Antiņciems History
Antiņciems is located on the southeastern shore of Lake Kaņieris, approximately 5 kilometers from Lapmežciems.
The village suffered greatly during World War I, as prolonged and intense battles took place in the surrounding area. The Antiņciems cemetery contains graves of Russian soldiers who fell during these conflicts. However, following the war, the village quickly recovered and flourished. Its residents successfully engaged in agriculture, supplying food to the nearby Ķemeri Sanatorium.
One of the most popular crops grown in Antiņciems during the interwar period was chicory. Roasted chicory roots were transported by horse to Ķemeri, then loaded onto train wagons and sent to Riga. There, the chicory was used by Wilhelm Ķuze’s Confectionery Factory and E. Mežits’ Coffee and Chicory Factory – the latter regarded as the finest in Latvia during the 1920s and 1930s.
The village’s name derives from the homestead called “Anting.” According to local tradition, the first inhabitants were of Slavic origin, with “Anti” referring to Eastern Slavs – ancestors of Ukrainians, Russians, and Belarusians.
