Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...
on the
Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the
eponymous county, it is
the third largest city and the only major seaport in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...
.
The city has a complex recorded history, partially due to the combined regional importance of the usually ice-free
Port of Klaipėda at the mouth of the river . Located in the region of
Lithuania Minor, at various times, it was a part of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth,
Prussia and
Germany until the 1919
Treaty of Versailles. As a result of the 1923
Klaipėda Revolt it was annexed by Lithuania and has remained with Lithuania to this day, except between 1939 and 1945 when it was
occupied by Germany following the
1939 German ultimatum to Lithuania
The 1939 German ultimatum to Lithuania was an oral ultimatum which Joachim von Ribbentrop, Foreign Minister of Nazi Germany, presented to Juozas Urbšys, Foreign Minister of Lithuania on 20 March 1939. The Germans demanded that Lithuania give up ...
.
The population has migrated from the city to its suburbs and hinterland. The number of inhabitants of Klaipėda city shrank from 202,929 in 1989 to 162,360 in 2011, but the
urban zone
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
of Klaipėda expanded well into the suburbs, which sprang up around the city and surrounded it from three sides. These are partly integrated with the city (city bus lines, city water supply, etc.) and the majority of inhabitants of these suburbs work in Klaipėda. According to data from the Department of Statistics, there are 212,302 permanent inhabitants (as of 2020) in Klaipėda city and
Klaipėda district
Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...
municipalities combined. Popular seaside resorts found close to Klaipėda are
Neringa to the south on the
Curonian Spit and
Palanga to the north.
Names

The
Teutonic Knights built a
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in the *Pilsāts Land of the
Curonians and named it ''Memelburg''; later the name was shortened to ''Memel''. From 1252 to 1923 and from 1939 to 1945, the town and city were officially named ''Memel''. Between 1923 and 1939, both names were in official use; since 1945 the Lithuanian name of ''Klaipėda'' has been used.
The names ''Memelburg'' and ''Memel'' are found in most written sources from the
13th century
The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 ( MCCI) through December 31, 1300 ( MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar.
The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched from Eastern Asia to Eastern Eu ...
onwards, while ''Klaipėda'' is found in Lithuania-related sources since the 15th century. The first time the city was mentioned as ''Caloypede'' in the letter of
Vytautas in 1413, for the second time in the negotiation documents of 1420 as ''Klawppeda'', and for the third time in the
Treaty of Melno of 1422 as ''Cleupeda''. According to
Samogitian folk etymology
Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
, the name ''Klaipėda'' refers to the boggy terrain of the town (''klaidyti''=obstruct and ''pėda''=foot). Most likely the name is of
Curonian origin and means "even ground": "klais/klait" (flat, open, free) and "peda" (sole of the foot, ground), as a reference to relatively flat terrain of the original settlement's surroundings.
The lower reaches of the river
Neman were named either *''Mēmele'' or *''Mēmela'' by
Scalovians and local Curonian inhabitants. In the
Latvian Curonian language it means ''mute, silent'' (''memelis, mimelis, mēms''), as a reference to peaceful flow of the Neman. This name was adopted by speakers of German and also chosen for the new city founded further away at the lagoon.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms of Klaipėda is also used as coat of arms of
Klaipėda city municipality. The modern version was created by the designer
Kęstutis Mickevičius
Kęstutis ( la, Kinstut, ; – 3 or 15 August 1382) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He was the Duke of Trakai and governed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1342–1382, together with his brother Algirdas (until 1377), and with his nephew Jogaila ...
. The modern coat of arms was created by restoring old seals of the Memel city (analogous with those used in the years 1446, 1605 and 1618). It was affirmed on 1 July 1992.
History
Teutonic Knights
A 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
The 7th century is the period from 601 ( DCI) through 700 ( DCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Common Era. The spread of Islam and the Muslim conquests began with the unification of Arabia by Muhammad starting in 622. After Muh ...
.
In the 1240s the Pope offered King
Håkon IV
Haakon IV Haakonsson ( – 16 December 1263; Old Norse: ''Hákon Hákonarson'' ; Norwegian: ''Håkon Håkonsson''), sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 y ...
of
Norway the opportunity to conquer the peninsula of
Sambia. However, following the personal acceptance of Christianity by Grand Duke
Mindaugas of
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...
, the
Teutonic Knights and a group of
crusade
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...
rs 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
Teutonic Order, administered by
Deutschmeister Eberhard von Seyne Eberhard is an old Germanic name meaning the strength or courage of a wild boar.
People
First name
*Eberhard of Friuli (815–866), Duke and key figure in the Carolingian Empire
*Eberhard of Béthune (died 1212), Flemish grammarian
*Eberhard I, Du ...
. Documents for its foundation were signed by Eberhard and Bishop Heinrich von Lützelburg of
Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
on 29 July 1252 and 1 August 1252.

Master
Conrad von Thierberg
Conrad may refer to:
People
* Conrad (name)
Places
United States
* Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Iowa, a city
* Conrad, Montana, a city
* Conrad Glacier, Washington ...
used the fortress as a base for further campaigns along the river
Neman 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
Dortmund (; Westphalian nds, Düörpm ; la, Tremonia) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the eighth-largest city of Germany, with a population of 588,250 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the la ...
, 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 1254 or 1258.
In the spring and summer of 1323, a Lithuanian army led by
Gediminas came up the
Neman and 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
Lithuanians ( lt, lietuviai) are a Baltic ethnic group. They are native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,378,118 people. Another million or two make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Uni ...
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 stabilized the border between the Teutonic Order and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania for the next 501 years. In 1454, King
Casimir IV Jagiellon incorporated the region to the
Kingdom of Poland upon the request of the anti-Teutonic
Prussian Confederation. After the subsequent
Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466) the city became a part of Poland as a
fief held by the Teutonic Knights, and thus located within the
Polish–Lithuanian union Polish–Lithuanian can refer to:
* Polish–Lithuanian union (1385–1569)
* Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569–1795)
* Polish-Lithuanian identity as used to describe groups, families, or individuals with histories in the Polish–Lithuanian ...
. The rebuilt town received
Kulm law city rights in 1475.
Duchy of Prussia

Against the wishes of its governor and commander, Eric of
Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Memel adopted
Lutheranism after the conversion of Grand Master
Albert of Prussia and the creation of the
Duchy of Prussia as a fief of the
Crown of the Kingdom of Poland
The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Korona Królestwa Polskiego; Latin: ''Corona Regni Poloniae''), known also as the Polish Crown, is the common name for the historic Late Middle Ages territorial possessions of the King of Poland, includ ...
in 1525,
[ soon part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was the onset of a long period of prosperity for the city and port. It served as a port for neighbouring Lithuania, benefiting from its location near the mouth of the Neman, with wheat as a profitable export. The Duchy of Prussia was inherited by a relative, John Sigismund, the ]Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern (, also , german: Haus Hohenzollern, , ro, Casa de Hohenzollern) is a German royal (and from 1871 to 1918, imperial) dynasty whose members were variously princes, electors, kings and emperors of Hohenzollern, Brandenb ...
prince-electors of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1618. Brandenburg-Prussia
Brandenburg-Prussia (german: Brandenburg-Preußen; ) is the historiographic denomination for the early modern realm of the Brandenburgian Hohenzollerns between 1618 and 1701. Based in the Electorate of Brandenburg, the main branch of the Hohenz ...
began active participation in regional policy, which affected the development of Memel. From 1629 to 1635, the town was occupied by Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
over several periods during the Polish-Swedish War of 1626–1629.
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. Sovereignty of the margraves of Brandenburg over the region was affirmed in the Treaty of Oliva in 1660.
The construction of a defence system around the entire town, initiated in 1627, noticeably changed 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 its fortifications, it was captured by Russian troops during the Seven Years' War in 1757. Consequently, from 1757 to 1762 the town, along with the rest of eastern Prussia, was dependent on the Russian Empire. After this war ended, the maintenance of the fortress was neglected, but the town's growth continued.
Memel became part of the newly formed province of East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
within the Kingdom of Prussia in 1773. In the second half of the 18th century Memel's lax customs and Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
'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. During this era it also normalised its trade relations with Königsberg; regional instability 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 Royal Navy. In 1792, 756 British ships visited the town to transport lumber from the Lithuanian forests near Memel. In 1800 its imports consisted chiefly of 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. Between 1807 and 1808, the town was the residence of King Frederick William III, his consort Louise, his court, and the government. On 9 October 1807 the king signed a document in Memel, later called the October Edict
The Prussian Reform Movement was a series of constitutional, administrative, social and economic reforms early in nineteenth-century Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia. They are sometimes known as the Stein-Hardenberg Reforms, for Heinrich Friedrich K ...
, which abolished serfdom in Prussia. It originated the reforms of Karl Freiherr vom und zum Stein
Heinrich Friedrich Karl Reichsfreiherr vom und zum Stein (25 October 1757 – 29 June 1831), commonly known as Baron vom Stein, was a Prussian statesman who introduced the Prussian reforms, which paved the way for the unification of German ...
and Karl August von Hardenberg
Karl August Fürst von Hardenberg (31 May 1750, in Essenrode-Lehre – 26 November 1822, in Genoa) was a Prussian statesman and Prime Minister of Prussia. While during his late career he acquiesced to reactionary policies, earlier in his career ...
. The land around Memel suffered major economic setbacks under Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's Continental System. During Napoleon's retreat from Moscow after the failed invasion of Russia in 1812, General Yorck refused Marshal MacDonald
Macdonald, MacDonald or McDonald may refer to:
Organisations
* McDonald's, a chain of fast food restaurants
* McDonald & Co., a former investment firm
* MacDonald Motorsports, a NASCAR team
* Macdonald Realty, a Canadian real estate brokerage f ...
's orders to fortify Memel at Prussia's expense.
During the January Uprising
The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...
, in June 1863, Polish insurgents made an unsuccessful attempt of a naval landing near the city's harbor.
German Empire
After the unification of Germany into the German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
in 1871, Memel had the distinction of being Germany's northernmost city.
The development of the town in the 19th century
The 19th (nineteenth) century began on 1 January 1801 ( MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 ( MCM). The 19th century was the ninth century of the 2nd millennium.
The 19th century was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolis ...
was influenced by the industrial revolution in Prussia and the attendant processes of urbanisation. Even though the population of Memel increased fourfold during the 19th century, and had risen to 21,470 by 1910, its pace of development lagged in comparison. The reasons for this were mostly political. Memel was the northernmost and easternmost city in Germany, and although the government was engaged in a very costly tree-planting exercise to stabilise the sand-dunes on the Curonian Spit, most of the financial infusions in the province of East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
were concentrated in Königsberg, the capital of the province. Some notable instances of the German infrastructure investments in the area included sandbar blasting and a new ship canal between Pillau and Königsberg, which enabled vessels of up to 6.5 m draughts to moor alongside the city, at a cost of 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. A British Consul was located in the town in 1800; in 1900 a British Vice-Consul was recorded there, as well as a Lloyd's Agent.
By 1900 steamer services had been established between Memel and Cranz (on the southern end of the Curonian Spit), and also between Memel and Tilsit. A main-line railway was built from Insterburg, the main East Prussian railway junction, to St. Petersburg via Eydtkuhnen
Chernyshevskoye (; , from 1938: ''Eydtkau''; ) is a settlement in Nesterovsky District in the eastern part of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, close to the border with Lithuania. Between Chernyshevskoye and Lithuanian Kybartai is an important 24-hour ...
, the Prussian frontier station. The Memel line also ran from Insterburg via Tilsit, where a further direct line connected with Königsberg, that crossed the Memel Valley over 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 using a Latin-script alphabet
A Latin-script alphabet (Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet) is an alphabet that uses letters of the Latin script. The 21-letter archaic Latin alphabet and the 23-letter classical Latin alphabet belong to the oldest of this group. The 26-letter ...
– these publications were prohibited in the nearby Russian Empire of which Lithuania was a province. The books were then smuggled over the Lithuanian border.
The German 1910 census lists the Memel Territory population as 149,766, of whom 67,345 declared Lithuanian to be their first language. The Germans greatly predominated in the town and port of Memel as well as in other nearby villages; the Lithuanian population was predominant in the area's rural districts.
Inter-war years
Under the Treaty of Versailles after World War I, Klaipėda and the surrounding Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) were detached from Germany and made a protectorate of the Entente States. The French became provisional administrators of the region until a more permanent solution could be worked out. Both Lithuania and Poland campaigned for their rights in the region. However, it seemed that the region would become a free city, similar to the Free City of Danzig
The Free City of Danzig (german: Freie Stadt Danzig; pl, Wolne Miasto Gdańsk; csb, Wòlny Gard Gduńsk) was a city-state under the protection of the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig (now Gda ...
. Not waiting for an unfavorable decision, the Lithuanians decided to stage the Klaipėda Revolt, take the region by force, and present the Entente with a ''fait accompli''. The revolt was carried out in January 1923 while western Europe was distracted by the occupation of the Ruhr
The Occupation of the Ruhr (german: link=no, Ruhrbesetzung) was a period of military occupation of the Ruhr region of Germany by France and Belgium between 11 January 1923 and 25 August 1925.
France and Belgium occupied the heavily industria ...
. The Germans tacitly supported the action, while the French offered only limited resistance.[Vytautas Kažukauskas]
Visa Lietuvių tauta atsiėmė Klaipėdą
The League of Nations protested the revolt, but accepted the transfer in February 1923. The formal Klaipėda Convention
The Klaipėda Convention (or Convention concerning the Territory of Memel) was an international agreement between Lithuania and the countries of the Conference of Ambassadors (United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Japan) signed in Paris on May 8, 192 ...
was signed in Paris on 8 May 1924, securing extensive autonomy for the region.
The annexation of the city had enormous consequences for the Lithuanian economy and foreign relations. The region subsequently accounted for up to 30% of the Lithuania's entire production. Between 70% and 80% of foreign trade passed through Klaipėda. The region, which represented only about 5% of Lithuania's territory, contained a third of its industry. Weimar Germany, under Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann, maintained normal relations with Lithuania. However, Nazi Germany desired to reacquire the region and tensions rose. Pro-German parties won clear supermajorities in all elections to the Klaipėda Parliament
Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...
, which often clashed with the Lithuanian-appointed Klaipėda Directorate
Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...
. Lithuanian efforts to "re-Lithuanize" Prussian Lithuanians by promoting Lithuanian language, culture, education were often met with resistance from the locals. In 1932, a conflict between the Parliament and the Directorate had to be resolved by the Permanent Court of International Justice. In 1934–1935, the Lithuanians attempted to combat increasing Nazi influence in the region by arresting and prosecuting over 120 Nazi activists for the alleged plot to organize an anti-Lithuanian rebellion.[Mažoji Lietuv]
Klaipėdos krašto istorijos vingiuose
. Despite rather harsh sentences, the defendants in the so-called Neumann–Sass case
The trial of Neumann and Sass ( lt, Noimano-Zaso teismo procesas; german: Neumann-Sass-Kriegsgerichtsprozess) was the first and largest mass trial of Nazis in the early 1930s. The trial resulted in the convictions of the leaders of regional Nazi ...
were soon released under pressure from Nazi Germany. The extensive autonomy guaranteed by the Klaipėda Convention
The Klaipėda Convention (or Convention concerning the Territory of Memel) was an international agreement between Lithuania and the countries of the Conference of Ambassadors (United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Japan) signed in Paris on May 8, 192 ...
prevented Lithuania from blocking the growing pro-German attitudes in the region.
As tensions in pre-war Europe continued to grow, it was expected that Germany would make a move against Lithuania to reacquire the region. German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop (; 30 April 1893 – 16 October 1946) was a German politician and diplomat who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945.
Ribbentrop first came to Adolf Hitler's not ...
delivered an ultimatum to the Lithuanian Foreign Minister on 20 March 1939, demanding the surrender of Klaipėda. Lithuania, unable to secure international support for its cause, submitted to the ultimatum and, in exchange for the right to use the new harbour facilities as a Free Port, ceded the disputed region to Germany in the late evening of 22 March 1939. Adolf Hitler visited the harbour and delivered a speech to the city residents. This was Hitler's last territorial acquisition before World War II. During the war, expelled Poles from German-occupied Poland were enslaved by the Germans as forced labour
Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
in the city's vicinity.
1945–present
During World War II, from the end of 1944 into 1945, as Allied victory appeared imminent, the inhabitants fled as the fighting drew nearer. The nearly empty city was captured by the Soviet Red Army on 28 January 1945 with only about 50 remaining people. After the war the Klaipėda Region was incorporated into the Lithuanian SSR, as the post-1937 German occupation of various regions of Europe, including Klaipėda, was considered illegal.
The Soviets transformed Klaipėda, the foremost ice-free port in the Eastern Baltic, into the largest piscatorial-marine base in the European USSR. A gigantic shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
, dockyards, and a fishing port were constructed. Subsequently, by the end of 1959, the population of the city had doubled its pre-war population, and by 1989 there were 203,000 inhabitants. In the aftermath of World War II almost all the new residents came to Klaipėda from Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...
, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, replacing the former German-speaking population. Initially the Russian-speakers dominated 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; Lithuanians then became its major ethnic group. Among Lithuanian cities with a population greater than 100,000, however, Klaipėda has the highest percentage of people whose native language is Russian.
Until 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, where thousands of people come to celebrate from all over the country. Based on the Pedagogical University of Šiauliai and the National Conservatory of Lithuania in Klaipėda, the University of Klaipėda was established in 1991. Klaipėda is now the home of a bilingual German-Lithuanian institution, the '' Hermann-Sudermann-Schule'', as well as an English-language University, LCC International University.
In 2014 Klaipėda was visited 64 times by cruise ships, surpassing the Latvian capital, Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, for the first time.
Kursenieki
While today the Kursenieki, also known as Kuršininkai are a nearly extinct Baltic ethnic group living along the Curonian Spit, in 1649 Kuršininkai settlement spanned from Memel (Klaipėda) to Danzig (Gdańsk). The Kuršininkai were eventually assimilated by the Germans, except along the Curonian Spit where some still live. The Kuršininkai were considered Latvians until after World War I when Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
gained independence from the Russian Empire, a consideration based on linguistic arguments. This was the rationale for Latvian claims over the Curonian Spit, Memel, and other territories of Prussia which would be later dropped.
Demographics
, the population was 154,332. It is the first year since 2017 and the second year since 1991 when Klaipėda had a positive population growth in the city. The latest data shows that there are more women in the city: females make 54.89% (84,717), males make 45.11% (69,615).
City municipality
Klaipėda city municipality council is the governing body of the Klaipėda city municipality. It is responsible for municipal laws. The council is composed of 31 members (30 councillors and a mayor) directly elected for four-year terms.
The council is the member of the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania
Association may refer to:
*Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal
*Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry
*Voluntary associatio ...
.
Mayors
* 1990–1992 – Povilas Vasiliauskas
Povilas Vasiliauskas (born 29 January 1953) is a Lithuanian politician, the president of Klaipeda Association of Industrialists, former mayor of Klaipėda.
Povilas is a member of the Klaipėda Rotary service club and of the Klaipeda Chamber of ...
* 1992–1994 – Benediktas Petrauskas
Benediktas is a Lithuanian masculine given name, derived from the Latin name "Benedictus", which itself is derived from the Latin compound ''bene'' ('good') and ''dicte'' ('speak'), i.e. "well spoken". Individuals bearing the name Benediktas includ ...
* 1994–1995 – Jurgis Aušra
* 1995–1997 – Silverijus Šukys
* 1997–2000 and 2000–2001 – Eugenijus Gentvilas
Eugenijus Gentvilas (born 14 March 1960 in Telšiai) is a Lithuanian politician, signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania and Member of the European Parliament for the Liberal and Centre Union ( Liberal Movement s ...
* 2001–2003, 2003–2007, 2007–2011 – Rimantas Taraškevičius
Rimantas Taraškevičius (18 July 1949 in the village of Biliūnai near Raseiniai, Lithuania) is a politician. He was elected mayor of Klaipėda, Lithuania in 2001.
References
*Rimantas TARAŠKEVIČIUS Biography as published by the Seimas
...
* 2011–2015, 2015–present – Vytautas Grubliauskas
Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great (Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', Ol ...
Geography
Climate
Klaipėda's climate is humid continental (Köppen ''Dfb'') with some oceanic (Köppen ''Cfb'') climate influences. In July and August, the warmest season, high temperatures average , and low temperatures average . The highest official temperature ever recorded was in August 2014. In January and February, the coldest season, high temperatures average with low temperatures averaging . The coldest temperature ever recorded in Klaipėda is in February 1956.
The wettest month is November with a mean total precipitation . August through November is the wettest season because of the warmth of the Baltic sea in relation to the continent and the westerly winds. The driest month is February averaging of total precipitation. Spring is not particularly wet.
Klaipėda is a windy city with many stormy days per year. In autumn and winter, gales are not unusual. Sea breezes are common from April to September. Snow can fall from October to April and a phenomenon resembling lake-effect snow
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated up by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises up through ...
is frequent. Severe snowstorms can paralyze the city in winter.
Klaipėda has unsettled weather all year round. Some winters can be cold and snowy, similar to that in Moscow, while others can be mild, windy, and rainy, similar to the weather in Glasgow. August 2005 was very rainy, while August 2002 barely had any precipitation at all.
Parks and forests
Parks:
Forests:
* Klaipeda Forest
* Giruliai Forest
* Smiltyne Forest
Port of Klaipėda
The Port of Klaipėda is the principal ice-free port on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. It is the most important Lithuanian transportation hub, connecting sea, land and railway routes from East to West. Klaipėda is a multipurpose, universal, deep-water port. Nineteen big stevedoring companies, ship-repair and shipbuilding yards operate within the port and all marine business and cargo handling services are rendered.
The annual port cargo handling capacity is up to 40 Mt. The port operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year round.
Infrastructure
Notable buildings
The tallest building in Klaipėda is 34-storey Pilsotas
Pilsotas is a 34-story building in the Gandrališkės residential district of Klaipėda, Lithuania designed by Donatas Rakauskas, completed in May 2007. It is the tallest residential building in Lithuania. The tower is named after a medieval ...
.
Transportation
Railway
Klaipėda railway station (Lithuanian: Klaipėdos geležinkelio stotis) is located at Priestočio g. 1, north of the Old Town.
Klaipėda railway station consists of two buildings. The old building, made of yellow bricks and reflecting features of Classicism architecture was built in 1881. Currently, the building hosts various small businesses. The railway station is located in the new building, built of red bricks in 1983.
The railway network of then Prussia reached Klaipėda in 1878. Initially merely used for lumber and fish freight on Klaipėda–Šilutė, Klaipėda–Šilutė–Pagėgiai routes, the railway grid network of Lithuania Minor received a major boost after Klaipėda uprising
Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...
and annexation of the region by Lithuania in 1923.
As of 2017 Lithuanian Railways
Lithuanian Railways ( lt, Lietuvos geležinkeliai), abbreviated LTG, is the national state-owned railway company of Lithuania. It operates most of the railway network in the country.
During 2020, Lithuanian Railways transported 3.34 m ...
were operating two routes from Klaipėda railway station. 4 daily trains on route Klaipėda – Vilnius and 2 daily trains on the Klaipėda–Radviliškis routes. Train tickets could be obtained at the station. lt or with a surcharge – on board the trains.
The railway station is served by the following buses of Klaipėda city passenger transport:
* No. 9 south of the city – city hospital (via Central Klaipėda Terminal)
* No. 6 south of the city – Melnragė district (Melnragė beaches)
* No. 8 south of city – bus station (through Old town)
* No. 15 south of the city – city hospital
* No. 100 bus station – Palanga International Airport (PLQ)
Airport
Domestic and international commercial scheduled airline services are provided by Palanga International Airport. The airport is connected with Klaipėda by a city bus.
Klaipėda is also serviced by a small, privately run aerodrome with a focus on sports aviation and charter services.
Ferries
=Ferries to Smiltynė
=
Klaipėda is located next to Curonian Spit and a small part of the peninsula (Smiltynė
Smiltynė (german: Sandkrug) is a part of Klaipėda city municipality in Lithuania. It is located on the northern tip of the Curonian Spit, next to a narrow strait which connects the Curonian Lagoon to the Baltic Sea. Across the strait, on the L ...
) is within Klaipėda. People can reach the peninsula by ferry using one of the two terminals.
* The Old ferry terminal (Danės st. 1) – ferry from city center for passengers traveling on foot or with bikes;
* The New ferry terminal (Nemuno st. 8) – ferry for people with motorized vehicles.
=International ferries
=
From Klaipėda there are three ferry lines and two ferry companies: DFDS Seaways and TT-Line.
DFDS operates ferries to Kiel (Germany) and Karlshamn (Sweden). Ferries depart from the Central Klaipėda Terminal (CKT). TT-Line ferries are going to Trelleborg (Sweden).
Buses
Klaipėda's bus public transportation is based on geographical peculiarities. It is arranged by the north-south axis, based on three parallel principal streets, running along the coast of Curonian Lagoon and thus making the grid logical and comfortable for commuting.
It is possible to buy an electronic card in shops and newspaper stands (kiosks) and top it up with an appropriate amount of money. Public transport is organized, supervised and coordinated by Klaipėda city passenger transport.
Buses to other cities and towns depart from Klaipėda bus station (Butkų Juzės g. 9).
Buses to Curonian Spit villages Nida and Juodkrantė depart from a bus stop in Smiltynė (next to the Old ferry terminal).
Trams
Trams in Klaipėda
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ar ...
functioned in 1904—1934 and 1950—1967. It was one only tram transport in the last years of first independent Lithuania and in Soviet Lithuania and one only electric tram ever in country. It was interurban transport serving not Klaipėda only. It was operated by Memeler Kleinbahn AG company.
Tram system had two lines with 12 km of tracks and 17 tramcars. First line was from old city (lighthouse and Strandvilla restaurant) through center and northern suburbs Royal (Didžioji) Vitė and Bomelio Vitė localities to sea beaches and resort Melnragė. Second line was from old city through industrial suburb Royal Smeltė to south to Wilhelm channel and Wooden bay. Lines had connection near Stock exchange in center of city. Branch connected the center with railway station through Liepaja (now Manto) Street and Liepaja (now Lietuvninku) Square. Other branch passed near Winter port through Vite locality. In 1950—1967 tram run functioned in line to Smeltė only. Tram lines used for delivery of goods from railway and port also. Tram degradated and closed due to wear and tear and lack of funds for its renewal and development.
Now city's authorities plans to revive tram and includes them in urban plan-general. Line will be interurban again and plans to connect Klaipėda with Šventoji through airport and Palanga. In 2017 feasibility study began for first tram line on Herkus Manto and Taikos streets
Old town
Klaipėda's Old Town is notable among other towns in Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...
for its abundance of German and Scandinavian architecture. Klaipėda's Old Town is unique with its fachwerk architectural style and the planned street structure, which is uncharacteristic to any other old town in Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), 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. Lithuania ...
. Its streets are geometrically configured very correctly, and the angle of intersection is always straight.
One of most popular places in Klaipėda's old town is The Theatre Square. hosts a variety of concerts, the Sea Festival, the International Jazz Festival and other events. An important focus of the Theatre Square is the Taravos Anikė sculpture depicting a youthful barefoot girl. The sculpture was erected in the memory of the poet Simonas Dachas and perpetuates one of the poet's described heroes.
Culture and contemporary life
Historical
Klaipėda's main attractions are the historic buildings in the city's centre, dating from the 13th to 18th centuries. Some of its older buildings have picturesque half-timbered construction
Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...
, similar to that found in Germany, France, England, Denmark and southern Sweden. Other places of interest include:
* The remnants of the Klaipėda Castle, built in the 13th century by the Teutonic Order. It had a massive bulk and a quadrangular tower, surrounded by the ramparts and brick bastions. It lost importance after the Russian occupation from 1756 to 1762, and thenceforth started to decay.
* The ''Žardė ancient settlement'', situated on the right bank of the river Smiltelė. It is dated to the late Iron Age (10th century), and was inhabited until the 16th century.
* The remnants of the so-called "Dutch" defence system around the entire town from the 17th–18th centuries.
* The maritime museum in Fort Wilhelm, built at the end of the 19th century at the spike of the Curonian Spit.
Cinemas
* Arlekinas
* Forum cinemas
Theatres
* Klaipėda Musical theatre
* Klaipėda Drama theatre
* Klaipėda Puppet theatre
* Apeironas theater
* Dance theater "Šokio teatras"
* Klaipėda youth theater "Klaipėdos jaunimo teatras"
Museums
* "39–45"
* "Amber Queen" museum of amber
* Blacksmiths museum
* Castle museum
* Clocks museum
* Exposition of resistance movement and deportation
* Lithuanian Art Museum Pranas Domšaitis gallery
* The History Museum of Lithuania Minor
* Maritime museum and Dolphinarium
Maritime Museum
The museum with 6 different exhibitions is set in a former nineteenth-century fortification of the