MITAU, m'tou Mitava), Russia, town and capital of the government of Cour land, on the right bank of the river Aa, 26 miles southwest of Riga, on the Riga-Orel Railroad. The town is supposed to have received its name from the German Mine in, der Aue and is said to have been founded in 1266 by Conrad Man dern, grand-master of the Order'of the Breth ren of the Sword. When the ,Lithuanians plundered it in 1345,1t had become an important town. In 1561' the Duke of Cotirland made it his residence and the palace became the seat of government. This castle, which was situated on an island in the river, was destroyed by Duke Biren, who erected in its place (1738-72), a fine palace, now the official residence. Mitau was captured three times by the Swedes in the 17th century and in 1795, when Russia annexed Courland, Mitau was included. The Duke of • Provence (afterward Louis XVIXI) made Mitau his home in 1798-1801 and again in 1804 07. Napoleon I capture,' it in 1812. Mitau is
only 12 feet above sea-level and at high water the, town. is sometimes inundated. A canal surrounds the town in the place of the old for ..tifications, The streets are broad and regular and many contain handsome residences of the German nobility. Mitau possesses a museum with .a library, a gymnasium and a, theatre and is the tame of the Lettish Literary Society. The chief manufactures are, chocolate, oilcl*, ink, flour, iron' products and hats: and the town also possesses saw-mills, tanneries and iron works, The trade is large In grain, cattle and wood. Germans ,ounatunher tTie rest of the races, which include Poles, Letts, Russians and Jews. Most of the inhabitants are Protestant • and a general superintendent of the Lutheran Church has his seat there. Pop. 39,200.