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 German Skuodas District
Vilniaus str. 13 |
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Skuodas is a historic town in the Lithuanian Republic located near the Latvian border, 40 km from the Baltic Sea and 350 km from Vilnius, where the Luoba and Bartuva rivers meet. In historic documents, Skuodas is first mentioned in the year 1253. At that time, the town was part of the territory occupied by the Kursiai, called Ceklis. Chroniclers describe the Battle of Livonia of 1259, against the Lithuanians (Lowlanders), which took place near Skuodas. The first Catholic missionaries reached the town in 1567. To commemorate this, a monument stands in the town's centre. In 1572, the nobleman J. Chodkevicius won the right to govern the town. The Sapiegos nobles governed after his rule. The district school in Skuodas opened in 1614. Skuodas and the surrounding area suffered during the Great Northern War which occurred between 1700 and 1721. In 1831, rebels attempting to win freedom from czarist Russia occupied the town. After czarist forces suppressed the rebellion, they took Skuodas from the Sapiegos. In 1833, 11 shops and 22 pubs operated in the town. Fires damaged the city in the years 1769, 1835, 1897 and 1909. The railroad running from Klaipeda to Riga was built through the town in 1914. The first primary school opened in 1918 and the first secondary school in 1928. During World War II, the town was largely destroyed. Many Jews lived in Skuodas before the Second World War. They worked in trade and in handicrafts. Only the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, built in 1821, and the Catholic Church built in 1850, still stand as reminders of the town's past. The chimes of the Catholic church exist even today. The town now occupies 596 hectares, and has a population of 9100. There are about 900 private homes and 70 multi-flat buildings in Skuodas. At the entrance to the town's 35- hectare park stands a monument to commemorate the nation's suffering during the post-war period. The town also has a 92-hectare artificial pond. Two secondary schools, a music school, hotel, post office, library, bookstore, concert hall and several banks operate in Skuodas. The town also has two petrol pumps, a customs office and a bus and railway stations. In 1993, a new 200-bed hospital was constructed. Those who are interested in sports play football and basketball. The Apuole chorus performs in the town. After Lithuanian independence, private shops, pubs and other enterprises began to appear. Skuodas had a central district when Lithuania belonged to czarist Russia and during the Lithuanian independence period from 1918 until 1940. Since 1950, the town centre has occupied 911.17 square feet and has a population of 27,000.
Skuodas District Municipality
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 The Stone Museum. The town gained fame during the last few decades thanks to the efforts of Dr Vaclovas Intas. He opened the Stone Museum which consists of stones from both this district and elsewhere. Dr. Intas enriched the area by bringing new animals and plants to the district. Now, the town's two ponds are ornithological reservations. |
