Ikšķile

Ikšķile
Town
Flag Coat of arms
Ikšķile Location in Latvia
Coordinates:
Country	Latvia
District	Ogre District
Town rights	1992
Government
• Mayor	Indulis Trapiņš
Area
• Total	2.2 km2 (0.8 sq mi)
Population
• Total	8,331
• Density	3,800/km2 (9,800/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	LV-5052
Calling code	+371 650
Number of city council members	15

Ikšķile (<phonos file="Lv-Ikšķile.ogg">pronunciation</phonos>; German: Uexküll; Livonian: Ikškilā) is a town in Latvia, the administrative centre of Ikšķile municipality. It was the first capital of the catholic bishopric of Livonia, known by the German name of Üxküll. Saint Meinhard, known from the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, was the first bishop of Üxküll. In 1197 Berthold of Hanover, a Cistercian abbot of Loccum, was made the second bishop of Üxküll. Those days the town was the center of the upcoming crusading activities in the Livonian area. Bishop Berthold moved the episcopal see to Riga, but was killed by the Livs in battle. Ikšķile is one of the oldest Latvian populated counties, which can be seen by an ancient burial ground in today's rural areas of Ikšķile. The coast by the Daugava river has held a Livonian village on this site as far back as the 9th - 12th century.

Ikšķile Evangelical Lutheran Church

The Livonian word Ikšķile (or the German Uexküll) denotes "the ford or islet(s), i.e. a place (on the Daugava River) where it was possible to cross the river, belonging to the son of the nobleman Ike”. The personal name Ike has the honourable meaning ‘age, lifetime’. The Ike family had a great power in Livonia. They controlled the military and trade traffic across the Daugava at Ykescola ~ Ykescole.

See also

List of cities in Latvia

References

Source: William Urban, The Teutonic Knights, a Military History, (London 2003) 82,83. ISBN 1-85367-535-0