Nīdermuiža Catholic Church

The first church in Nīdermuiža was built of wood n 1748. In 1875 the church was expanded, and in 1892 - fully restored. In 1898 the church was destroyed in fire that came from a thurible, when a wind inflamed the coal in it. To have a place for church services, a wood chapel was built for the time until the new church is being constructed. It used to stand at the church fence in the apple tree garden, in front of the presbytery. The burned church was replaced by a new stone church in 1901 by dean Jāzeps Andžejevskis. The funds for the construction of the church were raised by the congregation and a few donators from Lithuania and Pēterpils. The church has a woodwork decorated large altar, that dean Andžejevskis bought from a closed church in Lithuania. Nidermuiža church is 16 meters long and 14 meters wide with several "navas", a concrete floor and a tin roof. In 1977 the roof and towers were painted with an oil paint. There is a fence around the church. At first the congregation was serviced by deans from Daugavpils. On April 22, 1727, the Polish king August approved the privileges of Daugavpils Catholic church regarding Nīdermuiža and gave and order for the Daugavpils congregation to build a new church in Nīdermuiža. Nīdermuiža church archive books have remained since 1744. Which means, that before 1748, Nīdermuiža had a church of a chapel. Later on the deans worked independently. Nīdermuiža church was not located in the centre of the congregation, but only 2 km from the border of Jasmuiža Catholic congregation, that is why the closest village inhabitants of Jasmuiža Catholic congregation in December 17, 1957, asked the Archbishop of Riga to add them to Nīdermuiža congregation. The motivation was the following - the distance to Jasmuiža church was 13 km, but to Nīdermuiža church - 2 km. The Archibshop Antonijs Springovičs confirmed their request and added 133 people from 6 villages to the congregation.