Klaipėda

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Klaipėda ([pronunciation] ([Media helphelp]·[info]), approximate English transcription: [ˈklaɪ.pɛ.dʌ], simplified Lithuanian transcription: [klaǐpēda] German: Memel or Memelburg) is a Lithuanian city situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon to the Baltic Sea. As Lithuania's only seaport, it has ferry terminal connections to Sweden, Denmark, and Germany.

Throughout its history, the town has belonged as Memel to Prussia and Germany, and since 1923 as Klaipėda to Lithuania. Some of its older buildings have picturesque framework architecture similar to that found in Germany, England, and Denmark.

The population shrank from 207,100 in 1992 to 187,442 inhabitants in 2005. Popular seaside resorts found close to Klaipėda are Nida to the south on the Curonian Spit, and Palanga to the north.

Names

From 1252-1923 and 1939–1945, the town and city was officially named Memel; due to political changes, between 1923 and 1939, and since 1945, the Lithuanian name of Klaipėda is applied. Memel is found in most sources from the 13th century onwards, while Klaipėda is commonly used in Lithuanian sources since the 15th century. The lower reaches of the Neman River were named either Memele or Memela by local inhabitants; this name was adopted by speakers of German and also chosen for the new city founded further away at the lagoon. Thus, the indigenous term was preserved for 700 years without a change, and was used in the German national anthem, "Das Lied der Deutschen" (refering to the river only). The name "Klaipėda" is possibly a Samogitian appellation which may refer to the boggy terrain of the town.

History

Teutonic Knights

The settlement of Baltic tribes in the territory of the present-day city is said to have existed in the region as early as the 7th century.

In the 1240s the Pope offered King Håkon IV of Norway the opportunity to conquer the peninsula of Sambia. However, following the personal acceptance of Christianity by Grand Duke Mindaugas of Lithuania, the Teutonic Knights and a group of crusaders from Lübeck moved into Sambia, founding unopposed a fort in 1252 recorded as Memele castrum (or Memelburg, "Memel Castle"). The fort's construction was completed in 1253 and Memel was garrisoned with troops of the Livonian Order administered by Deutschmeister Eberhard von Seyne. Documents for its foundation were signed by Eberhard and Bishop Heinrich von Lützelburg of Courland on July 29, 1252 and August 1, 1252.

Master Conrad von Thierberg used the fortress as a base for further campaigns along the Neman River and against Samogitia. Memel was unsuccessfully besieged by Sambians in 1255, and the scattered Sambians submitted by 1259. Memel was colonized by settlers from Holstein, Lübeck, and Dortmund, hence Memel also being known at the time as Neu Dortmund, or "New Dortmund". It became the main town of the Diocese of Curonia, with a cathedral and at least two parochial churches, but the development of the castle became the dominant priority. According to different sources, Memel received Lübeck city rights in 1254Klaipėda city information portal. "[History]". Retrieved 11 April 2006. or 1258.Magocsi, Paul Robert. Historical Atlas of Central Europe. University of Washington Press. Seattle, 2002. p. 41. ISBN 0295981466

In the spring and summer of 1323, a Lithuanian army led by Gediminas came up the Neman, laid siege to the castle of Memel after conquering the town, and devastated Sambia, forcing the Order to sue for a truce in October. During the planning of a campaign against Samogitia, Memel's garrison of the Teutonic Order's Livonian branch was replaced with knights from the Prussian branch in 1328. Threats and attacks by Lithuanians greatly thwarted the town's development; the town and the castle were both sacked by Lithuanian tribes in 1379, while Samogitians attacked 800 workers rebuilding Memel in 1389.

The Treaty of Melno in 1422 fixed the border between the Teutonic Order and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for the next 501 years. The rebuilt town received Kulm city rights in 1475. Memel remained part of what became Prussia and Germany, the border to Lithuania remained unchanged until 1919. It was one of the longest-lasting unchanged borders in Europe, and is referred to in the now-unsung first verse of the German national anthem, describing the borders of German-speaking lands: Von der Maas bis an die Memel, referring to the Meuse and Neman rivers.

Ducal Prussia

Against the wishes of its governor and commander, Eric of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Memel adopted Lutheranism after the conversion of Albert of Prussia and the creation of Ducal Prussia as a fief of Poland in 1525. It was the beginning of a long time of prosperity for the city and port. This border city served as a port for neighbouring Lithuania, benefiting from its location near the mouth of the Neman, with wheat as a profitable export. Ducal Prussia was inherited by the Hohenzollern prince-electors of the March of Brandenburg in 1618. Brandenburg-Prussia actively started to participate in regional policy, which affected the development of Memel. From 1629-1635, the town was occupied by Sweden during parts of the Polish-Swedish War of 1625-1629 and the Thirty Years' War.

After the Treaty of Königsberg in 1656 during the Northern Wars, Elector Frederick William opened Memel's harbor to Sweden, with whom the harbor's revenue was divided. Prussian independence from Poland and Sweden was affirmed in the Treaty of Oliva in 1660.

The construction of the defence around the entire town, initiated in 1627, noticeably changed both its status and prospects. In November 1678 a small Swedish army invaded Prussian territory, but was unable to capture the fortress of Memel.

Kingdom of Prussia

By the beginning of the 18th century, Memel was one of the strongest fortresses (Memelfestung) in Prussia and the town became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. Despite the fortifications it was captured by Russian troops during the Seven Years' War in 1757. Consequently, from 1757–1762 the town, like the whole of eastern Prussia, was dependent on the Russian Empire. Upon war's end the maintenance of the fortress was neglected, but the town's growth continued.

Memel became part of the province of East Prussia within the Kingdom of Prussia in 1773. In the second half of the 18th century Memel's lax customs and Riga's high duties enticed English traders, who established the first industrial sawmills in the town. In 1784, 996 ships arrived in Memel, 500 of which were English. (In 1900 there was still an active English church in Memel, as well as a 'British Hotel'). The specialisation in wood manufacturing guaranteed Memel's merchants income and stability for more than a hundred years. It likewise normalised trade with Königsberg, as prior competition had degraded relations since the 16th century.

Memel prospered during the second half of the 18th century by exporting timber to Great Britain for use by the British Navy. In 1792 756 British ships visited the town to transport lumber from the Lithuanian forests near Memel. In 1800 the imports were chiefly salt, iron, and herrings; the exports, which greatly exceeded the imports, were corn, hemp, flax, and, particularly, timber. The 1815 Encyclopædia Britannica stated that Memel was "provided with the finest harbour in the Baltic".

During the Napoleonic Wars, Memel became the temporary capital of the Kingdom of Prussia. From 1807-08 the town was the residence of King Frederick William III, his consort Louise, his court, and the government. On October 9, 1807 the king signed in Memel what was later called the October Edict, which abolished serfdom in Prussia. It originated the reforms of Karl Freiherr vom und zum Stein and Karl August von Hardenberg. The land around Memel economically suffered greatly under Napoleon Bonaparte's Continental System. During Napoleon's retreat from Moscow after the failed invasion of Russia in 1812, General Yorck refused Marshal MacDonald's orders to fortify Memel at Prussia's expense.

German Empire

With the unification of Germany as the German Empire in 1871, Memel became its most northerly city.

The development of the town in the 19th century was conditioned by the industrial revolution in Prussia and its attendant process of urbanisation. Even though the population of Memel increased fourfold during the 19th century and there were 21,470 people living in the city itself in 1910, the pace of development lagged in comparison. The reasons for this were mostly political. Memel was the northern-most and farthest eastern city of Germany and although the government was engaged in a very costly tree-planting exercise to stabilise the sand-dunes on the Curonian Spit, most national financial infusions in the province of East Prussia were concentrated on Königsberg, the capital of the province (notably the blasting of the bar, and a new ship canal between Pillau to Konigsberg, which enabled vessels of 21 foot draught to moor alongside the city - cost 13 million marks). Owing to the absence of heavy industry in the 1870s and 1880s the population of Memel stagnated, although wood manufacturing persisted as the main industry. It remained the central point of the Baltic timber-trade. There was a British Consul here in 1800, and in 1900 a British Vice-Consul, as well as a Lloyd's Agent.

By 1900 there were steamer services between Memel, Cranz (on the southern end of the Curonian Spit, and also Tilsit, and a main-line railway had been built from Insterburg, the main East Prussian railway junction, to St. Petersburg via Eydtkuhnen, the Prussian frontier-station. The Memel line also ran from Insterburg, via Tilsit (where a further direct line connected with Konigsberg), finally crossing the 2.5 mile wide valley of the river Memel by three bridges before its arrival in Memel.

During the second half of the 19th century, Memel was a center for the publication of books printed in the Lithuanian language with the Latin alphabet, which was prohibited in the nearby Russian Empire. The books were then smuggled over the border.

The German 1910 census gives the Memel Territory population as 149,766, of whom 67,345 had Lithuanian as their mother-tongue. The Germans greatly predominated in the town and port of Memel as well as in other villages, the Lithuanians in the rural districts. (EB, 1938 Year Book, see [map of languages])

Inter-war years

Under the Treaty of Versailles after World War I, Memel and the surrounding Memel Territory (or "Klaipėda Region") was made a protectorate of the Entente States, in order to guarantee port rights to Lithuania and Poland. The territory was adminstered by an autonomous Landtag government, under a French High Commissioner, with the ultimate intention that it would be a self-governing territory on the model of Danzig.

However, encouraged by the Polish invasion and annexation of the Wilno Voivodship, the Lithuanians, in January 1923, invaded Memel and the Memel Territory. The French garrison remained inactive and gave no resistance. As this incident occurred on the eve of the French occupation of the Ruhr Area, the Allies had no troops to spare for the restoration of their authority; they consequently took refuge in negotiations which eventually left the juridical sovereignty in the hands of Lithuania. A convention suggested by the League of Nations was accepted in March 1924 securing a measure of autonomy for the inhabitants, (see Gathorne-Hardy).

The annexation of the city (renamed Klaipėda) and the Memel Territory with its large German population had enormous consequences for the Lithuanian economy. The region subsequently accounted for up to 30% of the Lithuania's entire production.

Hatred between local Memellanders and occupying Lithuanians prevented the smooth working of the government. The first Landtag, elected in October 1925, was composed of 27 Germans and two Lithuanians - an indication of the German sympathies of the Memellanders, even of those whose mother-tongue was Lithuanian. Lithuania, irritated by this, used all sorts of coercion to restrict German influence. In 1934, 538 German employees were dismissed and 126 Germans were accused of treason before a Lithuanian Military tribunal. Before the election of September 1935, German newspapers were illegally suppressed and four candidates were deprived of their citizenship to prevent their election; some 9,000 'new' Lithuanians were given the vote. By an expropriation law of 6 September 1937, Lithuanian authorities began to seize German land and public buildings without consulting local authorities and without adequate compensation being offered. (EB 1938 Year Book).

Opposition by the population to Lithuanian rule continued, and the British Foreign Office observed that prior to the Landtag (or Diet) elections on 11 December 1938, the Lithuanian police had been withdrawn and that public order had been entrusted to the native German auxiliary police formation. Troops had been confined to barracks and even the sentries removed from the gates. The elections produced once again an overwhelming majority for the German party, who appealed to the German government.

On 10 March 1939 Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop discussed the Memel Territory issue with the Lithuanian Minister for Foreign Affairs, and stated that the city and area should be returned to Germany within "three or four days". Lithuania returned the Memel Territory to Germany on March 22 1939; Chancellor Adolf Hitler personally arrived the next day and made a speech from a theatre balcony.

1945-present

During World War II, from the end of 1944 into 1945, the German inhabitants felt compelled to flee as the fighting drew nearer, or were later expelled or murdered. The city was captured by the Soviet Red Army on January 28 1945. Unlike the rest of East Prussia, the Memel Territory was not considered part of the Soviet occupation zone, and was therefore incorporated into the Lithuanian SSR (a part of the Soviet State), marking the start of a new epoch in the history of the city.

The Soviets transformed Klaipėda, as the foremost ice-free port in the Eastern Baltic, into the largest piscatorial-marine base in the European USSR. A gigantic shipyard, a few dockyards and the fishing port were constructed. Subsequently, by the end of the 1950s the population of the city had surpassed twice its pre-war population, and by 1989 there were 203,000 people in Klaipėda. In the aftermath of World War II almost all the new inhabitants came to Klaipėda from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Lithuania. Initially the Russian-speakers dominated the local government in the city, but after the death of Joseph Stalin more people came to the city from the rest of Lithuania than from other Soviet republics and oblasts; this caused Lithuanians to become the majority. Among Lithuanian cities with a population greater than 100,000, however, Klaipėda has the highest percentage of people whose native language is Russian.

Up to the 1970s Klaipėda was only important to the USSR for its economy, while cultural and religious activity was minimal and restricted. The developers of a Roman Catholic church (Maria, Queen of Peace, constructed 1957-1962) were arrested. The city began to develop cultural activities in the 1970s and 1980s, such as the introduction of the Sea Festival cultural tradition. Based on the Pedagogical University of Šiauliai and the National Conservatory of Lithuania in Klaipėda, the University of Klaipėda was established in 1991. Klaipėda also has the bilingual German-Lithuanian Hermann-Sudermann-Schule.

Port

Klaipėda Seaport is the northernmost ice-free port on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. It is the most important and the biggest Lithuanian transportation hub, connecting sea, land and railway routes from East to West. Klaipėda is a multipurpose, universal, deep-water port. 19 big stevedoring companies, ship-repair and ship-building yards operate within the port and all marine business and cargo handling services are being rendered.

The annual port cargo handling capacity is up to 40 million tons. The port operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all-year round.

Main sights

Klaipėda's main attractions are the historic buildings in the city's centre, from the 13th-18th centuries. Other places of interest include

• the remnants of the Memelburg Castle, built in the 13th century by the Livonian Order. It had a massive bulk and a quadrangular tower, surrounded by the ramparts and brick bastions. It lost importance with the Russian occupation from 1756-1762, and thenceforth started to decay.
• the Zarde ancient settlement, situated on the right bank of the Smiltelë River. It is dated in the late Iron Age (10th century), and was inhabited until the 16th century.
• the remnants of so-called 'Dutch' defence system around the entire town from the 17th-18th centuries.
• the maritime museum in Wilhelm fort, built at the end of the 19th century at the spike of the Curonian Spit.

Famous residents

• Simon Dach (1605-1659), poet and writer of the Ännchen von Tharau song
• Tomas Venclova (born 1937), poet and author
• Michael Wohlfahrt (1687-1741), religious leader in Pennsylvania
• Friedrich Wilhelm Argelander (1799-1875), astronomer
• George Adomeit (1879-1967), German-American painter
• Immanuel Kant's grandfather and father
• Hans Henning Atrott (born 1944), philosopher and pro-euthanasia activist
• Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883), founder of Musar movement within Judaism
• Julius Kröhl (1820-1867), engineer in the United States, submarine pioneer
• Dietmar Willoweit (born 1936) president of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences
• Lena Valaitis (born 1943), German-Lithuanian folk singer
• Tomas Vaitkus (born 1982), cycling champion

Sister cities

Debrecen (Hungary)

See also

• Ports of the Baltic Sea
• Lithuania Christian College, based in Klaipėda

References

• Baedeker, Karl. Northern Germany. London, 1904, p.178.
• Christiansen, Eric. The Northern Crusades. Penguin Books. London, 1997. pp. 107, 160, 248. ISBN 0140266534
• The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia (2006). "[Klaipeda]." Retrieved 11 April, 2006.
• Gathorne-Hardy, Geoffrey Malcolm. A Short History of International Affairs, 1920 to 1934. Oxford University Press, 3rd impression, May 1936, p.89/91.
• Encyclopædia Britannica 1938 Year Book.
• Kirby, David. The Baltic World, 1772-1993: Europe’s Northern Periphery in an Age of Change. Longman. London, 1999. p. 42, 133. ISBN 058200408X
• Kirby, David. Northern Europe in the Early Modern Period: The Baltic World, 1492-1772. Longman. London, 1990. p. 366 ISBN 0582004101
• Koch, Hannsjoachim Wolfgang. A History of Prussia. Barnes & Noble Books. New York, 1993. pp. 35, 54, 194. ISBN 0880291583
• Urban, William. The Teutonic Knights: A Military History. Greenhill Books. London, 2003, pp. 65, 121. ISBN 1853675350
• Woodward, E.L., Butler, Rohan, (editors). Documents on British Foreign Policy 1919-1939 (1939), Third Series, volume IV. HMSO, London, 1951.

Notes

External links