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Latvijas Pilsetu Gerboni
Latvian Civic Heraldry

LIEPAJA

Origin/meaning :
Liepaja was settled as a village of Livonian people at small river Liva (from Livonian "liiv" - "sand") and it was called Liva in the ancient time. It started to grow rapidly when the transit stage of Grobina port and the market were established here. Latvian inhabitants transformed the town name to Liepaja ("place of linden trees"). German inhabitants called it Libau.
In 1625 the duke of Kurzeme granted to Liepaja city rights and arms. The arms shows a linden tree as a symbol of city name and a lion as a sign that city belongs to Kurzeme Region.
In the Russian Empire the city was called Libava. The design of arms changed slightly in the time. In 1925 the present design was confirmed.


The seal of 1625

Literature : scan from a poster (Latvijas Pilsetu Gerboni); Purens : Latvijas gerbonu gramata (translated by Virginijus Misiunas, Vilnius)


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