Pakruojis

Pakruojis (pronunciationⓘ) is a city in Lithuania. It is situated on the Kruoja River, which has a dam above the city. Forty three buildings of the manor, mentioned in 1531 still survive.

Pakruojis
City
Flag of Pakruojis
Flag
Coat of arms of Pakruojis
Coat of arms
Pakruojis is located in Lithuania
Pakruojis
Pakruojis
Location of Pakruojis
Coordinates: 55°58′N 23°52′E
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionAukštaitija
CountyŠiauliai County
MunicipalityPakruojis district municipality
EldershipPakruojis eldership
Capital ofPakruojis district municipality
Pakruojis eldership
First mentioned1531
Granted city rights1950
Population
 (2020)
 • Total4,352
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

History

Pakruojis and it neighbourhood are within the boundaries of the inhabited area of the Semigallian tribe. For a long time it was thought that the town was founded in 1585, when the town and Pakruojis manor were mentioned in land ownership records. This date has entered several encyclopedias. However, historian Algimantas Miškinis discovered that Pakruojis was first mentioned in 1531. On July 10, 1613 the first church of Pakruojis had inaugural service in it new building. Sigismund III Vasa granted rights for two annual fairs.

Landowners von Ropa,[1] who owned Pakruojis Manor from the beginning of 19th century, had a great influence on the development of the city.

In 1801 the oldest wooden synagogue of Pakruojis in Lithuania was built.

In July and August, 1941, German soldiers with the help of local white armbanders massacred a total of 400 Jews from Pakruojis district in the nearby Morkakalnis forest.[2]

Pakruojis wooden synagogue survived World War II.[3] It is the largest and the oldest of the wooden synagogues that survives in Lithuania, but had been in deteriorating condition for a long time.[4] On May 3, 2009 the synagogue suffered severe damage in a possible arson fire,;[5][6] it underwent restoration 2014–2016 and was reopened in May 2017.[7]

In 1950 Pakruojis was granted city rights.

In 1982 a railway from Radviliškis was upgraded and narrow railway replaced with wide railway.

In 1993 the coat of arms of Pakruojis was approved.

International relations
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania

Twin towns — sister cities

Pakruojis is twinned with:

People

References
  1. Albert of Riga brother Theodoricus is the progenitor of the family de Raupena (de Ropa, known today as "von der Ropp") that founded manors in Livonia and Courland.
  2. "Holocaust Atlas of Lithuania".
  3. "PREFACE 1". Shtetlinks.jewishgen.org. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  4. Gruber, Samuel D. (2008-09-29). "Samuel Gruber's Jewish Art & Monuments: Lithuania: Pakruojis Wooden Synagogue Continues to Deteriorate. How Much Time is Left?". Samgrubersjewishartmonuments.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  5. "Jewkey the jewish Deal a Day". Jewkey.com. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  6. "Pakruojyje degė nebeveikianti medinė sinagoga - DELFI Žinios". Delfi.lt. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
  7. "Lithuania: Restored wooden synagogue in Pakruojis reopens". Jewish Heritage Europe. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 2019-02-28.

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