Alanta

History

In 1436, Sigismund Kestutaitis granted Alanta to Kristinas Astikas to commend him for his aid in defeating Švitrigaila in the Lithuanian Civil War (1431–1435). In the 16th century, the town's Catholic church was built, and in 1581 the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stefan Batory gifted Alanta to Gáspár Békés (), a Hungarian general. After 1598 the town belonged to Radziwiłł family and from 1828 until the World War I it belonged to the Pamarnacki family. From the 18th century to the Lithuanian Uprising of 1863, Alanta had a parish school. Alanta suffered heavily from many wars, including Napoleon's invasion of the Russian Empire, World War I and World War II, because of its location on the crossing of two important roads. The entire Jewish community of 30 families, which comprised the majority of the population of Alanta, was killed during the Holocaust in August 1941. Alanta has a rare, surviving wooden synagogue.

Most-observed species

• White Stork

  Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  32
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  28
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  28
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  27
• White Wagtail

  Motacilla alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  25
• Eurasian Coot

  Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  23
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  23
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  23