The name for this street, ‘Miera iela’ or ‘Peace Street’ in English, goes back to the mid-19th century. But until 1937, it only pertained to the northern section. The southern part was known as Karlīnes iela until it was combined with the northern part.
The street runs northeast starting at the intersection with Brīvības iela, one of Riga’s main thoroughfares, and ending just over 2km later as it morphs into Gaujas iela. The section previously known as Karlīnes was the home of my husband’s grandfather, Žanis (John) Zekants, from 1917 until 1944.
Life and Death
Rigans say that everyone visits Miera iela at least twice in their life: once to be born and once to be buried.
There does seem to be an unusual concentration of both hospitals and cemeteries along this historic street. The street’s origin probably lies in linking the Old City to the Great Cemetery, which was founded in 1773. This large leafy park is the final resting place for many historic figures in the history of Latvia – from Bishop Albert himself who founded the city in 1201, to ‘spiritual’ leaders of the Latvian National Awakening like Krišjānis Valdemārs and Krišjānis Barons.
When the Great Cemetery had almost reached its capacity in the late 19th century, an even bigger cemetery was planned – the Riga Forest Cemetery, which was opened in 1910. This giant forested complex of graves, monuments and military memorials bookmarks the northern end of Miera iela. It contains the graves of legendary Latvian writer Aspazija and her equally famous husband Rainis, as well as Andrejs Blezurs, my husband’s great-great uncle.
Living here, Žanis and his family regularly contemplated their own mortality, as it was common to see people accompanying their deceased loved ones in long funeral processions, slowly making their way down the street to one of these cemeteries. One of the biggest processions was that of the playwright and poet, Aspazija (Elza Rozenberga) who my husband has a family connection with through his great-great-great aunt Lavize Rozenberga. This solemn procession made its way through the foggy streets of Nazi-occupied Riga on November 10th 1943, concluding at the northern end of Miera iela to be buried next to her husband in the Rainis Cemetery (part of the Riga Forest Cemetery).
At the other extreme of Miera iela, closer to the river, is the Riga City Hospital (known as Riga No. 1 Hospital), founded in 1803. Halfway between this huge hospital complex and the cemeteries is ‘Mary’s Deaconess House’ at 45 Miera iela. This building has seen several changes over the decades but has always been a clinic or hospital of some sort. Today it is the Riga Maternity Hospital. In the inter-war years, it was called The German Hospital and it was here on the 1st of November, 1929 that Olga Blezurs watched her husband, Andrejs, die from a sudden heart attack.
Industry and Architecture
As time went on, it would not be just life and death that were important here but also industry. At the end of the 19th century, when Riga was experiencing an industrial boom, factories started appearing up and down the length of the street. From tobacco to Champagne to chocolate, the smells wafting up and down Miera iela in the late 19th and early 20th centuries must have been intoxicating. My husband’s grandfather used to tell his sons about the wonderful smell of chocolate from the Laima Chocolate factory blowing in the wind during his childhood.
The Laima Chocolate factory is the only original factory left in operation today on the street. It traces its history back to the 1870s when it was founded by German industrialist Theodor Riegert to produce chocolate and coffee. In 1925, it changed its name from ‘Riegerts’ to ‘Laima’ and started specializing in chocolate only. The name ‘Laima’ means ‘happiness’ in Latvian and is also the name of the Baltic goddess of good fortune. By the 1930s, Laima was the largest confectionery manufacturer in the country, producing 3000-5000 bars per hour. Laima chocolates were enjoyed all across the Soviet world throughout the late 20th century and the company’s chocolates remain extremely popular today.
Along with industry, came money. During the first years of the 1900s, multi-story, modern apartment blocks sprung up, showcasing elements of the popular Art Nouveau style (known as Jugendstil in Latvia). The street suddenly found itself attracting the middle-class intelligentsia and others. Žanis’s grandparents, Kristaps and Anna Rozenvalds, and their three daughters were one of the families who moved here. They lived on the street briefly in 1917 (when Žanis’s mother Emilija died) and then again after Latvian independence in 1920. In 1922, the family moved from a small wooden building at No. 32, into one of the well-appointed tenement houses at No. 9 Karlīnes iela (the address was changed to 11 Miera iela during the name change in 1937).
Today, Miera iela is known for its art galleries, theatres, cafes and quirky shops, frequented by bohemian freethinkers, students, hipsters and artists. It is the place to be in Riga. This modern and youthful vibe echoes that of the street’s fascinating past, as a gathering place for new ideas and innovation. One can walk along the cobblestoned sections or ride the famous No. 11 tram that has been transporting passengers for over a century, and witness first-hand all the different layers of the street’s history. You will pass the old dilapidated wooden houses of yesteryear, the faded quirky mansions of old industrial leaders, the recently renovated Jugendstil apartment blocks with trendy coffee shops at street level and old factory complexes repurposed as arts centres and theatres.
One of my favorite buildings on this street, number 18, is locally known as ‘the fairytale house’. It was built in 1924 and is an iconic and eccentric landmark on the street. This house has been the residence of a wood sculptor, a refrigeration shop, a food shop, a wine seller and between 1929 and 1931 it was the home of General Mārtiņš Vācietis, the Latvian Minister of War. It is in a very sad state right now, as it has stood empty for years and barely survived a fire in 2014. I was excited to find out that in January of this year (2026) it was sold to someone who says they are going to restore it to its former glory.
Above is an interactive map of the important locations that I mention in the post. It runs from the Riga Hospital in the south all the way up into the Riga Forest Cemetery (Rīgas Meža kapi) in the north. Click on the pins for images and more information.
The Family Connection
In my research I have found that residents of Riga moved frequently in the first half of the 20th century. It is somewhat unusual for a family like the Rozenvalds to stay so long in one apartment. Over the years on Karlīnes/Miera iela, Kristaps and his wife and daughter Emilija passed away and their daughter Anna Zelma married and moved out. Borders came and went. But the two that lived there the entire time were my husband’s grandfather Žanis and his aunt Olga. Olga would leave in 1940 with her son to escape the Soviets. Her second husband, Willi Droune, would leave in 1941 to join her in Germany. And the final family member to live on this street was Žanis (John) Zekants, who left in 1944 to engage in military training with the Latvian Legion.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of the history of this street and the Rozenvalds/Zekants connection to it in my next post!