Tauragė

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

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

FieldValue
nameTauragė
image_skyline{{multiple image
borderinfobox
total_width270
image_styleborder:1;
perrow1/2/2/2
image1Tauragė2012.JPG
caption1Bird's eye view of Tauragė
image22020, Tauragės pilis.JPG
caption2Tauragė Castle
image32020. Katalikų bažnyčia, Tauragė.JPG
caption3Church of the Holy Trinity
image4Cerkvė, Tauragė.JPG
caption4Orthodox Church of the Vilnius' Martyrs Anthony, John, and Eustathius
image52020. Tauragė, evangelikų bažnyčia.JPG
caption5Evangelical Lutheran Church
image6Rebirth Square (Atgimimo aikštė) in Tauragė, Lithuania in 2020.jpg
caption6Rebirth Square
image7Tauragė, paštas.JPG
caption7Post Office
settlement_typeCity
pushpin_mapLithuania#Europe
pushpin_relief1
pushpin_label_position
pushpin_map_captionLocation of Tauragė
image_shieldCoat_of_arms_of_Taurage_(Lithuania).svg
image_flagFlag of Taurage.svg
image_blank_emblemTauragė logo.svg
blank_emblem_typeBrandmark
blank_emblem_size120px
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1Ethnographic region
subdivision_name1Samogitia
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2Tauragė County
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Tauragė district municipality
subdivision_type4Eldership
subdivision_name4Tauragė town eldership
subdivision_type6Capital of
subdivision_name6Tauragė County
Tauragė district municipality
Tauragė town eldership
Tauragė rural eldership
established_date1507
established_titleFirst mentioned
established_title2City status
established_date21924
area_total_km214.1
elevation_m38
population_total21,203
population_as_of2021
population_density_km2auto
population_metro38002
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_code72001
population_demonymTauragian(s) (English),
tauragiečiai or tauragiškiai (Lithuanian)
timezoneEET
utc_offset+2
timezone_DSTEEST
utc_offset_DST+3
website
module
::

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Tauragė (; see other names) is an industrial city in Lithuania, and the capital of Tauragė County. In 2020, its population was 20,956. Tauragė is situated on the Jūra River, close to the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast, and not far from the Baltic Sea coast.

Although first mentioned in 1507, Tauragė did not receive its city charter until 1924, and its coat of arms (a silver hunting horn in a red field) until 1997.

The previously small town was significantly developed in the 19th century and early 20th century, however its architecture suffered devastating damages during World War I and World War II. Notable surviving buildings in the city include the castle (19th century Russian Empire customs), 19th century Post office, buildings from the 20th century inter-war period, several churches: the Lutheran (built in 1843), the Catholic (1904) and Orthodox (1933). Lithuanian, Swedish and Danish factories operate in the city.

{{anchor|Names and etymology}}Names and etymology

Tauragė is a conjunction of two Lithuanian words: tauras, which means "aurochs", and ragas which means "horn", hence the city's coat of arms. The city is known as Tauragie in Samogitian, as Tauroggen in German, Taurogi in Polish, Tovrig (טאווריג) in Yiddish, and Taurage (Таураге; historically Tauroggen [Таурогген] or Taurogi [Тауроги]) in Russian.

Historically, Tauragė has also been called Tavrik, Tavrogi, Tavrig, Tevrig, Taurik and Tarogen. It is called Tan Ragh on the 1539 Carta Marina.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/1539-Samogethia-and-Lituania.jpg" caption="Tauragė mentioned as "Tan Ragh" in a map dated 1539"] ::

Tauragė is situated between two Baltic tribes and at the edge of two historical regions. In 13th c. donations written by Mindaugas, the king of Lithuania mentions that there are lands called Karšuva (Carsovia) and Skalva (Scalovia). On the eve of the Teutonic Order aggression, Skalva was situated southwest of the current town. It was inhabited by the Baltic tribe Skalviai (Scalovians). To the northeast there was a land called Žemaitija (Samogitia) with Žemaičiai (Samogitians) as inhabitants. Karšuva, the region which existed in these lands, was different because the peoples had the blood of the Kuršiai (Curonians) and Lamatiečiai (Lamatians), two nearby Baltic tribes. By inhabiting the northern borders of Skalva, the Carsovians became close to the Scalovians. Even the origin of the name Karšuva (Carsovia) can be linked to the ethnonym Kuršiai (Curonians), which is written as Cori, Corres, Kauren in old historical sources.

When the war with the Teutonic Order broke out, ethnic and administrative borders started to change rapidly. It is possible that in the end of the 13th c. and the start of 14th c., when Skalva suffered heavy casualties, Samogitians, supported by the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, tried to push to the southwest. But due to non-stopping attacks by the Teutonic Order in the 14th c. they had to retreat. Only in the 15-16th c. when the wars were over did Samogitians come back to their former lands. At that time northern parts of Skalva, which were left for Lithuania, was inhabited by Samogitians, because most of the Scalovians were killed or fled during the attacks of the Order.

First mentioned in 1507, the town has been a center of Lutheranism in Lithuania. Although it belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, there was a period when the land of Tauragė belonged to East Prussian rulers in economic terms. From 1691 until 1793, Tauragė belonged to Brandenburg-Prussia (the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701), after the marriage of Margrave Ludwig of Brandenburg to Princess Ludwika Karolina Radziwiłł. In 1793 it was ceded, along with Seirijai (Prussian Serrey), to Poland-Lithuania as "compensation" for the territories annexed in the Second Partition of Poland. In 1795, as with almost all of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the town became part of the Russian Empire in the Third Partition.

Tsar Alexander I of Russia, signed an armistice with Napoleon I in Tauragė on June 21, 1807, that was soon to be followed with the Treaties of Tilsit. On December 30, 1812, the Prussian General Yorck, signed the Convention of Tauroggen, declaring his troops neutral, that effectively ended the fragile Franco-Prussian alliance during the French invasion of Russia. In 1836, much of the city was destroyed by a fire. Honoré de Balzac stayed in Tauragė in 1843.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Lithuanian_cityscape._Celebration_of_the_10th_anniversary_of_the_restoration_of_Independence_in_Tauragė,_1928-02-16,_Tauragė,_Lithuania.jpg" caption="restoration of Independence of Lithuania]] in Tauragė in 1928"] ::

In 1915, a significant part of the city's infrastructure was destroyed by German troops during World War I. During the independent Republic of Lithuania (1918-1940), the war destroyed town grew rapidly and new modern buildings, factories were built. On September 9, 1927, the rebellion against the authoritarian rule of President Antanas Smetona broke out in Tauragė, but the revolt was quickly suppressed. After the Soviet annexation of Lithuania in 1940, the Tauragė Castle was a place of imprisonment for Lithuanian political dissidents and POWs. Many local inhabitants, including the parents and relatives of Roman Abramovich, were exiled to Siberia during the Soviet occupation in 1940. This saved the family from the Holocaust. When Operation Barbarossa commenced on June 22, 1941, the Soviets retreated, and Tauragė was captured by the German Wehrmacht after heavy bombing on the same day. About 4,000 Jews were murdered in Tauragė and nearby villages (about 40% of Tauragė population). In the autumn of 1944, the German occupation ended and the Soviets replaced them with a renewed occupation lasting until 1990. During the Soviet occupation the town was rebuilt and grew very rapidly, although the pre-war old town architecture was not preserved. Even the old market square and one of the main streets, Kęstučio, had been completely destroyed and built over. Only some old buildings of the town centre have survived to this day.

Demography

Population

According to the 2021 census, the city population was 21,203 people, of which:

Sport

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Tauragės_stadionas,_aikštė.JPG" caption="Vytautas Stadium"] ::

Tauragė is known for having one main football club FK Tauras Tauragė, which was founded in 1922.

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Tauragė is twinned with:

Gallery

Katedra_band_on_stage,during_the_first_Rock_March(Tauragė,_Lithuania,_1987).jpg|Roko Maršas in Tauragė, 1987

  1. Tauragė. Kultūros rūmai.JPG|Taurage Palace of Culture Tauragės bankas.JPG|Historic bank building, built in 1936
  2. Tauragė, Versmės gimnazija.JPG|Versmė Gymnasium TauragėsGelStotis.jpg|Railway station built in 1927 Gaisrinė, Tauragė.JPG|Fire station

References

References

  1. "GYVENTOJAI GYVENAMOSIOSE VIETOVĖSE".
  2. geodata. (2022-08-05). "Tauragės miesto gyventojų skaičius".
  3. "Aktai".
  4. "Tauragė".
  5. "Eurostat".
  6. "Dingusi Tauragė: kas liko iš 1939–1945-ųjų miesto?".
  7. (28 January 2012). "Lietuvos miestų pavadinimų kilmė – tik upės ir pavardės?".
  8. "Tauroggen".
  9. (2015-04-22). "Tauragė district , Tauragė [Tovrik,Tauroggen, Taurogi, Taurogen, Tarogen, Tauragės, Taurik, Tavrogi, Tevrig, Tavrig, Tavrik],".
  10. (2024-10-22). "The Global Home for Jewish Genealogy".
  11. Almonaitis V., Vakarų Lietuva XIII-XV amžiuje, Kaunas, 2013, p. 106-110
  12. Mažrimas, Edmundas. (2008-06-26). "Prancūzų rašytojas Onorė de Balzakas ir Tauragė". Tauragės kurjeris.
  13. (2013-10-11). "Prancūzų rašytojo Onorė de Balzako vizitui Tauragėje atminti atidengta memorialinė lenta". Tauragės žinios.
  14. "Gyventojų skaičius".
  15. "AIK Statistikdatabas".
  16. "Tauragės rajono savivaldybės partneriai". Tauragės rajono savivaldybė.

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tauragėcities-in-tauragė-countycapitals-of-lithuanian-countiescities-in-lithuaniamunicipalities-administrative-centres-of-lithuaniaholocaust-locations-in-lithuania