Railway line in 1861, the Daugava River waterway, and thus the city, lost its importance. However in the late 19th century there were still around 10 banks and various insurance offices, 60 merchant enterprises, 23 industrial enterprises and a hospital in the town. In 1909 telephone connection was established between Friedrichstadt, Riga and Jelgava. In 1914 the city had 7,300 inhabitants. The town was heavily damaged when from 17 October to 15 November 1919 heavy fighting took place near the city during the Latvian War of Independence. At the conclusion of the battle the town was liberated from the West Russian Volunteer Army by the Latvian army. In 1925 the city had only 1577 inhabitants. During the Republic of Latvia the town was renamed Jaunjelgava (literary: New Jelgava). In the 1930s a long and tall dam was constructed to protect the town from floods. During World War II, Jaunjelgava was under German occupation from 1 July 1941 until 18 September 1944. It was administered as a part of the Generalbezirk Lettland of Reichskommissariat Ostland. Shtetl Jaunjelgava was one of many shtetls which once existed in the Pale of Settlement. Its Jewish community was established toward the close of the seventeenth century. In 1858 first Jewish school was opened in the town. In 1897, 3,800 of its population of 5,223 were Jews. By 1935, only 25% of the city's population was Jewish. Some of them were deported in June 1941, and some were murdered in the Holocaust when on 2 August German troops liquidated the city's Jewish community. Jaunjelgava municipality In 2009 the city joined six surrounding communities to form a local government district. (See also: Administrative divisions of Latvia) Selected publications Heinz zur Mühlen: Baltisches historisches Ortslexikon, Tl. 2, Lettland (Südlivland und Kurland), Latvijas Pagastu Enciklopēdeija, 2002, Friedrichstadt entry in the Jewish Encyclopedia See also List of cities in Latvia Gallery References Towns in Latvia Shtetls 1647 establishments in Sweden Friedrichstadt County Aizkraukle Municipality Selonia