Dubingiai

History

The settlement was first mentioned in 1334, when the knights of the Teutonic Order razed during one of their raids. Other raids took place in 1373 and 1375. During the reign of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great the town became an important place in that part of Lithuania. In 1415 Vytautas ordered the building of a new masonry castle. Later it was governed by the Radziwiłłs who built Dubingiai Castle from rock and town became one of the centres of the Reformation in Lithuania. Many famous members of Radziwiłł family were burned and are buried in the churchyard of Dubingiai castle. In the 17th century weave and paper manufactures were established in the town. In the 17th century - 18th century the town was slowly re-converted to Catholicism. Within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Dubingiai belonged to Vilnius Voivodeship. It was annexed by the Russian Empire after the Third Partition of Poland in 1795 and became a part of Vilna Governorate. The Polish Home Army's 5th Wilno Brigade massacred 27 Lithuanians in Dubingiai itself and 70–100 in neighbouring villages on 23 June 1944, during World War II. Previously, on June 20, the 258th Lithuanian Police Battalion's 3rd Company massacred 39 Polish civilians in Glitiškės.

Most-observed species

• Dark-red Helleborine

  Epipactis atrorubens (Hoffm.) Besser · Liliopsida
  85
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  53
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  49
• Great Crested Grebe

  Podiceps cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  48
• Common Raven

  Corvus corax Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  45
• Great Spotted Woodpecker

  Dendrocopos major (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  43
• White Wagtail

  Motacilla alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  43
• White Stork

  Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  41