Jelgava Holy Trinity Church Tower
Description
The Trinity Church in Jelgava was built in 1574 by Gotthard Kettler, the Duke of Courland and Semigallia. It was one of the first newly constructed Lutheran stone churches in Europe and the largest church in Zemgale. After its destruction in 1944, the church was never rebuilt, only its bell tower remaining in place. In November 2010, after extensive reconstruction, Holy Trinity Church was reborn in a new form. The tower’s three floors offer interactive exhibitions, the eighth floor houses a restaurant, and the ninth floor has an exhibition hall and an observation deck.
The 3rd-floor exhibition, Jelgava in the Turns of Time, tells the story of the city’s history and symbols from its foundation to the present day, its notable residents, lost gems and modern achievements. The model Lost Jelgava, placed in the centre of the room, uses augmented reality to show the city’s layout in different periods as a real-time video. The unifying element of the 3rd-floor exhibits is the Lielupe River – the unique river to which the city is due its history.
The 4th-floor exhibition, Fashion in Jelgava Through the Ages, reflects Jelgava’s style throughout history, with a special emphasis on wedding costumes. The highlight of this exhibition is a fashion show of contemporary historical costumes, which creates a sense of presence in the events of the past. Both ladies and gentlemen can use the exhibit’s interactive features to try on a wedding dress, take a photograph and send it to themselves electronically. The exhibition The Jeweller’s Chest invites you to explore and try on historical jewellery digitally, as well as to draw and try on your own jewellery.
The 5th-floor exhibition, The Story of Jelgava Holy Trinity Church, is dedicated to the history of the most important “item”, i.e., the former church and its lost architectural and interior values. Visitors are invited to experience the past by listening to five audio stories, accompanied by a special sound design. This exhibition hall allows you to forget your plans and struggles as you find stillness to reflect on timeless values and the passage of life. The room’s centre offers a meditation space with an audio background specially designed for this exhibition, using references to Lūcija Garūta’s cantata “Lord, Thy Land is On Fire”. The cantata used to be performed in Jelgava’s Holy Trinity Church before its destruction in the summer of 1944, and the current exhibition uses modern technology to establish a link with these past events.
Improvements made within the project
The project developed a new concept and design for interactive exhibitions: they are designed as a contemporary interior installation, where the exhibits are complemented by cutting-edge technology integrated into multimedia. The conceptual motto “Dual Reality” encourages you to unveil information gradually, exploring historical stories through different senses: to witness the invisible, to hear the inaudible, to sense the Jelgava we’ve lost.
The creative team behind the historical exhibitions of the Jelgava Holy Trinity Church Tower: concept and design – DJA (Didzis Jaunzems Architecture), technology and management – SIA SOLAVI, production and technical design – SIA YES WE CAN, multimedia – SIA Putnu studija, programming – SIA OVERLY.
The content of the exhibitions was created by historians Jānis Šiliņš, Edīte Parute, Jelgava State City Local Government, Ģederts Eliass’ Jelgava Museum of History and Art, Jelgava Regional Tourism Centre.
Investments – EUR 571,870.20
Of which:
ERDF funding – EUR 486,089.67
state budget grant and municipal funding – EUR 486,089.67
Publicity photo: Ēriks Božis
Address
Akadēmijas Street 1, Jelgava
Working time
The exhibition hall and observation deck:
Monday – closed
Tuesday – 10:00 – 18:00
Wednesday – Saturday 10:00 – 22:00
Sunday 11:00 – 21:00
Historical expositions:
Monday – closed
Tuesday – Saturday 10:00-18:00
Sunday 11:00 – 18:00
Admission fee
The exhibition hall and observation deck:
EUR 1.50 for adults
EUR 0.80 for pupils, students, pensioners
Historical expositions and observation deck:
EUR 4.00 for adults
EUR 2.50 for pupils, students, pensioners
Contacts
+371 63005447, +371 25619266
[email protected]
