Žemaičių Naumiestis

History

The town was allegedly created by the Grand Master of the German Order, Winrich von Kniprode. In 1600 it was again mentioned as property of the crown. The town gained privileges for markets and trade fairs in 1750. In 1779, King Stanisław August Poniatowski leased the town for 50 years to the nobleman Mykolas Rionikeris, who settled artisans in the town and had the Catholic Church St. Michael constructed. The king granted the town Magdeburg Rights and a coat-of-arms in 1792. With the third partition of Poland, the town fell to the Russian Empire, first belonging to Vilna governorate and then to Raseiniai district within the newly established Kovno governorate (1843). Since 1795, the border between the Russian Empire and Prussia, which was located only three kilometres from the city, was increasingly fortified. A class-3 customs office was located in the town. In this time, the town was mainly known for its trade fairs and the market, which took place twice a week. In 1897 the population had already increased to 2,445 inhabitants, 1,438 (59%) of whom were Jews. There were several shops and taverns, three mills and three workshops for leather stitching. The trade fairs and markets were highly popular. The town was an important location for the export of horses and timber. Moreover, the town gained significance after the ban on Lithuanian press (1863–1864), as an important route of the book smugglers led through it. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, several houses were burnt down. From 1916 to 1918, the region (like all of Lithuania) was occupied by the German Army. After the end of World War I, Žemaičių Naumiestis belonged to the Republic of Lithuania. After the town was occupied by the Red Army in summer 1940 and its incorporation into the USSR, businesses…

Most-observed species

• Northern Lapwing

  Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  290
• Eurasian Skylark

  Alauda arvensis Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  259
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  258
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  248
• White-tailed Eagle

  Haliaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  236
• Common Crane

  Grus grus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  233
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  229
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  227