Ariogala

Ariogala
Town
Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Ariogala
Coat of arms
Ariogala Location of Ariogala
Coordinates:55°16′0″N23°28′0″E
Country	Lithuania
Ethnographic region	Samogitia
County	Kaunas County
Municipality	Raseiniai district municipality
Eldership	Ariogala eldership
Capital of	Ariogala eldership
First mentioned	1253
Grantedtown rights	1792
Population (2021)
• Total	2,674
Time zone	UTC+2(EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3(EEST)

Ariogala() is a town in centralLithuania.It is located on theDubysa River,which flows through the town.

Population

Name

Ariogala is theLithuanianname of the town. Versions of the name in other languages includeSamogitian:Ariuogala,Polish:Ejragoła,Russian: ЭйраголаEiragola,Belarusian:ЭйраголаEirahola,Yiddish:אייראַגאָלעEyragole.

History

Ariogala is one of the oldest settlements in Lithuania, known from 1252 or 1253 (when the land of Eregalle is mentioned), multiple times devastated by theTeutonic Knights.Ariogala is mentioned inMindaugas' papers, in which he dedicated one half of the lands of Ariogala to the newly established Lithuanian diocese, which later in 1257 were handed over to the Bishop Christian of Livonia. In the 14th century there stood a wooden castle of Ariogala, which was burned down by thecrusadersin 1382. During the times ofVytautasthere stood Ariogala Manor. After theBattle of Grunwaldbetter growth opportunities opened for Ariogala, so around 1416 first Christian church was built in Ariogala. In 16th century it was believed that Ariogala was a birthplace ofVytenis.From 1529 or 1592 Ariogala received a town status, and in the 17th century Ariogala's market and trading privileges are mentioned, Ariogala County established. On 12 April 1792, by kingStanislaw August's decree Ariogala was given the status of a free city based onMagdeburg Law,and acoat of armsfor Ariogala was assigned; although in the summer of the same year due to changes in the political situation self-governing autonomy weakened, and in 1795 Ariogala's city rights were suspended byImperial Russiangovernment.

In 1842 Ariogala's public primary school was established, and in 1852 the Christian parish school was established that operated up until 1863. In 1847 Ariogala's Evangelical Lutheran Church was built, it was demolished in 1944. In 1880 post office was set up in Ariogala, that was burned down during theWorld War I.At the beginning of 20th century Ariogala's Hospital was established. In 1907 separate schools for boys and girls were established in Ariogala.

DuringWorld War II,the town was initially under Soviet occupation from 1940. TheGerman military occupationof Ariogala started as early as June 1941.A month after the occupation began, allJewsfrom Ariogala and nearby villages were gathered in aghetto,The Ariogala ghetto existed for approximately a month before some local police and members of the 3rd Company of the 1st (13th) Lithuanian Police Battalion gathered the remaining Jews in Ariogala on August 30, 1941 and shot and killed them en masse.These were approximately 700 Jewish men, women and children; the Battalion shot them in a field near the village.Killed Jews' property was auctioned off in Ariogala on September 1, 1941.

On 3 August 1944, the town of Ariogala was burned down and occupied by theSoviet Unionarmy. After the war up until 1948 the United Kestutis partisan congregation – Vaidotas team ofAnti-Sovietresistance was active in Ariogala area, the newspaper "Freedom Bell" was published. On 28 December 1956 city rights were reinstated. During the Soviet times a few industries were established in Ariogala: reinforced concrete factory, "AB Šatrija"sewing factory subsidiary, and office of the Raseiniai irrigation construction factory.

References

Notes

• (in Lithuanian)Gyventojų skaičius metų pradžioje (Population statistics). Lithuanian Department of Statistics.
• Geographical data. administrative territorial division.Lithuanian Department of Statistics.

Sources

• Kruglov, Alexander; Dean, Martin (2012). "Ariogala". In Megargee, Geoffrey P.; Dean, Martin; Hecker, Mel (eds.).Ghettos in German-occupied Eastern Europe.The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945. Vol. 2. Translated by Luft, Kathleen. Indiana University Press. pp. 1041–1042.ISBN978-0-253-35599-7.