A tribute to the wooden ships, the iron men and the events which here set the preconditions for the development of national self awareness and awakening in the mid 19th century and early 20th century.
In the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, around 550 sailing ships suitable for long-distance voyages were built in Kurzeme and Vidzeme. Sailing ships construction reached its highest level in 1900-1904. year, but then declined as freight rates fell and sailing ships could not compete with steamships. During the First World War, Latvian ports stopped working and the merchant fleet was almost destroyed.