Cultural premise "Mežotne Church"

The cultural premise is located on the left bank of Lielupe, next to the Mežotne hillfort. The first wooden church in Mežotne was built in 1582 following the order of Gotthard Ketler - Duke of Courland, to build 70 new churches. The stone church with the lattice construction tower was built in the second decade of the 17th century. At the end of the 18th century Mežotne manor, the territory of which included the land on both banks of the river Lielupe, was acquired by the Līvens family. Since the Mežotne church was also located on this property, they took care of its maintenance and reconstruction.

During the First World War, the church was shot and burned. After the war, the church was restored and consecrated again in 1930. At the same time, the entire church furnishing was remade.

In 1944, during the battles near Lielupe river, the church was shot again, the tower structure was destroyed. After the war, there were unsuccessful attempts to restore the church. Later, in the 1960s, a mineral fertilizer storage was created in the church, which was removed only in 1990.

In the summer of 2022, the reconstruction works of the church ended. The 27-meter high tower of the church with a viewing area has been restored, thematic expositions dedicated to the history of the Mežotne hillfort are located on various floors of the tower. The architectural details and elements of the restored building, sacristy extension, representative room with features characteristic of the interior of the beginning of the 19th century, balcony in the parish room, supported on 4 columns. The territory has been landscaped. 

Graves of the Līvens family

There has been a cemetery around Mežotne church throughout its existence. In 1828, after the death of the owner of the Mežotne manor, Šarlote Līvena, the graves of the Līvens family were created in the eastern part of the cemetery. In total, there are about 35 burials of the Līvens family in the cemetery. Only three of them have survived - the grave of prince Kristofs Heinrihs Līvens (1774-1838) with the remains of a cross (his wife Doroteja also rests at the altar of the church), the grave of Karls Aleksandrs (1819-1830) with a large sandstone cross and the last owner of Mežotne manor, First Anatols Līvens ( 1872-1937) with the base of the grave cross. At the beginning of the 21st century, the remains of Anatols Līven’s son Kārlis Johans Līvens and his wife Luīze Marija Līvena were also reburied here.  

Offers

• Exposition dedicated to the history of the Mežotne hillfort
• Visit in the church tower, guided tour 
• Premises for rent