Ablinga Memorial
Ablinga Memorial stands in the highest place of Klaipėda district (148 m above sea-level) and is situated 7 km away from the town of Endriejavas. On 27 July 1972, after a month of creative process, the ensemble of wooden sculptures was erected at the base of Žvaginiai Mound; it was dedicated to 42 Ablinga and Žvaginiai village people, who were fusilladed by Nazis on 23 of June 1941. The ensemble of oak sculptures was created by folk artists from all over Lithuania. 30 monuments mean 30 stories about the victims of fascism.
2 km south-eastwards, there is Ablinga Lourdes, where peaceful village people were fusilladed on 23 June 1941. Since 1988, religious commemoration of the village victims takes place every June by celebrating Holy Mass and chanting religious hymns.
The Channel of King Wilhelm and Lankupiai lock
The channel, 25.3 km long and 2-3 m deep begins at the lock fitted near Lankupiai village and stops at the Wood Bay in Klaipėda port. For the money collected as state tax, channel digging and construction works commenced in 1863. The channel sluice was fitted at the source of the channel in order to even the difference in sea-levels. The channel construction was aimed to protect ships and drifted rafts from dangerous storms rising over the Curonian Lagoon. Today, the Channel of Wilhelm is becoming a more and more popular route of water tourism and a place for recreational fishing.
Lankupiai lock is the only canal lock in Lithuania announced to be a technical monument. 10 light metal bridges were built across the channel between 1902 and 1904. After World War II, the channel was embanked and it served as a water reservoir. Now, channel water is used by the 3rd watering-place of Klaipėda town. Lankupiai lock has not entirely lost its function; however, it is only rarely used to its purpose.
The Monument Šventvakarių Ėvė
In 1997, the monument Šventvakarių Ėvė dedicated to the
The Birthplace of the Writer I. Simonaitytė
I. Simonaitytė was born on 23 of January 1897 in Vanagai village. I. Simonaitytė is the most prominent writer of Klaipėda region and a creator of autobiographic stories and novels, who recorded the exceptional destinies of Minor Lithuanians. The former birthplace of the writer is marked with the wooden sculpture by Vytautas Majoras.
The Birthplace of Jurgis Šaulys
Balsėnai is a little village next to Veiviržėnai. This place brought up Jurgis Šaulys (1879 – 1948), the signatory of the Lithuanian Independence Act. A roof-pole was erected in the place of his native house. During the years of the printing ban, Jurgis Šaulys was distributing and editing Lithuanian press, he worked as a General Secretary of the Lithuanian Council and as a diplomat; he also was one of the founders of the Lithuanian Democrat Party.
The Ethnographic Cemetery of Kisiniai
Johanas Ferdinandas Kelkis (1801 – 1877), the founder of the Lithuanian periodical press, and Antanas Gelgaudas (1792 – 1831), one of the leaders in the 1831 revolt against the rule of tsarist Russia are buried in the little ethnographic cemetery.
Evangelic Lutheran Church of Vanagai
Vanagai church was designed and built between 1907 and 1909 by the architect Tamošaitis(Tamoscheit), who lived in Ragainė. Its prevailing features are those of modern and even rational architecture. The church is asymmetric and has a rectangular roof that cuts into the corner of the nave bulk. The wall of the tower and the nave form an integral flat main façade, supported by the counterfort in the middle; the wall and the shield are joined by tall, pointy-arched, plastered alcoves. Pointy-arched portal with a perspective edging is integrated at the bottom of the tower. The tower with a two-pitched roof resembles the towers of gothic churches in Germany. The distinct feature of the Vanagai church architecture is a dominating wall surface with rigidly “incised” elements and distinct corners. The church is attributed to the style of Historicism.
Ensemble of the former Vėžaičiai Manor
In historical sources Vėžaičiai Manor is mentioned from the begining of XVIIIth to the first half of the XXth c. It belonged to the counts Volmeriai. This family preserved the Manor to the 4th decade of the XXth c. The ensemble of Vėžaičiai Manor buildings is Vėžaičiai Manor estate having architectural, historical and urban value. The complex consists of a park, gamekeeper’s house, two gates, stables, a gatehouse, vodka distillery, cow shed, barn, residence and chapel. The park with Manor buildings were reconstructed in the middle of the XXth c. Recently, the former stables are the best extant from the buildings of Manor ensemble. In the 9th decade the stables were reconstructed and resurrected for a new – cultural life.
2009-03-23 15:21:24