Rokiškis
Encyclopedia
Rokiškis is a city in northeastern Lithuania
with population of about 16,000.
"kiškis"). However, cities ending in "-kiškis" are quite popular in the region. The city was first mentioned in 1499 . At first it was Prince Kroszinski's residence, later count Tyzenhaus
build a beautiful neogothic church of St. Matthias
and a manor, which is well preserved today and houses the Rokiškis Regional Museum. The town was planned in a classicist
manner.
Rokiškis was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania (Rzeczpospolita) until 1795, when Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire
. Rokiškis was included in the Vilna Governorate
until 1843, when the Novo-Alexandrovsk district (uyezd) was transferred to the newly established Kovno Governorate.
The city started to grow in 1873 when a railroad was built which connected Dvinsk/Dunaburg/Daugavpils to the east with the ice-free Baltic
port of Libau/Liepaja.
In the summer of 1915, the German army
occupied the city. When the war ended, the area became part of the new Republic of Lithuania. Rokiškis was granted city rights in 1920. Because of stained relationships between Lithuania and the nearby newly created Republics of Poland
and Latvia
, Rokiškis was economically isolated during the inter-war period.
is divided into 4 quarters. 3 of the quarters depict 3 families that ruled the city: the candelabrum represents the Kroszinski family; the bull
is a symbol of the Tyzenhaus family, and three bars and a fleur-de-lis
are taken from the arms of the Przezdziecki family. The fourth quarter shows impressive organ
that is housed in the St. Matthias church.
Rokiškis is well-known for its cheese. "Rokiškio sūris" is one of the largest cheese manufacturing companies in Lithuania. It grew from a small local dairy established in 1925 . In 1964 Soviets built a specialized factory. At present after reconstructions and foreign capital investments, its sales reach 400 million litas (about 155 million USD). 60% of the production are sold in foreign markets. The company is a very important employer in the region. It is also an important supporter of community initiatives.
In May 1915, during World War I, Jews in central Lithuania were forcibly deported to the east by order of the Czarist government. Although Jews in the Rokiškis area were not the subject of the deportation order, as the Russian forces retreated Cossacks serving in a rear guard capacity terrorized the Jews in northeastern Lithuania and most of the Jews in the Rokiškis fled to the interior of Russia. The Germans occupied Rokiskis until 1918.
When World War I ended and the Republic of Lithuania was established, Lithuanian Jews were permitted to return home. The Jewish community of Rokiškis numbered 2,013 in 1923. Rokiškis developed rapidly after World War I, but under different economic conditions. Before the war, for example, Rokiškis could trade with nearby Dvinsk/Daugavpils/Dunaburg, Latvia, to which it was connected by a rail line. During the 1920s, however, Lithuania's border with Latvia was closed. As a result, trade increased with towns to the west which were connected by rail lines, such as Panevezys/Ponevizh, Siauliai/Shavli, and Kaunas/Kovno. (There was also a small gauge rail line to Pandelys/Ponidel.) Prior to World War I, only 3 stores had been Christian-owned. After the war, however, many Lithuanians from surrounding villages came to settle in Rokiškis and open stores. Further, Lithuanian cooperatives came into being, trade in flax and produce was nationalized, and other factors caused a severe economic decline for the Jews. Many Jewish businesses went bankrupt in 1925 and between 1926 and 1930 many Jewish families emigrated to South Africa
, the United States of America, and Palestine
. In 1939 there were 3,500 Jews in Rokiškis (40% of the total population). They were mostly Habad Hasidim. During the period of Lithuanian independence (1918–1940) there were two Hebrew schools.
The Soviets annexed Lithuania in 1940 and all Jewish businesses were confiscated. When Germany
attacked Russia on June 21–22, 1941, Lithuania was quickly overrun. The Germans soon brought in special assignment squads to arrest and murder Jews with the assistance of Lithuanian paramilitary forces. The Jews of Rokiškis and its environs were murdered in nearby woods just north of Bajorai, 400 meters east of the intersection of the northeasterly road to Juodupė
and the northerly road to Lukštai. The official German army report (“the Jager Report
”) states that on August 15–16, 1941, a total of 3,207 Jews were killed. Other Jews were deported to the ghetto of Joniskis and killed there.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
with population of about 16,000.
History
The legend of the founding of Rokiškis tells about a hunter called Rokas who had been hunting for hares (Lit.Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
"kiškis"). However, cities ending in "-kiškis" are quite popular in the region. The city was first mentioned in 1499 . At first it was Prince Kroszinski's residence, later count Tyzenhaus
Tyzenhaus
Tyzenhaus was a noble family of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth of German extraction. It was active in the Duchy of Livonia, Duchy of Courland and the northern Grand Duchy of Lithuania...
build a beautiful neogothic church of St. Matthias
Saint Matthias
Matthias , according to the Acts of the Apostles, was the apostle chosen by the remaining eleven apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his suicide.-Biography:...
and a manor, which is well preserved today and houses the Rokiškis Regional Museum. The town was planned in a classicist
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
manner.
Rokiškis was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania (Rzeczpospolita) until 1795, when Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. Rokiškis was included in the Vilna Governorate
Vilna Governorate
The Vilna Governorate or Government of Vilna was a governorate of the Russian Empire created after the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795...
until 1843, when the Novo-Alexandrovsk district (uyezd) was transferred to the newly established Kovno Governorate.
The city started to grow in 1873 when a railroad was built which connected Dvinsk/Dunaburg/Daugavpils to the east with the ice-free Baltic
Baltic region
The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
port of Libau/Liepaja.
In the summer of 1915, the German army
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
occupied the city. When the war ended, the area became part of the new Republic of Lithuania. Rokiškis was granted city rights in 1920. Because of stained relationships between Lithuania and the nearby newly created Republics of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Rokiškis was economically isolated during the inter-war period.
Coat of arms
The first arms for the city were designed in 1970 but were abolished the same year. The current coat of arms was approved in 1993 . The shieldShield
A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....
is divided into 4 quarters. 3 of the quarters depict 3 families that ruled the city: the candelabrum represents the Kroszinski family; the bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
is a symbol of the Tyzenhaus family, and three bars and a fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
are taken from the arms of the Przezdziecki family. The fourth quarter shows impressive organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
that is housed in the St. Matthias church.
Industry
Situated on the Daugavpils-Liepaja railroad, during the 19th Century Rokiškis served as a commercial center for a large rural area and a point for the export of wood, grain, and flax.Rokiškis is well-known for its cheese. "Rokiškio sūris" is one of the largest cheese manufacturing companies in Lithuania. It grew from a small local dairy established in 1925 . In 1964 Soviets built a specialized factory. At present after reconstructions and foreign capital investments, its sales reach 400 million litas (about 155 million USD). 60% of the production are sold in foreign markets. The company is a very important employer in the region. It is also an important supporter of community initiatives.
Jewish history
There was a vibrant Jewish community in Rokiškis for hundreds of years. The first Jewish settlement may have been prior to 1574 and was located at the present site of the old Jewish cemetery (about half a kilometer southwest from the market square) until the mid-1700s, http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_lita/lit_00646.html, when the community moved to the area near the market square and Kamai Street (now Respublikos Gatvė). In 1847 there were 593 Jews in the town and in 1897 2,067 (75% of the total population).In May 1915, during World War I, Jews in central Lithuania were forcibly deported to the east by order of the Czarist government. Although Jews in the Rokiškis area were not the subject of the deportation order, as the Russian forces retreated Cossacks serving in a rear guard capacity terrorized the Jews in northeastern Lithuania and most of the Jews in the Rokiškis fled to the interior of Russia. The Germans occupied Rokiskis until 1918.
When World War I ended and the Republic of Lithuania was established, Lithuanian Jews were permitted to return home. The Jewish community of Rokiškis numbered 2,013 in 1923. Rokiškis developed rapidly after World War I, but under different economic conditions. Before the war, for example, Rokiškis could trade with nearby Dvinsk/Daugavpils/Dunaburg, Latvia, to which it was connected by a rail line. During the 1920s, however, Lithuania's border with Latvia was closed. As a result, trade increased with towns to the west which were connected by rail lines, such as Panevezys/Ponevizh, Siauliai/Shavli, and Kaunas/Kovno. (There was also a small gauge rail line to Pandelys/Ponidel.) Prior to World War I, only 3 stores had been Christian-owned. After the war, however, many Lithuanians from surrounding villages came to settle in Rokiškis and open stores. Further, Lithuanian cooperatives came into being, trade in flax and produce was nationalized, and other factors caused a severe economic decline for the Jews. Many Jewish businesses went bankrupt in 1925 and between 1926 and 1930 many Jewish families emigrated to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the United States of America, and Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. In 1939 there were 3,500 Jews in Rokiškis (40% of the total population). They were mostly Habad Hasidim. During the period of Lithuanian independence (1918–1940) there were two Hebrew schools.
The Soviets annexed Lithuania in 1940 and all Jewish businesses were confiscated. When Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
attacked Russia on June 21–22, 1941, Lithuania was quickly overrun. The Germans soon brought in special assignment squads to arrest and murder Jews with the assistance of Lithuanian paramilitary forces. The Jews of Rokiškis and its environs were murdered in nearby woods just north of Bajorai, 400 meters east of the intersection of the northeasterly road to Juodupė
Juodupe
Juodupė is a small town in Rokiškis district municipality, Lithuania. It is located near the confluence of Juodupė rivulet with Vyžuona not far from the border with Latvia. According to the 2001 census, its population was 2,043...
and the northerly road to Lukštai. The official German army report (“the Jager Report
Jäger Report
The Jäger Report was written on 1 December 1941 by Karl Jäger, commander of Einsatzkommando 3, a killing unit of Einsatzgruppen A which was attached to Army Group North during the Operation Barbarossa...
”) states that on August 15–16, 1941, a total of 3,207 Jews were killed. Other Jews were deported to the ghetto of Joniskis and killed there.