow in 1939–41) in his capacity as an official co-ordinating efforts to repatriate Austrian and German military prisoners after the war. That same year Strik-Strikfeldt settled back in Riga , in the newly independent Latvia. In

1722-504: The European Cup for Women's Champion Clubs , turning Riga into the capital city of European basketball because for the first and, to date, only time in the history of European basketball, clubs from the same city were concurrent European men's and women's club champions. In 2015, Riga was one of the hosts for EuroBasket 2015 and will host for the third time in 2025 . ZbV z. b. V. (also z.b.V. , ZBV , ZbV , and zbV )

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1804-697: The Great Northern War , the Crossing of the Düna took place nearby, resulting in a victory for king Charles XII of Sweden . Between November 1709 and June 1710, however, the Russians under Tsar Peter the Great besieged and captured Riga , which was at the time struck by a plague . Along with the other Livonian towns and gentry, Riga capitulated to Russia , but largely retained their privileges. Riga

1886-511: The Kalpaka Boulevard Library , and a bevy of Art Nouveau architecture, as well as a medieval old town. Riga has one of the largest collections of Art Nouveau buildings in the world, with at least 800 buildings. This is due to the fact that at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, when Art Nouveau was at the height of its popularity, Riga experienced an unprecedented financial and demographic boom. In

1968-618: The Latgale , Vidzeme and Zemgale suburbs. Three entities were established on 1 September 1941, and the other three were established in October 1969. There are no official lower-level administrative units, but the Riga City Council Development Agency is working on a plan, which officially makes Riga consist of 58 neighbourhoods . The current names were confirmed on 28 December 1990. The climate of Riga

2050-745: The Livonian War , Riga for twenty years had the status of a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire before it came under the influence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth by the Treaty of Drohiczyn , which ended the war for Riga in 1581. In 1621, during the Polish–Swedish War (1621–1625) , Riga and the outlying fortress of Daugavgrīva came under the rule of Gustavus Adolphus , King of Sweden , who intervened in

2132-627: The Neo-Latvians was followed by the socialist New Current during the city's rapid industrialisation, culminating in the 1905 Revolution led by the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party . The 20th century brought World War I and the impact of the Russian Revolution of 1917 to Riga. As a result of the battle of Jugla , the German army marched into Riga on 3 September 1917. On 3 March 1918,

2214-655: The Paris Stock Exchange organised the Riga Stock Exchange which was the first Latvian stock exchange in Riga. The Mežaparks Great Bandstand (Latvian: Mežaparka Lielā estrāde) is a open-air bandstand in Mežaparks park . The Bandstand is the place where the Latvian Song and Dance Festival , one of the largest amateur choral and dancing events in the world and part of UNESCO Masterpieces of

2296-637: The Reformation in 1522, ending the power of the archbishops. In 1524, iconoclasts targeted a statue of the Virgin Mary in the cathedral to make a statement against religious icons. It was accused of being a witch, and given a trial by water in the Daugava river. The statue floated, so it was denounced as a witch and burnt at Kubsberg. With the demise of the Livonian Order (1561) during

2378-876: The Rhine to Cologne . Later they met with Dr. Julius Lippert (the Stadtpräsident of Berlin ), and also the Minister of Finance , Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk , to discuss the Russian liberation movement and the urgent need to reform the treatment of Russian labourers inside Germany. By late Autumn 1943 Dabendorf was under constant criticism from the Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories (the Ostministerium ),

2460-674: The Riga City Council also voted to demolish the Monument to the Liberators of Soviet Latvia and Riga from the German Fascist Invaders . On 20 May, a rally called "Getting Rid of Soviet Heritage" took place in Riga to call for removing Soviet monuments in Latvia, it was attended by approximately 5,000 people. The demolition began 22 August 2022 and on 25 August 2022, the obelisk was toppled. In 2022, after

2542-648: The Russian invasion of Ukraine , the street on which the Embassy of the Russian Federation is located was renamed "Independent Ukraine Street." Riga is one of the largest city in the three Baltic states : (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). Riga is home to approximately one tenth of the three Baltic countries' combined population. Riga's administrative divisions consist of six administrative entities: Central , Kurzeme and Northern districts and

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2624-594: The Thirty Years' War not only for political and economic gain but also in favour of German Lutheran Protestantism . During the Russo-Swedish War (1656–1658) , Riga withstood a siege by Russian forces. Riga remained one of the largest cities under the Swedish crown until 1710, a period during which the city retained a great deal of autonomous self-government. In July 1701, during the opening phase of

2706-468: The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, giving the Baltic countries to Germany. Because of the armistice with Germany of 11 November 1918, Germany had to renounce that treaty, as did Russia, leaving Latvia and the other Baltic States in a position to claim independence. Latvia, with Riga as its capital city, thus declared its independence on 18 November 1918. Between World War I and World War II (1918–1940), Riga and Latvia shifted their focus from Russia to

2788-407: The Waffen-SS intended to make greater use of Soviet and Eastern European minorities under SS auspices. Strik-Strikfeldt also held meetings at this time with SS-Gruppenführer Otto Ohlendorf (the deputy secretary of state in the Ministry for Economics and former commander of Einsatzgruppe D ), SS-Brigadeführer Walter Schellenberg (head of Ausland-SD ) and Dr. Otto Wächter (creator of

2870-399: The Baltic, and despite demographic changes, the Baltic Germans in Riga had maintained a dominant position. By 1867, Riga's population was 42.9% German. Riga employed German as its official language of administration until the installation of Russian in 1891 as the official language in the Baltic provinces , as part of the policy of Russification of the non-Russian-speaking territories of

2952-462: The Dom Cathedral, built St. James's Church , (now a cathedral) and founded a parochial school at the Church of St. George. In 1227, Albert conquered Oesel and the city of Riga concluded a treaty with the Principality of Smolensk giving Polotsk to Riga. Albert died in January 1229. He failed in his aspiration to be anointed archbishop but the German hegemony he established over the Livonia would last for seven centuries. In 1282, Riga became

3034-430: The European Union (UCEU). The precise origin of the name is unknown, however there are numerous and speculative theories for the origin of the name Riga : However, the most reliably documented explanation is the affirmation by German historian Dionysius Fabricius (1610) that Riga's name comes from its already established role in trade: "Riga obtained its name from the buildings or warehouses found in great number along

3116-583: The German armed forces during World War II, officer staffs designated z. b. V. had no subordinate combat troops. Those staffs stood by in general reserves or in the reserves of particular armies or army groups and waited to be activated as the staffs of new combat units. The German air force had similar z. b. V. staffs for regional air defense purposes, the Luftgaustäbe . Next to officer staffs, singular officers could also be designated z. b. V. , such as Gen. z.b.V.b. ObdH , General zur besonderen Verfügung beim Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres , 'general attached to

3198-420: The KGB located at 61 Brīvības iela , known as 'the corner house', is now a museum. Stalin's deportations also included thousands of Latvian Jews. The mass deportation totalled 131,500 across the Baltics. During the Nazi occupation, the Jewish community was forced into the Riga Ghetto and a Nazi concentration camp was constructed in Kaiserwald . On 25 October 1941, the Nazis relocated all Jews from Riga and

3280-576: The Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity list, takes places every five years. Riga hosted the biannual 2014 World Choir Games from 9 to 19 July 2014 which coincided with the city being named European Capital of Culture for 2014. The event, organised by the choral foundation, Interkultur , takes place at various host cities every two years and was originally known as the "Choir Olympics". The event regularly sees over 15,000 choristers in over 300 choirs from over 60 nations compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in over 20 categories. The competition

3362-431: The Russian Empire, including Congress Poland , Finland and the Baltics, undertaken by Tsar Alexander III . More and more Latvians started moving to the city during the mid-19th century. The rise of a Latvian bourgeoisie made Riga a centre of the Latvian National Awakening with the founding of the Riga Latvian Association in 1868 and the organisation of the first national song festival in 1873. The nationalist movement of

Wilfried Strik-Strikfeldt - Misplaced Pages Continue

3444-418: The Russian Liberation Army in the Posen area. On 20 January 1945 Strik-Strikfeldt's wife, and daughter Dela, were evacuated from Posen. Three days later Sergei Frohlich ordered him to travel to Frankfurt an der Oder immediately, whence he was collected and taken to Dabendorf. In early April 1945 Gehlen had Strik-Strikfeldt posted as sick and after some confusion at the OKH , he left and took his family to

3526-458: The Russian Liberation Movement ), are an important source regarding the Russian Liberation Movement and General Vlasov , and also the role played by Baltic Germans. Riga Riga ( / ˈ r iː ɡ ə / REE -gə ) is the capital, the primate , and the largest city of Latvia . Home to 605,273 inhabitants, the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga metropolitan area , which stretches beyond

3608-428: The Soviet forces invaded Latvia occupying bridges, post/telephone, telegraph, and broadcasting offices. Three days later, Latvian president Kārlis Ulmanis was forced to approve a pro-Soviet government which had taken office. On 14–15 July, rigged elections were held in Latvia and the other Baltic states, The ballots held the following instructions: "Only the list of the Latvian Working People's Bloc must be deposited in

3690-428: The Ukrainian 14th Waffen-SS Division ). Strik-Strikfeldt was even initially interviewed by the head of the SS recruitment office, SS-General Gottlob Berger . Strik-Strikfeldt was then obliged to arrange a personal meeting between Vlasov and Berger where the latter appointed SS-Oberführer Erhard Kroeger as a formal liaison officer between Vlasov and the SS. Strik-Strikfeldt agreed since Kroeger had been involved in

3772-419: The ballot box. The ballot must be deposited without any changes." The alleged voter activity index was 97.6%. Most notably, the complete election results were published in Moscow 12 hours before the election closed. Soviet electoral documents found later substantiated that the results were completely fabricated. The Soviet authorities, having regained control over Riga and Latvia imposed a regime of terror, opening

3854-1029: The banks of the Duna, which the Livs in their own language are accustomed to call Riae". The "j" in Latvian rīja hardened to a "g" in German. English geographer Richard Hakluyt (1589) corroborates this account, calling Riga as Rie , as pronounced in Old Latvian. This is further supported by the fact that Riga is called Riia in Estonian (a language closely related to Livonian ). [REDACTED] Terra Mariana ( condominium of Archbishops of Riga and Livonian Order ) 1201–1561 [REDACTED] Imperial Free City 1561–1582 [REDACTED] Poland–Lithuania 1582–1629 [REDACTED] Swedish Empire 1629–1721 [REDACTED] Russian Empire 1721–1917 [REDACTED] German Empire 1917–1918 [REDACTED] Republic of Latvia 1918–1940 [REDACTED]   Latvian SSR 1940–1941 [REDACTED] Nazi Germany 1941–1944 [REDACTED] [REDACTED]   Latvian SSR 1944–1990 [REDACTED] Republic of Latvia 1990–present The river Daugava has been

3936-403: The city limits, is estimated at 860,142 (as of 2023). The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Baltic Sea . Riga's territory covers 307.17 km (118.60 sq mi) and lies 1–10 m (3–33 ft) above sea level on a flat and sandy plain. Riga was founded in 1201, and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga's historical centre

4018-414: The commander-in-chief of the army'. In 1941, Wehrmacht probationary and punishment units started also to receive the z.b.V. designation. Such units were made up of men that were convicted of minor and disciplinary offenses and had a specific criteria for joining. However, as the war progressed, the criteria would soon be limited only to fitness for combat and mental health. By the war's end, almost all of

4100-414: The cornerstone for the Riga Dom . Riga was not yet secure as an alliance of tribes failed to take Riga. In 1212, Albert led a campaign to compel Polotsk to grant German merchants free river passage. Polotsk conceded Kukenois ( Koknese ) and Jersika to Albert, also ending the Livs' tribute to Polotsk. Riga's merchant citizenry chafed and sought greater autonomy from the Church. In 1221, they acquired

4182-410: The countries of Western Europe. The United Kingdom and Germany replaced Russia as Latvia's major trade partners. The majority of the Baltic Germans were resettled in late 1939 , prior to the occupation of Estonia and Latvia by the Soviet Union in June 1940. During World War II , Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union in June 1940 and then was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1941–1944 . On 17 June 1940,

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4264-444: The early 1920s Strik-Strikfeldt was involved in Fridtjof Nansen 's activities to alleviate the Great Famine in Russia . Between 1924 and 1939 he represented the interests of British and German heavy engineering companies in Latvia. His work was also part of the literature event in the art competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics . In late 1939 Strik-Strikfeldt, along with the majority of Latvia's ethnic Germans ( Volksdeutsche ),

4346-451: The establishment of a "training camp for Russian volunteers, to be known as Ost-propagandaabteilung ZbV (Eastern Propaganda Department ZbV)…. The proposed camp, with huts, at Dabendorf , was not far from Berlin. In due course the Ostpropagandaabteilung was known simply as Dabendorf." Propagandaabteilung Dabendorf was granted the status of an independent battalion commanded by Captain Strik-Strikfeldt and although initially conceived as

4428-427: The formal ceremony declaring the Manifesto of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia. However General Gehlen ordered him to arrange a meeting and translate between Vlasov and General Ernst Köstring, so he was present at the official programme. At the evening banquet Vlasov made a speech and publicly acknowledged an "unnamed German officer of the rank of Captain". Strik-Strikfeldt tried to squirm out of

4510-537: The former Russian Imperial Army he was only inducted into the Army as a captain . He was initially attached to Field-Marshal Fedor von Bock 's HQ in the Warthegau, where he met and worked with Generalmajor ( Major-General ) Reinhard Gehlen and Generalmajor Henning von Tresckow . Gehlen encouraged him to lecture to other officers during the war on Der Russische Mensch ("The Russian Man") and even helped distribute Strik-Strikfeldt's lecture as an official OKW Propaganda Department paper to intelligence officers along

4592-532: The front line. Early in 1942 Strik-Strikfeldt was transferred to the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) "War Booty Collection Centre" office in Angerburg , East Prussia , to sort through captured Russian military papers and documents for the Fremde Heere Ost ("Foreign Armies East") of the Army General Staff. In the spring and summer he worked briefly with Gehlen and Claus von Stauffenberg . Over July and August 1942 Strik-Strikfeldt met and interviewed ex-Communist and former Soviet Army General Andrey Vlasov in

4674-414: The headquarters of the KGB , massive deportations started. Hundreds of men were arrested, including leaders of the former Latvian government. The most notorious deportation, the June deportation took place on 13 and 14 June 1941, estimated at 15,600 men, women, and children, and including 20% of Latvia's last legal government. Similar deportations were repeated after the end of World War II. The building of

4756-426: The large multi-storied housing blocks were built to house immigrant workers. By the end of World War II, Riga's historical centre was heavily damaged from constant bombing. After the war, huge efforts were made to reconstruct and renovate most of the famous buildings that had been part of the skyline of the city before the war. Such buildings were, amongst others, St. Peter's Church which lost its wooden tower after

4838-454: The offer and Gehlen arranged for him to take sick leave in Pomerania where he wrote up a rough draft history of the Vlasov movement that would later serve as the basis for his 1970 book " Gegen Stalin und Hitler. General Wlassow und die russische Freiheitsbewegung " ("Against Stalin and Hitler: Memoir of the Russian Liberation Movement"). In December 1944 one of Gehlen's officers visited Strik-Strikfeldt and asked him to help accommodate units of

4920-461: The offices of the Mayor and Vice Mayors were suspended and the council itself had been dissolved and replaced by an interim administration of representatives from three governmental ministries until snap elections were held in 2020. With 605,270 inhabitants in 2024 as according to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, Riga was one of the largest cities in the Baltic states , though its population has decreased from just over 900,000 in 1991 and

5002-458: The old town. Riga has a rich basketball history. In 1937, as the defending champions, in hosted the second edition of the EuroBasket tournament. In the 1950s, Rīgas ASK became the best club in the Soviet Union and also in Europe, winning the first three editions of the European Cup for Men's Champions Clubs from 1958 to 1960. In 1960, ASK was not the only team from Riga to take the European crown. TTT Riga clinched their first title in

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5084-566: The percentage of Russians fell from 47.3% to 35.7% in the same time period. In 2022 citizens of Latvia made up 79.0%, non-citizens 15.3% and citizens of other countries 5.6% of the population of Riga. Riga is one of the key economic and financial centres of the Baltic states . Roughly half of all the jobs in Latvia are in Riga and the city generates more than 50% of Latvia's GDP as well as around half of Latvia's exports. The biggest exporters are in wood products, IT, food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transport and metallurgy. Riga Port

5166-618: The period from 1857 its population grew from 282,000 (256,200 in Riga itself and another 26,200 inhabitants beyond the city limits in the patrimonial district and military town of Ust-Dvinsk ) to 472,100 in 1913. The middle class of Riga used their acquired wealth to build imposing apartment blocks outside the former city walls . Local architects, mostly graduates of Riga Technical University , adopted current European movements and in particular Art Nouveau. Between 1910 and 1913, between 300 and 500 new buildings were built each year in Riga, many of them in Art Nouveau style and most of them outside

5248-475: The population of Vilnius has just outnumbered that of Riga. Notable causes include emigration and low birth rates . According to the 2022 data, ethnic Latvians made up 47.4% of the population of Riga. Russians formed 35.7%, Belarusians 3.6%, Ukrainians 3.5%, Poles 1.7%, other ethnicities consisted 8.2%. By comparison, 63.0% of Latvia's total population was ethnically Latvian, 24.2% Russian, 3.1% Belarusian, 2.2% Ukrainian, 1.9% Polish, 1.1% are Lithuanian and

5330-407: The resettlement of Baltic German Volksdeutsche over 1939-1940. At this meeting Berger also proposed a formal meeting between Vlasov and Heinrich Himmler . On 16 September 1944 Strik-Strikfeldt and Vlasov met the Reichsführer-SS at the latter's field HQ in Rastenburg , East Prussia . Himmler had been placed in command of the Ersatzheer (" Replacement Army ") following the 20 July plot , and

5412-402: The rest of other origins. Upon the restoration of Latvia's independence in 1991 , Soviet-era immigrants (and any of their offspring born before 1991) were not automatically granted Latvian citizenship because they had migrated to the territory of Latvia during the years of Soviet occupation . The proportion of ethnic Latvians in Riga increased from 36.5% in 1989 to 47.4% in 2022. In contrast,

5494-547: The right to independently self-administer Riga and adopted a city constitution. That same year Albert was compelled to recognise Danish rule over lands they had conquered in Estonia and Livonia. Albert had sought the aid of King Valdemar of Denmark to protect Riga and Livonian lands against Liv insurrection when reinforcements could not reach Riga. The Danes landed in Livonia, built a fortress at Reval ( Tallinn ) and set about conquering Estonian and Livonian lands. The Germans attempted, but failed, to assassinate Valdemar. Albert

5576-445: The seat of the Livonian bishopric from Uexküll to Riga, extorting agreement to do this from the elders of Riga by force. The year 1201 also marked the first arrival of German merchants in Novgorod, via the Dvina. To defend territory and trade, Albert established the Order of Livonian Brothers of the Sword in 1202, which was open to nobles and merchants. The Christianisation of the Livs continued. In 1207, Albert started to fortify

5658-490: The spring of 1944 Strik-Strikfeldt was introduced to SS-Standartenführer Gunter d'Alquen , the Chief Editor of the SS weekly newspaper, Das Schwarze Korps ("The Black Corps"), and commander of the SS-Standarte Kurt Eggers . Henceforth some senior SS officers began to take a positive interest in Vlasov and his movement. The most interested was Dr. Fritz Arlt , head of the Freiwilligen-Leitstelle-Ost ("Volunteer Central Office - East"). Arlt informed Strik-Strikfeldt that

5740-454: The struggle against Bolshevism" (a bitter attack on the Soviet system) and in April 1943, his pamphlet on the nationalities/minorities issue within Russia and Europe . In February 1943 Sergei Frohlich, a "resettled" Baltic German Volksdeutsche from Riga working in the HQ staff of the SA , was appointed liaison officer with Vlasov's staff. Strik-Strikfeldt knew Frohlich well as they had played ice hockey in rival teams as youths. Frohlich

5822-606: The temperature on the hottest days can exceed 30 °C (86 °F). The head of the city government in Riga is the mayor, or officially the Chairman of the Riga City Council. The mayor is elected by the city council. He or she is assisted by one or more Vice Mayors (deputy mayors). The current mayor is Vilnis Ķirsis , who was elected on 17 August 2023 from New Unity , with support from "Coalition for Cooperation", consisting of New Unity , National Alliance/Latvian Regional Alliance (NA/LRA) , Code for Riga, Honor to server Riga and For Latvia's Development factions. The city council

5904-737: The town. King Philip invested Albert with Livonia as a fief and principality of the Holy Roman Empire . To promote a permanent military presence, territorial ownership was divided between the Church and the Order , with the Church taking Riga and two-thirds of all lands conquered and granting the Order a third. Until then, it had been customary for crusaders to serve for a year and then return home. Albert had ensured Riga's commercial future by obtaining papal bulls which decreed that all German merchants had to carry on their Baltic trade through Riga. In 1211, Riga minted its first coinage, and Albert laid

5986-515: The vicinity to the ghetto. Most of Latvia's Jews (about 24,000) were killed on 30 November and 8 December 1941 in the Rumbula massacre . By the end of the war, the remaining Baltic Germans were expelled to Germany . The Soviet Red Army reconquered Riga on 13 October 1944. In the following years the massive influx of labourers, administrators, military personnel, and their dependents from Russia and other Soviet republics started. Microdistricts of

6068-673: Was "repatriated" to Nazi Germany following the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact . His family was settled in Posen (now Poznań ), the administrative capital of the Warthegau (today, the Kraj Warty , Poland ). In early 1941 Strik-Strikfeldt was interviewed by a German army staff officer in Posen and asked to undertake an interpreter's examination in Berlin, where he was awarded a certificate as "Interpreter Class A". Due to his service in

6150-457: Was able to help provide Strik-Strikfeldt, Vlasov and Dabendorf with small arms, extra food rations and quarters. In 1943 Strik-Strikfeldt escorted Vlasov to Vienna where he served as an interpreter at an official meeting with Baldur von Schirach . Then he took Vlasov to Munich and the Allgäu in Bavaria . Afterwards they travelled together to Frankfurt and Mainz , and took a steamer down

6232-501: Was able to reach an accommodation with them a year later, however, and in 1222 Valdemar returned all Livonian lands and possessions to Albert's control. Albert's difficulties with Riga's citizenry continued; with papal intervention, a settlement was reached in 1225 whereby they no longer had to pay tax to the Bishop of Riga, and Riga's citizens acquired the right to elect their magistrates and town councillors. In 1226, Albert consecrated

6314-693: Was an enthusiastic reception for Strik-Strikfeldt and Vlasov at Dabendorf and work began immediately to prepare the ill-fated Manifesto of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia . Late in 1944 Strik-Strikfeldt met the Cossack White Army -era General Pyotr Krasnov and tried to convince him to join Vlasov but to no avail. Strik-Strikfeldt was not invited to Prague for

6396-566: Was made the capital of the Governorate of Riga (later, Livonia) . Sweden's northern dominance had ended, and Russia's emergence as the strongest Northern power was formalised through the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. At the beginning of the 20th century Riga was the largest timber export port in the Russian Empire and ranked the 3rd according to the external trade volume. During these many centuries of war and changes of power in

6478-572: Was obliged to travel to Paris and liaise with the German military authorities there. In January 1944 Strik-Strikfeldt was interviewed by General Köstring when the latter was appointed head of the Osttruppen formations. Köstring confirmed that the Führer would never deviate from his Russian policy and told Strik-Strikfeldt : "The fact is that Hitler will have nothing to do with Vlasov." In

6560-518: Was the European Capital of Culture in 2014. During Latvia's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2015, the 4th Eastern Partnership Summit took place in Riga. Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the Saeima voted to suspend the functioning of a section of an agreement between Latvia and Russia regarding the preservation of memorial structures on 12 May, in the next day

6642-399: Was therefore in a position to supply Dabendorf with military equipment and training, and even offered vague political concessions . An official communiqué was issued to mark the occasion. Returning to Berlin in a train, Strik-Strikfeldt shared a sleeper with Dr. Felix Kersten (Himmler's personal masseur and also a Baltic German) who claimed to have been supporting their "good cause". There

6724-568: Was transferred to Mannheim and interned with Field-Marshals von Blomberg , List , von Weichs and von Leeb ; and Generals Guderian and Köstring . Here he also met up with Gustav Hilger again and Hitler's personal photographer Heinrich Hoffmann . Strik-Strikfeldt died in Oberstaufen in September 1977. His 1970 memoirs, Gegen Stalin und Hitler. General Wlassow und die russische Freiheitsbewegung ( Against Stalin and Hitler: Memoir of

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