Gulbene then and now

Publicēts: 5.06.2020

On May 11, Gulbene County Library started publishing a series of photo collages "Then and Now" on its social network Facebook account, reflecting the changes that have affected the city in the period from the 20th century. 20s to the present.

In the collage series, we tried to highlight the most important stops in Gulbene, both in terms of history and everyday life. We featured the Railway Station, the White and Red Castles, Miera Street, Rīgas Street, Kalpaka Street, the railway houses, the Mill Pond and the brewery and other places more or less affected in Gulbene.

Vecgulbene manor with White and Red Castle was the first and oldest center of Gulbene, it was once one of the most beautiful manors in Latvia. This place was destroyed during the war and also during the Soviet era. Not far from the manor was a Lutheran church, a monument to the fallen members of the Gulbene congregation, a brewery and a mill pond.

The second center of Gulbene was formed around the railway station. The two city centers were about 2 km apart, with a gap between meadows, pastures and forest. In the 1930s, with the formation of Gulbene as an important railway junction, the population increased, schools were built, and the current city center was formed.

In the 1960s, the construction of apartment buildings developed rapidly, shops, a culture house, a hospital, a pharmacy were built, and a central square was set up on the site of the former market square. The city streets were paved with asphalt.

A real pleasure for the response of current and former Gulbenes, virtually sharing comments on photo comparisons, as well as photos. The collage series also gained attention from the "Tourist Guide" section of the Delfi portal, finding a place in the portal's publications.

From June 15, we invite everyone to see the Gulbene photo collage series "Then and Now" in the Gulbene municipality administration building!

Liene and Inga
Gulbene County Library