Mazirbe

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Mazirbe (Livonian: Irē) is a populated place in Talsu District, Latvia 18km south of Kolka. One of twelve Livonian villages on Līvõd Rãnda - the Livonian Coast. Mazirbe is the cultural capital of Lives. Other names: Mazirve. German name - Klein Irben.

With the beginning of Atmoda, the national Live flag - green representing forests, white the sandy beaches of the coast, and blue for the sea - flies over the People's House of Lives (Livonian culture centre). The Livonian culture centre (Latvian: Libiesu Tautas Nams or Livonian: Livlist Rovkuoda) built in 1938 with the support of linguistic cousins in Hungary, Finland and Estonia is located downtown. Inside is a small museum showing photos of previous generations of Livonians. On the first Sunday of August there is a gathering of all Livonians 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. Mazirbe plague stone is unique feature of the village.

[edit] See also

• Livonian people
• Kolka

[edit] References

• Mazirbe, Latvia
• Mazirbe plague stone--historical-medical monument in Latvia
• LEGENDS AND HISTORICAL SOURCES. ON “PLAGUE STONES” AT MAZIRBE by Irisa Priedite. Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum

Proc. Latvian Acad. Sci., Section A (LATVIA, ISSN: 1407-0081), Vol. 52 (1998), No. 3, pp. 39-40.

Coordinates: 57°40.60′N 22°19′E