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Founded: 1800-1804Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Latvia
Historical period: Part of the Russian Empire (Latvia)
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The first manor house was made out of wood and the new palace was built in 1800-1804 in the late classical style, designed according to the project by the German architect J. G. Berlitz. There is stone bridge, leading to the palace. On the other side of the river there are remnants of the manor buildings; house of the servants, stables, house of the steward and barns. The palace was burned down by local peasants during the Revolution of 1905. However, German baron von Manteuffel renovated it by the project of Paul Schultze-Naumburg in 1907. The renovation of the Kazdanga palace became an important event for the development of the Neo-Classicism style. It was designed by the well known German architect and Neo-Classicism Paul Schultze-Naumburg. In contrast to scenic, borrowed forms, the architect declared a return to the Homeland tradition and accuracy.
The reconstruction of the Kazdanga palace demonstrated a new approach by the architect to the original image of the building. It is noteworthy that the palace, designed in about 1800, was one of the most splendid monuments of Classicism architecture in Courland. Its restoration served as a starting point for re-evaluating both patterns of pure Classicism and local building traditions. Even elements of scientific restoration could be observed in the course of reconstruction. The principle of historical verity was important in designing the interiors and replicas of the furniture that had been destroyed.
During the First World War the palace was again devastated. It was rebuilt between 1925-1927. In 1930 the Kazdanga Agricultural Trade School was housed in the palace. The school is still situated there. Near to the palace is a house of chevaliers. It has well preserved interior, like baroque style stairs and ornamented parquet floor.
References:The Goseck circle is a Neolithic circle structure. It may be the oldest and best known of the Circular Enclosures associated with the Central European Neolithic. It also may be one of the oldest Solar observatories in the world. It consists of a set of concentric ditches 75 metres across and two palisade rings containing gates in places aligned with sunrise and sunset on the solstice days.
Its construction is dated to c. 4900 BC, and it seems to have remained in use until 4600 BC. This corresponds to the transitional phase between the Neolithic Linear Pottery and Stroke-ornamented ware cultures. It is one of a larger group of so-called Circular Enclosures in the Elbe and Danube region, most of which show similar alignments.
Excavators also found the remains of what may have been ritual fires, animal and human bones, and a headless skeleton near the southeastern gate, that could be interpreted as traces of human sacrifice or specific burial ritual. There is no sign of fire or of other destruction, so why the site was abandoned is unknown. Later villagers built a defensive moat following the ditches of the old enclosure.
The Goseck ring is one of the best preserved and extensively investigated of the many similar structures built at around the same time. Traces of the original configuration reveal that the Goseck ring consisted of four concentric circles, a mound, a ditch, and two wooden palisades. The palisades had three sets of gates facing southeast, southwest, and north. At the winter solstice, observers at the center would have seen the sun rise and set through the southeast and southwest gates.
Archaeologists generally agree that Goseck circle was used for observation of the course of the Sun in the course of the solar year. Together with calendar calculations, it allowed coordinating an easily judged lunar calendar with the more demanding measurements of a solar calendar.