Krāslava

Krāslava stands on the Daugava in Latgale, a region that formed part of Polish Livonia in the early modern period. The settlement changed hands among noble owners until Count Jan Ludwik Plater purchased the estate in 1729. Under the Plater family Krāslava grew as a centre of commerce and Catholic culture. Its eighteenth-century buildings included the family's palace, a market square and a new Catholic church. A theological seminary founded in 1757 trained clergy and became an important educational institution in Latgale. Jewish families also settled in the town during the Platers' efforts to encourage its development. In 1772, the first partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth brought Latgale under Russian rule, but the Platers remained influential local landlords. A hospital founded in 1789 and the completion of the palace in 1791 show the continuing development of the town around their estate.