Pilsblidene Manor Battle site

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 Pilsblīdene, Blīdenes pagasts, Saldus novads, LV-3852, Latvija
 +371 63807443
 Saldus TIKS
107

The manor house was built in the classical style in the 1920s of the 19th century. After the land reform, the manor complex was rented out to private individuals, but from 1932 it passed to the Ministry of People's Welfare.

6. During the fierce battles of the Great Battle of Courland it was used both as a support post and as an infirmary. 

On 17 March 1945, the last attempt of the Red Army to attack Courland began. Units of the German 24th Infantry Division defended themselves in the vicinity of the Pilsblidene Manor complex. On 18 March 1945, the manor house was attacked from the south by the 121st Rifle Regiment of the Latvian Rifle Division of the 43rd Guards, which was unsuccessful. The 1st Battalion of the 300th Rifle Regiment of the 7th Estonian Rifle Division attacked from the west, and at the end of the day the 35th Tank Brigade of the 3rd Guards Mechanised Corps joined the 1st Battalion of the 917th Rifle Regiment of the 249th Estonian Rifle Division on the Blīdene-Remte road.

On the night of 19 March, the 43rd Grenadier Regiment of the 19th Latvian SS Grenadier Division arrived in the vicinity of Blīdene Station and counter-attacked to retake the Pilsblīdene Manor residential building. However, as a result of a night tank attack, Estonian and Latvian units of the Red Army gained a foothold at the station.

In 1959, a fire broke out in the castle. From 1961 to 1986, a retirement home operated in the residential building. In 1986, the castle was again destroyed by fire. Since then, the castle has stood empty and ruined.

A 24-hectare park surrounds the manor house, which is now overgrown. The park has about 37 plantations of non-native species of trees and shrubs and is under state protection. The park is unmaintained and the surroundings are overgrown.

Used sources and references:

The Lost Latvia - Blidene. Pilsblīdene manor (zudusilatvija.lv)

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