The Beginnings of Ape
Ape is located in a flat area by the Vaidava River. The small town developed on the site of a former manor. In 1420, the manor land was given to a person with the surname Hoppe. It is believed that the manor and the town took their name from this surname. The name gradually evolved from Hoppenhof (meaning “Hoppe’s manor”) to Oppe – then to Ope – and finally to Ape. Later, much was accomplished for the development of Ape by Baron Axel von Delvigs. He transformed the manor into a model estate, developing dairy farming, dolomite extraction, and lime production.
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, narrow-gauge railways began to be built in Latvia. At that time, the current location of Ape was the site of the Hoppenhof manor, where Baron von Delvigs lived. He commissioned the creation of a settlement plan around the railway station that was to be built. This is when the town of Oppes started to take shape. Back then, settlements were populated areas that did not have town rights.
The town center began to develop around the railway station. The first streets in Oppes were Station Street, Post Street, and Mill Street. The first residential houses were built on Station Street, and the first tavern opened. Post Street led to the Paleja cattle sheds by the Vaidava River. Mill Street led to the mills, where rough flour was ground. A post station with 10 horses was set up by the railway station.
By 1911, Oppe had 47 houses and a population of 571. The town had a post office and telegraph office, a tavern, a state store that sold vodka, two teahouses, an agricultural society, a shop selling various everyday goods, several buyers of flax and grain, four small traders, two bakers, four cobblers, two blacksmiths, two tailors, a butcher, a leather craftsman, and a photography studio by A. Celmiņš. Markets were held in Oppe on Wednesdays, while livestock was sold in Palejas. All this activity took place on the manor land.
At first, the town of Oppe developed as an active center for craftsmanship and trade. Later, it also began to grow in manufacturing – woodworking, dolomite extraction, and processing.
On February 11, 1928, the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia – the Saeima – passed a law granting town rights. With this law, town rights were granted to 16 settlements, including Ape. From that moment, Ape became a town. At that time, in Ape, excluding the Jaunroze and Jaunlaicene parishes, there were 233 plots of land, 30 brick houses, and 80 wooden houses. The town had 983 residents. The first mayor of Ape was Jēkabs Ķikulis.
The historical buildings visible in Ape today were mainly built between 1910 and 1930. They were constructed using local dolomite and bricks. Many of the buildings feature what are known as “wind trusses.” These are special wooden details at the edges of the roofs, which make the town’s architecture unique.
The intersection of Station and Post Streets has always been the center of traffic and commerce in Ape. Before World War II, there were small shops, a tavern, a hotel, and a bakery here. Today, the center of Ape has shops, hair salons, and apartments.
The coat of arms of Ape was approved in 1938. The coat of arms features a blue shield with a silver line. This line symbolizes the roads that cross the town. At the top of the coat of arms is a smaller shield in the colors of the Latvian national flag. The small shield represents Ape as part of Latvia.
To learn more about the history of Ape, you can visit the history room at the Elīna Zālīte Memorial House. It is located at 24 Dzirnavu Street. There, you’ll find an interactive display where you can explore the past of Ape. By opening the sound drawers, you can experience life in the former Hoppenhof manor. We wish you an interesting journey through the history of Ape!