page_title: Āgenskalns
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Āgenskalns / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Modern apartment building on Nometņu Street in Agenskalns
context_page_description: Āgenskalns is a district in Riga, located on the left bank of the Daugava, an old neighbourhood, mainly built in the late 19th to early 20th century. The total area of Agenskalns is 4,6 km², which is a lot less than other districts of Riga.
context_section_description: First known building of Agenskalns and whole Pardaugava was the fortified Mara mill, which was mentioned already in 1226. As evidenced by maps of the 17th century, the village of Agenskalns started next to crossroads of current Meza, Setas and Nometnu Street and continued to develop alongside Nometnu Street. During the 17th century, Agenskalns was little populated. Most of the non-auxiliary members of the Latvian trade house dominated there and also mercenaries - fishermen, anchors, wine barrel carriers, boatmen and others.
  Name “Agenskalns” came from a manor of Henrih fon Hagen, who was a judge in the 17th century (german Hagenshof, nowadays known as Švarcmuiža), and who was the owner of lands alongside Rankas dam and Kuldigas Street. During the Great Northern War, Agenskalns was destroyed, but later restored.
  
  During the French invasion of Russia, in fear of Napoleon's troops, all the buildings of Agenskalns were burned down, so the buildings that are there nowadays started to develop on the first half of the 19th century. The layout of buildings was made without a certain plan and that is why street network between Nometnu and Eduarda Smilga Street is quite chaotic.  Nowadays this territory is a national monument of urban construction and is known for its great wooden architecture.
caption: Modern apartment building on Maza Nometnu Street in Agenskalns
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