Panemune
Encyclopedia
Panemunė is the smallest city in Lithuania
. It is situated on the banks of the Neman (Memel) River
opposite Sovetsk
, 8 km (5 mi) south from Pagėgiai
, in Tauragė County
. It is a border checkpoint to Kaliningrad Oblast
.
The magnificent Queen Louise
Bridge (which still exists, built in 1907, though now badly scarred by World War II
and rebuilt in 1946) links Panemunė to the larger town of Sovetsk (Tilsit until 1946)
just south across the river.
and later also German
town (as of 1871). Then Tilsit sat close to the border between Germany and Russia
.
After Germany's defeat in World War I
, the trans-Memel suburb was disentangled from Tilsit (with the rest of the Memelland/Klaipėda Region
detached from the Province of East Prussia
) in 1920. The suburb was given the name Übermemel, which means over the Memel (Neman) river
in German.
French administered the area pursuant to the Treaty of Versailles
, establishing the League of Nations mandate
of Memel/Klaipėda. In 1923 the newly-emerged nation of Lithuania
annexed the Memelland after the Klaipėda Revolt
and Übermemel was given the name Panemunė. Germany re-acquired Panemunė (with all of Memelland) on 23 March 1939 - its last peaceful territorial gain before the Second World War. So Panemunė (Übermemel) was reintegrated into the city of Tilsit.
Following World War II
, the whole area was awarded to the Soviet Union
and in 1947 Panemunė (like all the Klaipėda Region) became part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Panemunė has remained Lithuanian ever since.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. It is situated on the banks of the Neman (Memel) River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
opposite Sovetsk
Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast
Sovetsk , known by its historical German name of Tilsit in East Prussia before 1946, is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River. Population: -History of Tilsit:...
, 8 km (5 mi) south from Pagėgiai
Pagegiai
Pagėgiai is a city in the south western Lithuania. It is located in the region of the former prussian tribe of Skalvians. It is the capital of Pagėgiai municipality, and as such it is part of Tauragė County.-Name:...
, in Tauragė County
Taurage County
Tauragė County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the west of the country, and its capital is Tauragė...
. It is a border checkpoint to Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
.
The magnificent Queen Louise
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen consort of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III...
Bridge (which still exists, built in 1907, though now badly scarred by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and rebuilt in 1946) links Panemunė to the larger town of Sovetsk (Tilsit until 1946)
Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast
Sovetsk , known by its historical German name of Tilsit in East Prussia before 1946, is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River. Population: -History of Tilsit:...
just south across the river.
History
The area comprising today's Panemunė used to be the northern trans-Memel (Neman) suburb of Tilsit, then a PrussianKingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
and later also German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
town (as of 1871). Then Tilsit sat close to the border between Germany and Russia
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
After Germany's defeat in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the trans-Memel suburb was disentangled from Tilsit (with the rest of the Memelland/Klaipėda Region
Klaipėda Region
The Klaipėda Region or Memel Territory was defined by the Treaty of Versailles in 1920 when it was put under the administration of the Council of Ambassadors...
detached from the Province of East Prussia
Province of East Prussia
The Province of East Prussia was a province of Prussia from 1773–1829 and 1878-1945. Composed of the historical region East Prussia, the province's capital was Königsberg ....
) in 1920. The suburb was given the name Übermemel, which means over the Memel (Neman) river
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
in German.
French administered the area pursuant to the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, establishing the League of Nations mandate
League of Nations mandate
A League of Nations mandate was a legal status for certain territories transferred from the control of one country to another following World War I, or the legal instruments that contained the internationally agreed-upon terms for administering the territory on behalf of the League...
of Memel/Klaipėda. In 1923 the newly-emerged nation of Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
annexed the Memelland after the Klaipėda Revolt
Klaipeda Revolt
The Klaipėda Revolt took place in January 1923 in the Klaipėda Region . The region, located north of the Neman River, was detached from the East Prussia of the German Empire by the Treaty of Versailles and became a mandate of the League of Nations. It was placed under provisional French...
and Übermemel was given the name Panemunė. Germany re-acquired Panemunė (with all of Memelland) on 23 March 1939 - its last peaceful territorial gain before the Second World War. So Panemunė (Übermemel) was reintegrated into the city of Tilsit.
Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the whole area was awarded to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and in 1947 Panemunė (like all the Klaipėda Region) became part of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Panemunė has remained Lithuanian ever since.
See also
- Panemunė CastlePanemune CastlePanemunė Castle is a castle on the right bank of the Nemunas river, in Vytėnai, Jurbarkas district, Lithuania.The initial hillfort of the Teutonic Knights was replaced by a castle built in 1604-1610 and reconstructed around 1759 by Giełgud family. Remaining wings of the castle have been recently...