In the second half of the 14th century, the
Livonian Order built the
Aizkraukle Castle, a few kilometres downstream from the ancient hillfort of
Livs. The ruins of the castle still remain today. Before
World War I, the settlement that stood near the site of modern-day Aizkraukle was known by its
German name of
Ascheraden. The modern town was established in 1961 as a settlement to house the builders of the nearby
hydroelectric power plant of Pļaviņas. It was originally called
Stučka (or "",
Stuchka and "",
imeni Petra Stuchki in
Russian), for
Pēteris Stučka, a
Latvian communist. Town status was granted to it in 1967, which is also when it became the
administrative center of
Stučkas district. In 1990, it was renamed as Aizkraukle, after
the nearest railway station. The name literally means "
beyond the Kraukle River." ==Economy==