Freedom Monument in Iecava Memorial site

The Freedom Monument in Iecava, carved in stone by Pēteris Banders in 1936, is located in Iecava Park on the bank of the River Iecava valley. The idea of the monument was initiated by Jānis Lūsis, pastor of Iecava-Lambārte Parish, and a participant of the Latvian War of Independence. The monument is dedi cated to the soldiers of the 4th Valmiera Infantry Regiment who fell in the vicinity of Iecava, and to the Latvian soldiers who lost their lives in the Latvian War of Independence.

During the Soviet occupation, the monument was blown up, however, it was not destroyed and was eventually restored in 1988. In 2018, the monument was included on the List of State Protected Cultural Monuments. On 11 November 2018, a commemorative plaque for five recipients of the Order of Lāčplēsis who were born in the former Iecava Region, was unveiled in Iecava Park. Gen eral Werners Tepfers, Lieutenant Colonel Jēkabs Jurševskis, Captains Nikolajs Pļavnieks and Herberts Tepfers, and Cor poral Jēkabs Klauss were honoured. The granite statue was created as part of the project “Atceries Lāčplēšus” (Remember the Bearslayers) to commemorate the soldiers who fell in the Latvian War of Independence.