Tverai ( sgs, Tverā) is a

small town "Small Town" is a 1985 song written by John Mellencamp and released on his 1985 album ''Scarecrow''. The song reached #6 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #13 Adult Contemporary. Content Mellencamp wrote the song about his experiences ...

Rietavas municipality Rietavas Municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. According to the 2021 Lithuanian census, Rietavas Municipality had the highest fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that ...

, Lithuania. It is situated on Aitra River, tributary to

Jūra The Jūra is a river in Lithuania and a right tributary of the Nemunas (Neman). It mostly follows a meandering and natural course, although two concrete dams of hydroelectric power plants prevent paddling, as do dense vegetation in its upper re ...

, about 17 km east from

Rietavas Rietavas (; Samogitian: ''Rėitavs''; pl, Retów) is a city in Lithuania on the Jūra River. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 3,979. It is the capital of Rietavas municipality. The city is famous for building the first power ...

and 14 km from

Varniai Varniai (; Samogitian: ''Varnē''; pl, Wornie) is a city in the Telšiai County, western Lithuania. In the Middle Ages the city was known as Medininkai ( Samogitian: ''Medėninkā''). It was established in the 14th century, on the bank of th ...

. Tverai, with population of about 560, is a capital of an

elderate A ''seniūnija'' (in English: eldership, elderate, ward, parish, or subdistrict) is the smallest Subdivisions of Lithuania, administrative division of Lithuania. An eldership may comprise a very small region consisting of few villages, one ...

History

Tverai is identified with Tviriment Castle, mentioned in 1251 by the

Hypatian Codex The Hypatian Codex (also known as Hypatian Letopis or Ipatiev Letopis; be, Іпацьеўскі летапіс; russian: Ипатьевская летопись; uk, Іпатіївський літопис) is a ''svod'' (compendium) of three ''l ...

. The castle was the fortress where

Vykintas 200 px, Monument to Duke Vykintas in Tverai Vykintas (died ) was Duke of Samogitia and a rival to the future King of Lithuania, Mindaugas. In 1236 he probably led the Samogitian forces in the Battle of Saule against the Livonian Order. The Order ...

, Duke of

Samogitia Samogitia or Žemaitija ( Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five cultural regions of Lithuania and formerly one of the two core administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

and victorious leader of the

Battle of Saule The Battle of Saule ( lt, Saulės mūšis / Šiaulių mūšis; german: Schlacht von Schaulen; lv, Saules kauja) was fought on 22 September 1236, between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and pagan troops of Samogitians and Semigallians. Betwe ...

, defended himself against

Mindaugas Mindaugas (german: Myndowen, la, Mindowe, orv, Мендог, be, Міндоўг, pl, Mendog, c. 1203–1263) is the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only crowned King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or ...

, crowned as

King of Lithuania The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Kingdom of Lithuania, Lithuania, which was established as an Absolute monarchy, absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three Duke, ducal D ...

in 1253, during a civil war for power in the early

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...

. Vykintas was defeated and Mindaugas became the undisputeded monarch. During World War II, a group of Jews were murdered in summer and fall of 1941.

References

Jewish Lithuanian history Towns in Lithuania Towns in Telšiai County Rietavas Municipality Telshevsky Uyezd Holocaust locations in Lithuania {{TelšiaiCounty-geo-stub