Panemunė Castle
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Panemunė Castle () is a historic castle situated on the banks of the
Nemunas River Neman, Nemunas or Niemen is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its southern channel. It drains ...
, in the western part of
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 ...
. The castle's origins stretch back to the medieval period, evolving through various phases of reconstruction.


Early History

The site of Panemunė Castle has been strategically important due to its location along the Nemunas River, a key waterway in the region that was historically used for trade and military purposes. The earliest traces of the castle date back to the 14th century, during the
Lithuanian Crusade The Lithuanian Crusade was a series of campaigns by the Teutonic Order and the Livonian Order under the pretext of forcibly Christianizing the pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Livonian Order occupied Riga in 1202 and in the 1230s they settled ...
when the region was frequently contested between the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
and the
Teutonic Order The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...
, who sought to expand their influence in the Baltic area. It is believed that the first castle was built in 1313 by the Teutonic Order, who called it ''Christmemel''. However, a year later, in 1314, Grand Duke Vytenis of Lithuania attacked the castle with his army and besieged it for 17 days and later captured it. Panemunė Castle likely became the Grand Duke's private residence. These early fortifications were likely a wooden structure. After Teutonic Order was defeated at the
Battle of Grunwald The Battle of Grunwald was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respectively by King Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila), a ...
the castle lost much of its military significance, and it was repurposed for various administrative and residential uses.


16th-17th centuries

In 1535, the castle and its lands were granted to the Stankevičius-Bilevičius family of
Samogitia Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian language, Lithuanian name ''Žemaitija'' (Samogitian language, Samogitian: ''Žemaitėjė''; see Samogitia#Etymology and alternative names, below for alternative and historical names) is one of the five ...
by the King-Grand Duke
Sigismund the Old Sigismund I the Old (, ; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the son of Casimir IV and younger brother of Kings ...
, as evidenced by the privilege. The Stankevičius-Bilevičius family constructed a wooden manor house on the grounds of the almost ruined castle. In 1597, the Panemunė Manor was inherited by Stanislovas Stankevičius-Bilevičius, who sold it soon after to János Eperjes, a nobleman of Hungarian descent and timber merchant. Eperjes envisioned a grander residence and commissioned the construction of a new castle. The original wooden structures were replaced by a brick-and-mortar castle between 1604 and 1610. The new castle was designed by the
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
architect Peter Nonhaardt who also was the author of Vilnius Lower Castle reconstruction project. Two two-storey wings were built: an eastern residential wing and a northern utility wing, connected on the south and west by defensive walls with four-storey towers. The castle showcased a blend of
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
and late Gothic elements, reflecting the evolving architectural trends of the time. The Eperješ family would remain the owners of the castle for the next 158 years.


18th-19th centuries

By the close of the 17th century, the Eperjes family's financial situation had deteriorated to such an extent that a portion of their landed estate was mortgaged or sold. During the first half of the 18th century, the family residence fell into disrepair. In 1753, the Eperješ family sold it to Colonel Leonas Igelstromas, the elder of Gulbinai. An inventory of the manor taken in that year reveals the poor state of the property: the castle buildings were dilapidated, the furnaces were burnt out, the ponds in the park had dried up, only one of the four former mills still stood, a dilapidated, roofless stone house was standing to the east of the castle, and the manor house adjacent to the castle was also in a state of neglect. In 1759, Antanas Anupras Gelgaudas, a nobleman from the
Duchy of Samogitia The Duchy of Samogitia (, , ) was an administrative unit of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1422 (and from 1569, a member country of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth). Between 1422 and 1441 it was known as the Eldership of Samogitia. Si ...
and Elder of Samogitia, acquired the castle and renovated it with
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
and Neo-Classical features. The castle was transformed into a luxurious residence during this period. After the death of Antanas Anupras Gelgaudas, the castle went to his son Mykolas Gelgaudas, and in 1828, to his wife Eleonora Gelgaudienė and their children Antanas and Jonas. Antanas Gelgaudas became the commander-in-chief of the
November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31) (), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in Russian Partition, the heartland of Partitions of Poland, partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. ...
in Lithuania against the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
but perished in the fights and his brother Jonas fled to
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
. Following the failed uprising, the castle with all its valuables was confiscated from the Gelgaudas family by the
Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...
's authorities. Soon the castle fell into ruin, and much of its original structure was damaged At the time, there were various proposals for the use of the castle, such as a factory or barracks. None of these proposals were realised. The estate was leased by the tsarist government to various tenants. In 1863, Teodoras Rimkevičius, who had leased the estate, subleased Panemunė to Stanislovas Puslovskis, a relative of the Gelgaudas family. Puslovskis initiated the full restoration of the castle, but the restoration was slow and an eastern wing almost collapsed. In 1903, the Russian painter
Nicholas Roerich Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh (), better known as Nicholas Roerich (; October 9, 1874 – December 13, 1947), was a Russian painter, writer, archaeologist, theosophist, philosopher, and public figure. In his youth he was influenced by Russ ...
visited the castle while travelling along the Nemunas River.


20th century and present day

Following Puslovskis' death in 1905, his daughter Marija Puslovskytė, who was married to Aleksandras Tiškevičius, inherited the estate. However, she did not undertake the restoration of Panemunė Castle. She resided primarily in Tiškevičiai Palace near
Palanga Palanga (; ; ) is a resort town, resort city in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Palanga is the busiest and the largest summer resort in Lithuania and has sand, sandy beaches (18 km, 11 miles long and up to 300 metres, 10 ...
, and in 1919, the dilapidated north-east tower of the castle had to be demolished. In 1924, as part of the
Lithuanian Land Reforms Lithuanian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Lithuania, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe ** Lithuanian language ** Lithuanians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to Lithuania and the immediate geographical region ** L ...
, Panemunė's lands were
expropriated Eminent domain, also known as land acquisition, compulsory purchase, resumption, resumption/compulsory acquisition, or expropriation, is the compulsory acquisition of private property for public use. It does not include the power to take and t ...
by the state, and the castle was sold at
auction An auction is usually a process of Trade, buying and selling Good (economics), goods or Service (economics), services by offering them up for Bidding, bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from th ...
. In 1929, Panemunė Castle was acquired by the priest Antanas Petraitis, who hailed from
Skirsnemunė Skirsnemunė is a town in Jurbarkas district municipality, Tauragė County, Lithuania. It is situated on the Neman River about 9 km from Jurbarkas. According to the 2011 census, it had 772 residents. The town traces it history to Christmemel, a f ...
and resided in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Petraitis later donated the castle to the Society of Saint Francis de Sales. The new owners did not undertake any restoration work on the castle. Following the death of Petraitis in 1935, Panemunė Castle was transferred to the jurisdiction of the
Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
due to Petraitis's financial debts. From then on the castle became public property. In 1939, Lithuanian authorities did minor restoration conservation of the ruins. Further restoration works were interrupted by
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the subsequent occupation of Lithuania by Soviets, during which the castle was vandalized by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
. Based on Stasys Pinkaus's research, a project for the conservation and partial restoration of Panemunė Castle was prepared in 1955. The project outlined the priority works necessary to rescue the monument from its state of disrepair. Following restoration of independence of Lithuania in 1990, the castle was bestowed to
Vilnius Academy of Arts The Vilnius Academy of Arts (, previously ''State Art Institute of Lithuania'') in Vilnius, Lithuania, grants a variety of degrees in the arts. History The Academy traces its roots back to the creation of the Architecture Department at Viln ...
, and restoration works continued. Presently, works of Vilnius Art Academy students are exhibited in the castle. Panemunė Castle is open to visitors. The castle's grounds houses a museum. Rooms are available for accommodation.


Architecture

Panemunė Castle is an excellent example of Renaissance and Baroque architecture, with elements of late Gothic design. The castle's original construction features a rectangular layout with four corner towers, a defensive wall, and a main building that housed the noble family. The surrounding parkland and the proximity of the Nemunas River added to the castle's picturesque setting. Castle is probably the most authentic residential castle that has survived in Lithuania.


Gallery

File:LT-2007-50litų-Panemunės pilis-b.png,
Litas The Lithuanian litas (ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; plural ''litai'' (nominative) or ''litų'' (genitive) was the currency of Lithuania, until 1 January 2015, when it was replaced by the euro. It was divided into 100 centų (geniti ...
commemorative coin A commemorative coin is a coin issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Some coins of this category serve as collector's items only, while most commemora ...
dedicated to Panemunė Castle File:Vitenai001.JPG, Panemunė castle nowadays File:Vitenai002.JPG, Pond near the castle File:Panemune Castle Aerial.jpg, An aerial shot of Panemunė Castle


See also

*
List of castles in Lithuania Most of Lithuania's early castles were wooden and have not survived. Those that remain are of stone and brick construction dating from the 13th century onwards. List of castles and castle ruins in Lithuania See also * List of castles in Belar ...


References


External links


Official website



Interior

The Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea
Castles in Lithuania Renaissance architecture in Lithuania Houses completed in 1610 Castles of the Teutonic Knights Buildings and structures in Tauragė County Tourist attractions in Tauragė County 1343 establishments in Europe {{Lithuania-struct-stub