Žaiginys is a small town in

Kaunas County Kaunas County () is one of ten counties of Lithuania. It is in the centre of the country, and its Capital (political), capital is Kaunas. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished. Symbols The county's coat of arms can be blazoned ...

located in central

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. As of 2011 it had a population of 335.

History

Žaiginys manor was first mentioned in 1575. There was a brewery making

vodka Vodka ( ; is a clear distilled beverage, distilled alcoholic beverage. Its varieties originated in Poland and Russia. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impurities and flavourings. Traditionally, it is ...

and bitter. The first Žaiginys church was built in 1664 (in 1684 according to other sources). In 1716 Žaiginys manor was granted trading privileges. The manor owner, Jacob Nagurski, invited

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

to Žaiginys in 1762. The Franciscan monastery operated from 1764 to 1832. In 1907-1915 there was a private school that later burnt down. During the Second World War, the Soviet Revenge partisans were active. In Soviet times, the town was the center of the neighborhood and the central settlement of the Žaiginis Soviet farm (founded in 1959).

References

Populated places in Lithuania Towns in Lithuania Towns in Kaunas County {{KaunasCounty-geo-stub