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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Mazirbe

Mazirbe (Livonian: Irē or Piški Īra, German: Klein-Irben) is a village place in Kolka Parish, Talsi Municipality, Latvia 18 km southwest of Kolka. It is one of twelve Livonian villages on Līvõd rānda - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital of the Livonians.

The flag of the Livonians has flown over the Livonian House of the People (Latvian: Lībiešu tautas nams or Līvu tautas nams, Livonian: Līvõd rovkuodā), a cultural centre dating from 1938, built in the heart of the village with the support of linguistic cousins in Hungary, Finland and Estonia. Inside is a small museum showing photos of past generations of Livonians. On the first Sunday of August there is a Livonian gathering here, culminating in a procession to the beach where a wreath is cast into the sea in remembrance of fishermen who have met watery deaths. A camp for young people where only Livonian is spoken is held for a week beforehand. The Mazirbe plague stone is a unique feature of the village.

The name of the village in both Livonian and Latvian translates to 'Small Irbe/Irā', as opposed to Lielirbe or 'Great Irbe/Irā'.

See also

References

  • Viksna AA (March 1972). "[Mazirbe plague stone—historical-medical monument in Latvia]". Zh. Mikrobiol. Epidemiol. Immunobiol. (in Russian). 49 (3): 140–1. PMID 4553059.
  • Media related to Mazirbe at Wikimedia Commons