Hare’s Island
The name of the Hare’s Island dates back to the early days of paper manufacturing in Līgatne. The building at Spriņģu iela 1, which once housed a gristmill and later a paper mill, was occupied by Germans who worked in the paper mill. Story has it that they used to keep rabbits in the meanders of the Līgatne River. This coincided with the drafting of the map of Līgatne, where Germans referred to this small elevation as the ‘Hare Hill’. However, the local residents were not fond of this name, as they did not really consider it a hill, so it became known as the Hare’s Island, a name it bears to this day.
The Hare’s Island is the place where, in the 1880s, the first residential houses for paper mill workers were constructed. The Mentzendorff family, who were shareholders in the paper mill, had envisaged Līgatne as the most modern workers’ settlement of that time. This vision came to fruition over time, with Līgatne becoming one of the most modern workers’ settlement in Europe. In the early 20th century, the social support available to the local residents of Līgatne was among the best in Europe. Even now, many town residents still live in these wooden houses.
During the time the Mentzendorff family managed the Līgatne Paper Mill, a tradition of rewarding long-serving workers was established at the paper mill. Those who had worked at the mill for 25 years received a silver spoon along with a cash award, while those with 50 years of service received a gold-plated spoon and a cash award. This tradition was upheld until World War II. The record for the longest service belongs to Ludvigs Celms who started working at the Līgatne Paper Mill at the age of 8 and worked there an impressive 75 years.
