Šilutė

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title: "Šilutė" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["šilutė", "cities-in-klaipėda-county", "cities-in-lithuania", "municipalities-administrative-centres-of-lithuania"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Šilutė" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement "]

FieldValue
nameŠilutė
settlement_typeCity
pushpin_mapLithuania
pushpin_label_position
pushpin_map_captionLocation of Šilutė
image_shieldCoat of arms of Silute (Lithuania).svg
image_skyline{{multiple image
borderinfobox
total_width275
image_styleborder:1;
perrow2/2/2
image1Hugo Šojaus dvaro įėjimas su veranda iš kiemo.jpg
caption1
image2Šilutės evangelikų liuteronų bažnyčia 2010.jpg
caption2Evangelical Lutheran Church
image3Šilutės paštas, 1905 m..jpg
caption3Post Office
image4Katalikų bažnyčia, Šilutė.JPG
caption4Catholic Church of the Holy Cross
image5Šilutės Geltonasis tiltas.jpg
caption5The Yellow Bridge over Šyša River
image6Heydekrug Amtsgericht.jpg
caption6The former court and jail
image7Namas Šilutėje.jpg
caption7Old architecture
image8Šilutės gaisrinė, 1911 m..jpg
caption8Old fire station
image_flagFlag of Silute.svg
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1Ethnographic region
subdivision_name1Lithuania Minor
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2[[File:LTU Klaipėdos apskritis flag.svg
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Šilutė district municipality
subdivision_type4Eldership
subdivision_name4Šilutė eldership
subdivision_type6Capital of
subdivision_name6Šilutė district municipality
Šilutė eldership
established_date13th century
established_titleFirst mentioned
established_date21941
established_title2Granted city rights
population_total14,968
population_as_of2020
population_demonymŠilutian(s) (English),
šilutiečiai or šilutiškiai (Lithuanian)
timezoneEET
utc_offset+2
timezone_DSTEEST
utc_offset_DST+3
blank_name_sec1Climate
blank_info_sec1Dfb
mapframeyes
mapframe-zoom11
mapframe-wikidatayes
::

|name = Šilutė |nickname = |settlement_type = City |pushpin_map =Lithuania |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_map_caption =Location of Šilutė |image_shield = Coat of arms of Silute (Lithuania).svg |image_skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | total_width = 275 | image_style = border:1; | perrow = 2/2/2 |image1 = Hugo Šojaus dvaro įėjimas su veranda iš kiemo.jpg |caption1 = |image2 = Šilutės evangelikų liuteronų bažnyčia 2010.jpg |caption2 = Evangelical Lutheran Church |image3 = Šilutės paštas, 1905 m..jpg |caption3 = Post Office |image4 = Katalikų bažnyčia, Šilutė.JPG |caption4 = Catholic Church of the Holy Cross |image5 = Šilutės Geltonasis tiltas.jpg |caption5 = The Yellow Bridge over Šyša River |image6 = Heydekrug Amtsgericht.jpg |caption6 = The former court and jail |image7 = Namas Šilutėje.jpg |caption7 = Old architecture |image8 = Šilutės gaisrinė, 1911 m..jpg |caption8 = Old fire station |image_flag = Flag of Silute.svg |coordinates = | |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = Ethnographic region |subdivision_name1 = Lithuania Minor |subdivision_type2 = County |subdivision_name2 = [[File:LTU Klaipėdos apskritis flag.svg|20px]] Klaipėda County |subdivision_type3 = Municipality |subdivision_name3 = Šilutė district municipality |subdivision_type4 = Eldership |subdivision_name4 = Šilutė eldership |subdivision_type6 = Capital of |subdivision_name6 = Šilutė district municipality Šilutė eldership |established_date = 13th century |established_title = First mentioned |established_date2 = 1941 |established_title2= Granted city rights |population_total = 14,968 |population_as_of = 2020 | population_demonym =Šilutian(s) (English), šilutiečiai or šilutiškiai (Lithuanian) |timezone=EET |utc_offset=+2 |timezone_DST=EEST |utc_offset_DST=+3 |blank_name_sec1 = Climate |blank_info_sec1 = Dfb | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 11 | mapframe-wikidata = yes

Šilutė (; previously Šilokarčiama; ) is a city in the south of the Klaipėda County in western Lithuania. The city is part of the Klaipėda Region and ethnographic Lithuania Minor. Šilutė was the interwar capital of Šilutė County and is currently the capital of Šilutė District Municipality.

Name

Šilutė's origin dates to an inn (Krug, locally karčema) catering to travelers and their horses which was located halfway between Klaipėda and Tilsit (Tilžė). The German name of Heydekrug referred to a Krug (an archaic word for inn) in the Heide (heathland). The inn was known for being in the region where most people spoke the Memelland-Samogitian dialect Šilokarčema.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Participants_of_the_old_marketplace_near_Šyša_River_in_Šilutė_in_the_early_20th_century.jpg" caption="Participants of the old marketplace near Šyša River (early 20th century)"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Court_building_and_the_main_street_in_Šilutė_in_1914.jpg" caption="Court and the main street in 1914"] ::

A famous fish market was opened in Šilutė almost 500 years ago, when Georg Tallat purchased the inn together with the land and fishing rights in 1511. The town was a gathering place for peasants from nearby Samogitia and Curonian and Prussian fishermen from Rusnė, , Nida, and . Next to the inn a church of Werden (Verdainė) was built in 1550. It was a part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, as a fief of Poland, held by the Teutonic Knights and secular Ducal Prussia.

From the 18th century, it was part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Heydekrug often sought town rights, but was opposed by Memel (Klaipėda) and Tilsit in 1721 and 1725. In 1722 it became a district center and in 1818 the capital of Landkreis Heydekrug, a predominantly Lithuanian-inhabited district in the late 19th century. From 1863, a Lithuanian newspaper was issued in the settlement. In the late 19th century, the settlement had a partly Lithuanian population of 2,042, which was mostly employed in agriculture, fishing and timber rafting. Several annual fairs were held there. Among the goods sold at the fairs were fish (e.g. to Warsaw and Saint Petersburg), pigs (to Berlin), vegetables, cattle, horses. The settlement was amalgamated with the villages of Werden (Verdainė), Szibben (Žibai), and Cynthionischken (Cintjoniškiai) in 1910, although it still did not receive city rights. Following World War I, the town became part of Lithuania when it acquired the Klaipėda Region in 1923.

The town was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1939 when it reacquired the Memel Territory. In 1941 the town finally received city rights. Under German occupation during World War II, it was the location of several German prisoner-of-war camps for Allied POWs of various nationalities, incl. the Stalag 331 C/I-C and Stalag I-D camps for regular soldiers, the Stalag Luft VI camp for airmen, and the Oflag 53 camp for officers.

Architecture

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Šilutės_Fridricho_Bajoraičio_viešoji_biblioteka.jpg" caption="3=Fridricho Bajoraičio viešoji biblioteka}}"] ::

There remain many old buildings in Šilutė: an old post office (1905), a fire station (1911), a court building and prison (1848), a bridge across the Sziesze (Šyša) (1914), an estate of H. Scheu (1818), an old market square, a harbor, railway station and a bridge (1875), and the Vydūnas gymnasium.

Economy

The town, which is a regional center, has a well-developed infrastructure. There is an amateur theatre, a museum, three churches, a few hotels, and many cafés, restaurants, and bars. There are large industrial enterprises in Šilutė as well: Šilutės Rambynas (1842), producing butter and cheese, is one of the oldest factories in the area; Šilutės Baldai (1890); and Šilutės Durpės (1882) which exports approximately 50,000 m3 of peat. Newly founded enterprises are also prospering: Šilutės Girnos (combined fodder); Žibai; Grabupėliai (meat processing); and EKSA, a subsidiary of the alcohol producer Stumbras. To speed up capital investments, the region council has established land tax bonuses for investors.

Twin towns – sister cities

Šilutė is twinned with:

Notable people

Climate

Šilutė has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb). |location = Šilutė (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1949−present) |single line = Y |metric first = Y |Jan record high C = 9.8 |Feb record high C = 15.2 |Mar record high C = 20.9 |Apr record high C = 29.1 |May record high C = 30.9 |Jun record high C = 34.4 |Jul record high C = 33.7 |Aug record high C = 34.1 |Sep record high C = 31.8 |Oct record high C = 25.6 |Nov record high C = 17.4 |Dec record high C = 12.0 |year record high C = |Jan high C = 0.5 |Feb high C = 1.2 |Mar high C = 5.2 |Apr high C = 12.5 |May high C = 18.1 |Jun high C = 20.9 |Jul high C = 23.4 |Aug high C = 23.0 |Sep high C = 18.1 |Oct high C = 11.7 |Nov high C = 5.8 |Dec high C = 2.0 |year high C = |Jan mean C= -1.8 |Feb mean C= -1.4 |Mar mean C= 1.6 |Apr mean C= 7.4 |May mean C= 12.4 |Jun mean C= 15.7 |Jul mean C= 18.3 |Aug mean C= 17.8 |Sep mean C= 13.3 |Oct mean C= 8.0 |Nov mean C= 3.5 |Dec mean C= -0.1 |year mean C= |Jan low C = -4.2 |Feb low C = -3.9 |Mar low C = -1.6 |Apr low C = 2.7 |May low C = 6.7 |Jun low C = 10.5 |Jul low C = 13.2 |Aug low C = 12.8 |Sep low C = 8.9 |Oct low C = 4.6 |Nov low C = 1.2 |Dec low C = -2.5 |year low C = |Jan record low C = -33.2 |Feb record low C = -34.2 |Mar record low C = -25.1 |Apr record low C = -12.9 |May record low C = -4.8 |Jun record low C = -2.7 |Jul record low C = 2.7 |Aug record low C = 1.5 |Sep record low C = -3.0 |Oct record low C = -10.4 |Nov record low C = -22.9 |Dec record low C = -25.0 |year record low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 60 |Feb precipitation mm = 45 |Mar precipitation mm = 41 |Apr precipitation mm = 34 |May precipitation mm = 43 |Jun precipitation mm = 68 |Jul precipitation mm = 85 |Aug precipitation mm = 89 |Sep precipitation mm = 79 |Oct precipitation mm = 93 |Nov precipitation mm = 77 |Dec precipitation mm = 71 |year precipitation mm = | Jan humidity = 86 | Feb humidity = 84 | Mar humidity = 80 | Apr humidity = 72 | May humidity = 71 | Jun humidity = 75 | Jul humidity = 77 | Aug humidity = 78 | Sep humidity = 81 | Oct humidity = 85 | Nov humidity = 88 | Dec humidity = 88 | year humidity = | Jan sun = 45.4 | Feb sun = 67.6 | Mar sun = 148.8 | Apr sun = 226.0 | May sun = 295.2 | Jun sun = 284.3 | Jul sun = 290.5 | Aug sun = 260.8 | Sep sun = 188.8 | Oct sun = 111.6 | Nov sun = 43.7 | Dec sun = 34.0 | year sun = |source 1 = Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service |source 2 = NOAA (extremes){{cite web | url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-VI/LU/26600.TXT | title = Silute Climate Normals 1961–1990 | publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date = March 27, 2023}}}}

References

References

  1. "Šilutė".
  2. Górski, Karol. (1949). "Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych". Instytut Zachodni.
  3. . (1892). "Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XII".
  4. . (1892). "Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XII".
  5. "German Camps".
  6. "German Oflag Camps".
  7. "Savivaldybės partneriai". Šilutė.
  8. "Klimato duomenys 1991-2020".

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šilutėcities-in-klaipėda-countycities-in-lithuaniamunicipalities-administrative-centres-of-lithuania