Dobele Hillfort and Castle Ruins of the 14th century in Dobele, on the right bank of the River Bērze. The Livonian Order stone castle was built to replace the Semigallian wooden castle (13th century), which was the centre of the Land Dobele together with a settlement near the castle. Dobele has been cited multiple times by the Rhymed Chronicle: it tells about the fierce battles between locals and German knights during the Livonian Crusade in the 13th century. Semigallians demonstrated enormous resistance fighting their enemies, who struggled to occupy the castle. Between 1279 and 1289, Dobele Castle survived six Livonian Order sieges. When all was destroyed, in 1289, Semigallians set their castle on fire and moved undefeated to the Lithuanian Grand Duchy.
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