Kėdainiai

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
(Redirected from Kedainiai)
Jump to: navigation, search
Kėdainiai
City
Kėdainiai old town
Kėdainiai old town
Coat of arms of Kėdainiai
Coat of arms
Location of Kėdainiai
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country  Lithuania
Ethnographic region Aukštaitija
County 20px Kaunas County
Municipality Kėdainiai district municipality
Eldership Kėdainiai town eldership
Capital of Kėdainiai district municipality
Kėdainiai town eldership
First mentioned 1372
Granted city rights 1590
Population (2013)
 • Total 26,080
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Website http://www.kedainiai.lt/

Kėdainiai (<phonos file="Kedainiai.ogg">pronunciation</phonos>, also known by several other names) is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania. It is located 51 km (32 mi) north of Kaunas on the banks of 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.[1]

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.

Names

The city has been known by other names: Kiejdany in Polish, Keidan (קיידאן) in Yiddish,[2] and Kedahnen in German. Its other alternate forms include Kidan, Kaidan, Keidany, Keydan, Kiejdany, Kuidany, and Kidainiai.[3]

History

File:Pochod Szwedow do Kiejdan.jpg
The March of Swedes for Kėdainiai

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. Also according to some myths a giant called Mantvydas lived here and terrorized the city until the great RDW slayed him and took the princess monika for himself

Scottish Protestants arrived in the late 16th and 17th centuries, encouraged by the conversion of Anna Radziwill; the community exerted considerable influence in the city and persisted until the mid-19th century.[4]

A local custom called on all visitors to bring a stone to be used in the town's construction.[1]

World War II

During Operation Barbarossa, Keidainiai was occupied by the German Army in the summer of 1941. On August 28, 1941, the entire Jewish community of Keidainiai, a community which had been there for 500 years, were killed under the direction of German Special Police Battalions, with the aid of the local Lithuanian population. The Jewish population prior to the Holocaust was 3000.[5]

Soviet period

File:Lifosa001.JPG
Kedainiai Chemical Plant Lifosa

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.[6][7]

Independent Lithuania

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.[8]

Transportation

Kėdainiai is accessed by Via Baltica highway from Kaunas and Panevėžys, and by rail from Vilnius and Šiauliai. It is also served by Kaunas International Airport, the second largest airport in Lithuania, located in Karmėlava site.

Cultural activities

File:Kėdainių minaretas 2.JPG
Kėdainiai minaret

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.[9]

Since the city is known as the cucumber capital of Lithuania, it sponsors an annual cucumber festival.[8]

A small Polish minority of 329 (0,61%)[10] people live in Kėdainiai district municipality, but only 30 people participate in Stowarzyszenie Polaków Kiejdan (The Kiejdany Polish Association), the elder people; 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.[11][12]

Higher education

Famous citizens

International relations

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania

Music Video

In 2013, The band Bastille shot a music video for their single "Things We Lost in the Fire" in the location. It was filmed by Naor Aloni.

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kėdainiai is twinned with:

Image gallery

  • Kiejdany wooden church.jpg

    St. Joseph's church of Carmelites

  • Kiejdany StGeorge church.jpg

    St. George's church, 15th century

  • Kedainiai7. 2007-05-06.jpg

    Houses in the old town of Kėdainiai.

  • The old-town of Kėdainiai001.jpg

    Kranto II street in the old town

  • Kedainiai5 2007-05-06.jpg

    Evangelical church

  • Senoji street Kedainiai.JPG

    Senoji street in old town

  • Kėdainiai (Kiejdany) - market square (2).JPG

    Kėdainiai market square

  • Kėdainiai old town

  • Didžioji street

  • Nevėžis river in city center

  • Kėdainiai (Kiejdany) - new synagogue.JPG

    Kėdainiai new synagogue

References

Notes
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Library of Congress Authority control Name Headings. HEADING: Kėdainiai (Lithuania). Accessed 2009-09-14.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Number of inhabitants of Kėdainiai district municipality by ethnicity, [1] Lithuanian census of 2011
  11. ↑ Świat Polonii, [2] Dni Kultury Polskiej na Laudzie 18-20 czerwca 2004 r.
  12. ↑ http://www.knypava.lt [3] Kėdainiuose giliai šaknis įleidę ir lenkai
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Kėdainiai&oldid=1795315"