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'''Kėdainiai''' ({{pronunciation|Kedainiai.ogg}}), is one of the oldest ] in ]. It is located on the ]. First mentioned in the 1372 ] of ], its population as of 2008 was 30,214. Its old town dates to the 17th century.<ref name=sam/> '''Kėdainiai''' ({{pronunciation|Kedainiai.ogg}}) ({{lang-pl|Kiejdany}}, קיידאן(''Keidan'') in ]<ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=p3xqMEseAQwC&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=kedainiai+keidan&source=bl&ots=cBW6IVFsU7&sig=Bmuuheyv6ydnrZGON-4lhEEtKvI&hl=en&ei=gxtOSrP7KI--NuP67O0D&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2|title=The Litvaks|author=Dov Levin|publisher=]|year=2000|page=48}}</ref>, and ''Kedahnen'' in ]) is one of the oldest ] in ]. It is located on the ]. First mentioned in the 1372 ] of ], its population as of 2008 was 30,214. Its old town dates to the 17th century.<ref name=sam/>

Among its notable historic buildings are the Church of ], the House of Scottish Merchants, the former Town Hall, the House of Rectors, and a ].<ref name=sam/> Kėdainiai is also the location of the only ] in Lithuania, built in 1880. Kėdainiai has two synagogues, one Orthodox church, one Lutheran church, two Catholic churches and one Calvinist church.<ref name=city>{{cite web|url=http://regionai.stat.gov.lt/en/kauno_apskritis/kedainiu_rajono_savivaldybe.html|title=Kėdainiai district municipality|publisher=Kėdainiai district municipality|accessdate=2009-07-03}}</ref>


The city is the administrative centre of the ]. The geographical centre of the Lithuanian Republic is in the nearby village of ], located in the ] of ]. The city is the administrative centre of the ]. The geographical centre of the Lithuanian Republic is in the nearby village of ], located in the ] of ].

Revision as of 04:38, 14 September 2009

City in Aukštaitija, Lithuania
Kėdainiai
City
Kėdainiai old townKėdainiai old town
Coat of arms of KėdainiaiCoat of arms
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionAukštaitija
CountyKaunas County
MunicipalityKėdainiai district municipality
EldershipKėdainiai town eldership
Capital ofKėdainiai district municipality
Kėdainiai town eldership
First mentioned1372
Granted city rights1590
Population
 • Total30,214
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Websitehttp://www.kedainiai.lt/

Kėdainiai (pronunciation) (Template:Lang-pl, קיידאן(Keidan) in Yiddish, and Kedahnen in German) is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located on the Nevėžis River. First mentioned in the 1372 Livonian Chronicle of Hermann de Wartberge, its population as of 2008 was 30,214. Its old town dates to the 17th century.

The city is the administrative centre of the Kėdainiai district municipality. The geographical centre of the Lithuanian Republic is in the nearby village of Ruoščiai, located in the eldership of Dotnuva.


History

The March of Swedes for Kėdainiai/Kiejdany

The area was the site of several battles during "The Deluge", the 17th century war between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden. In 1655 a short-lived treaty with Sweden, the Union of Kėdainiai, was signed by two members of Radziwiłł family in their Kėdainiai castle. While little remains of the Radziwiłł castle, the crypt of the Calvinist church (1631) houses the family mausoleum, including the tombs of Krzysztof Radziwiłł and his son Janusz.

Scottish Protestants arrived in the late 1500s and 1600s, encouraged by the conversion of Anna Radziwill; the community exerted considerable influence in the city and persisted until the mid-1800s.

A local custom called on all visitors to bring a stone to be used in the town's construction.

Modern years

For a period during 1940, the town served as home to about 300 students and teachers from the Mir Yeshiva. In July 1941, during the German Nazi occupation of Lithuania, "eighty-three Jews, twelve Jewesses, fourteen Russian Communists, fifteen Lithuanian Communists, one Russian commissar" were executed in the town.

During the Cold War it was home to Kėdainiai air base, a major Soviet military airlift facility.

For many years, Kėdainiai was known for its chemical and food processing industries. The Kedainiai Chemical Plant began operations in January 1963. Publicized as a milestone in the industrialization of Lithuania, it emitted significant quantities of sulfuric acid and was the subject of ecological protests in the 1980s. Following years of stagnation, old enterprises have come back to life, and new ones have been established, contributing to its status as an economic stronghold.

Cultural activities

The Kėdainiai Regional Museum, established in 1922, now operates four branches: a Multicultural Centre, the Mausoleum of the Dukes Radziwill, the House of Juozas Paukštelis, and the Museum of Wooden Sculptures of V.Ulevičius.

Since the city is known as the cucumber capital of Lithuania, it sponsors an annual cucumber festival.

A small Polish minority of approximately 700 people live in the city, associated in Stowarzyszenie Polaków Kiejdan (The Kiejdany Polish Association); their cultural activities involve public celebrations of Polish Day of Independence and Day of the Constitution of Third of May, as well as organizing a festival of Polish culture. Since 1994 a School of Polish Language exists, whose graduates study in Poland or work in Polish institutions in Lithuania.

High schools

Accommodation

Famous citizens

Twin towns

Image gallery

  • St. Joseph's church of Carmelites St. Joseph's church of Carmelites
  • St. George's church, 15th century St. George's church, 15th century
  • Houses in the old town of Kėdainiai. Houses in the old town of Kėdainiai.
  • Kranto II street in the old town Kranto II street in the old town
  • Evanghelical church Evanghelical church
  • Senoji street in old town Senoji street in old town
  • Nevėžis river in city center Nevėžis river in city center

References

  1. Dov Levin (2000). The Litvaks. Berg Publishers. p. 48.
  2. ^ "Kėdainiai". Samogitian Cultural Association Editorial Board. Retrieved 2009-07-03.
  3. Steve Murdoch (2006). Network North: Scottish kin, commercial and covert association in Northern Europe, 1603-1746. BRILL.
  4. Martin Gilbert (2004). The Second World War: A Complete History. Macmillan.
  5. Monica J. Casper (2003). Synthetic planet: chemical politics and the hazards of modern life. Routledge.
  6. A. P. J. Mol, David Allan Sonnenfeld (2000). Ecological Modernisation Around the World: Persectives and Critical Debates. Routledge.
  7. ^ "Kėdainiai district municipality". Department of Statistics to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  8. "Museum History". Kėdainiai Regional Museum. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  9. Świat Polonii, Dni Kultury Polskiej na Laudzie 18-20 czerwca 2004 r.
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