Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain rising only 3.5 metres (11.5 feet) above mean sea level on the right bank of the river Lielupe.

"[5] The origin of the German name Mitau is unclear, although it is suggested that it came from the Latvian words mīt or mainīt, meaning "to exchange" or "to trade," thus making it "trading-place."

In publications dating from the Soviet period, the city name was occasionally spelled in English as "Yelgava", a back-transliteration from Russian Елгава.

Led by the Grand Master Konrad von Mandern [lv], the crusading Livonian Order constructed the castle in Mitau on a natural island fortification (Pilssala) in 1265–1266.

The town rose in importance as a defensive fixture against the Lithuanians to the south, who succeeded in plundering Mitau in 1345.

As Courland's neighbors increased in strength, however, the duchy - and Mitau - began to fall under Russia's sphere of influence.

In 1710, Friedrich Wilhelm married Anna Ioannovna (daughter of Tsar Ivan V (r. 1682–1696), and herself later Empress of Russia), but on his way back from St Petersburg, he took ill and died (1711).

The penultimate duke of Courland, Ernst Johann von Biron (r. 1737–1740 and 1763–1769), expanded the cultural aspects of Mitau.

In 1775 the last Duke of Courland, Peter von Biron (r. 1769–1795), founded the Academia Petrina, which became a cultural center for the country.

The development of its infrastructure encouraged rural Latvians to migrate to the city, as merchants, craftsmen, teachers, and officials.

From 30 July until 7 August, after heavy street fighting and several air raids, the Red Army managed to occupy the left bank of the Lielupe river.

In late August, the German army launched a counterattack on Jelgava from the north but it failed to drive back the Soviets.

Jelgava was rebuilt in typical Soviet style after World War II as part of the Latvian SSR.

Following Latvian independence, Jelgava has slowly regained its original Germanic heritage and is now a popular tourist site.

Owing to Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, many of Jelgava's inhabitants are students or people connected with education.

[citation needed] Jelgava before the Second World War had regular, broad streets lined with the mansions of the Baltic German nobility who resided at the former capital of Courland.