Centre of Regional Studies

Centre of Regional Studies performs a comprehensive study of the region of East Latvia (Latgale). The centre’s origins date back to 1960 when Latgalian migrants in the USA and Western Europe founded “Latgale Research Institute” and began organising conferences on Latgale and publishing collection of articles “Acta Latgalica” (Vol. 1–7), popular science and literary works, which intensified discussions about the preservation of cultural and historical heritage of Latgale. Continuing the tradition established in exile, in 1991 “Latgale Research Institute” was founded in Daugavpils. It brought together more than 80 researchers from different fields, who carried out public research, held 13 conferences “Latgales pagātne, tagadne, nākotne” [Past, Presence, and Future of Latgale] and published collection of articles “Acta Latgalica” (Vol. 8–13). Since 2006 “Latgale Research Institute” has been integrated into the Daugavpils University and continues to act as a structural unit thereof. Its activities focus on theory of historical sources and source research methodology, as well as introduction of historical informatics or “digital history” in Latvia. This enables successful integration into international academia and the implementation of science and technology transfer activities.

Contacts

Address: Vienibas Street 13-122, Daugavpils, Latvia, LV-5401
Phone: +371 654 25150
E-mail: spi@du.lv
Employee contacts

Research Directions

Regional research is in line with today’s paradigm in world history research and is concentrated in several directions:

• conducting research in the field of theory and methodology of historical regionalism,
• academic study of the history of Latgale,
• historiography of Latgale and Latvia,
• development of historical databases of Latgale.

Academic publications

Database “Latgales Dati” (Data on Latgale) http://latgalesdati.du.lv/
Dinaburg Fortress Documentation Centre http://dcdc.lpi.du.lv/