Līgatne Paper Mill
Līgatne is often associated with a sheet of paper, as it was the paper mill that led to the establishment of this settlement. As early as in 1815, the first 1050 poods of paper were manufactured, initially by a single German master and fifteen workers. Around 1815/16, the first building of the Līgatne Paper Mill, the so-called ‘Anfabrik’, was constructed. Over time, production volumes increased. In the 1830s, the Central Mill was constructed, and in 1849, the first paper machine was installed, followed by a second one seven years later. Paper was sold throughout Tsarist Russia, renowned for its superior quality. In 1879, at the All-Russia Industrial Exhibition in St. Petersburg, the Līgatne paper was awarded a silver medal. After the great fire in 1884, the paper mill was rebuilt, and a third paper machine was put into operation. Until 1913, exceptionally high-quality paper, known as the ‘Tsarskaya Bumaga’, or ‘imperial paper’, was manufactured in Līgatne which was used for important governmental documents.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Līgatne was known for the most modern manufacturing facilities of that time, with the paper mill being one of the most outstanding fine paper mills in Europe. In the period of the Republic of Latvia, around 100 different varieties of paper were manufactured in Līgatne. Paper was exported worldwide.
After World War II, manufacturing was resumed. A fourth paper machine was put into operation in 1952. In the 1970s, the facilities were modernised.
On 5 November 1993, the Līgatne Paper Mill was partially destroyed by fire. Luckily, donations by the local residents and funds provided by the Ministry of Forestry made it possible to rebuild the paper mill. From 1994 onward, recycled paper became the main raw material, leading to the manufacturing of high-quality drawing and watercolour paper, black paper, and limited quantities of watermark paper. However, due to outdated machinery and rising electricity costs, manufacturing became unviable, leading to the closure of the paper mill in 2014.
After being out of operation for eight years, the paper mill is being renovated, experiencing a new lease on life. In June 2024, it resumed the manufacturing of paper on a small scale, focusing on watercolour paper.
