Kalnciems facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kalnciems
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Village
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Church in Kalnciems
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 Kalnciems
Location in Latvia
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| Country |  Latvia |
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| Municipality | Jelgava Municipality | ||
| Parish | Kalnciems Parish | ||
| Town rights | 1991 | ||
| Lost town rights | 2010 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 22.7 km2 (8.8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 2.9 m (9.5 ft) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 2,548 | ||
| • Density | 112/km2 (290/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) | ||
| Postal code |
LV-3016
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| Calling code | +371 630 | ||
| Website | http://www.kalnciems.lv/ | ||
Kalnciems is a village in Jelgava Municipality in the Semigallia region of Latvia. It is located on the left bank of the Lielupe river. The village is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of the A9 motorway.
Kalnciems is 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Jelgava and 49 kilometers (30 miles) from Riga. The area has many dolomite and clay mines. This led to a large building materials industry here. Products were sent to Riga by the end of the 19th century. They were used to build many new buildings in the city.
Kalnciems was officially a town from 1991 to 2010. The nearby Kalnciems Meadows are a special place for animals. You can find birds like the corn crake, spotted crake, and black-tailed godwit there.
What's in a Name?
The name Kalnciems comes from the Kalnciems Manor House. A manor house is a large country house. This manor was first mentioned in the 16th century.
The original master's house was on the other side of the Lielupe river. This area is now called Tīreļi in Valgunde Parish. In 1690, a famous person named Ernst Johann von Biron was born in this family manor house. He later became a powerful leader. He was the Duke of Courland and Semigallia. He also served as a regent (a temporary ruler) of the Russian Empire.
A Look at Kalnciems' Past
The village of Kalnciems started to grow in the late 1800s. This was when Latvia's biggest clay brick factory was built here. In 1882, George Armitstead built the first Hoffmann kiln in Kalnciems. He was a businessman and the mayor of Riga. A Hoffmann kiln is a special oven used to bake bricks.
Before the First World War, the largest brick factories belonged to Nesterov, Krišjānis Ķergalvis, and Peteris Radziņš. During the Russo-Japanese War, some brick factories closed. This was because construction slowed down. Also, during the First World War, there were big battles near Kalnciems. Most of the factories were destroyed.
However, in 1924, a new company was started. It was called "Ķieģelis un kūdra," which means "Brick and peat." The Kalnciems school was also opened that year. By 1931, Kalnciems had many companies. These included J. Šteiners Brick Factory and several lime kilns. Lime kilns are used to make lime, another building material.
