Inita and Vitauts Straupe are amongst the best-known of Latvian jewelers. They make copies of ancient Latvian, Baltic and Scandinavian jewellery using traditional motifs and symbols for their up-to-date designs.
Their works are featured in the collections of many Latvian museums and they have participated in exhibitions in Latvia, France and Spain, as well as Expo 2000 in Germany.
They have also represented Latvia at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in Washington D.C. and at the Baltic Festival in Stockholm.
Additionally Straupe family regularly takes part in Medieval Festivals, for example, in Cesis (Latvia), Gotland (Sweden) and Estonia.
The two jewellers have opened two art-galleries called “Tornis”, one in Turaidas Castle on the first floor of the Sightseeing Tower and the other in Old Riga opposite the entrance of St. Peters church.
Many of Inita and Vitauts designs are in the collections of such well-known people as Latvian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Hillary Clinton, Finland's president Tarja Holenena, Denmark's queen Margareth II, Ireland's president O. Grimson and his wife, Latvian politician Vaira Paegle, leader of the folk band “Ilgi” Ilga Reizniece and others.
The significant and famous collection of Anita and Vitauts is “Heavy Romantic”. Collection consists of different rose shaped rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants. Rose is as a symbol of love and trust. This collection is devotion to Rose of Turaida, a tragic love story, a well-known Latvian legend. First items of this collection have been made few years ago, when Turaidas Castle celebrated Rose 400 anniversary.
One day Maija received a message that Heil wanted to see her that afternoon. After lunch Maija went to the cave together with Greif’s eight-year-old daughter Lenta.
Later that evening Heil charged into Turaida Castle and announced that Maija had been murdered. The Turaida villagers followed him to the cave, where they found Maija lying on the ground with a scarf around her neck - and without any signs of life.
The Constable’s wife immediately called for the local judge to come and investigate the crime; the trial took place the very next day. Heil’s blood-stained gardening axe was found in the cave and used as evidence to convict Heil of murder. However, no one believed that Heil had committed such a horrific act. The Constable of Turaida recalled Jakubovskis and Skudritis, two brutal Polish soldiers in his army who loved to drink.
On the day of the trial, Skudritis came to the castle offering testimony about the murder. His friend Jakubovskis had fallen in love with Maija, but she had refused him. In his anger of rejection, lovelorn Jakubovskis concocted a plan to take her by force. The soldiers had written and sent the dubious message regarding Heil’s desire to meet Maija. When Maija entered the cave, they attacked her. She tried defending herself, but quickly concluded that she couldn’t beat the strength of two men. At that point, Maija offered to give Jakubovskis a scarf that would protect him from any battle wounds. She volunteered to test it and tied the scarf around her neck but when Jakubovskis struck her with his sword, Maija collapsed dead. In the horror of the attack, Maija had decided better to die than to betray her love for Greif. When the news became public, Jakubovskis hanged himself in a tree. Greif’s young daughter Lenta was found a week later living in another village and in total shock after witnessing the tragic event.
A grief-stricken Heil left Sigulda Castle, his home of many years – and never to return. Until the 19 century, locals considered this story about the Rose of Turaida to be a legend. However, during restoration of the ancient walls of Turaida Castle in the middle of the 19 century, some documents were found that proved validity of the story. Called “the Rose of Turaida”, the gravesite has become a symbol of fidelity for all lovers. In present-day Latvia, many newly-married couples visit the grave and lay flowers in honor of Maija’s devotion to Heil.
