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| HISTORICAL MONUMENTS IN THE NORTHERN CURONIAN
SPIT |
| (present Lithuania) |
Nida and vicinity
- Valley of Death. In 1870 - 1872 there was a camp for war prisoners. This
camp was a German soldiers' revenge who had been kept imprisoned in the Sahara
by the French. Many French prisoners died because of difficult living conditions
and illnesses. They are buried in the same place. Local people called this place
the Valley of the Death.
- The Site of Gliding School. The Lithuanian Gliding School existed there between
1933 and 1939. Between 1939 and 1943 it had been used as a school by German military
airforce.
- Nida Foresters' Cemetery. All foresters, who had worked
in Nida from the mid 19th century until the mid 20th century, are buried there.
The pioneer of dune forestation, D. G. Kuwert, rests in this cemetery too. For
the memory of him and his son G. D. Kuwert, residents of Nida erected a monument
there in 1856.
- The Old Nida Cemetery near the church is the rest place for the famous local
patron H. Blode and the famous Curonian preacher K. H. Mertikaitis (1773 - 1856).
In the old Nida cemetery visitors can see the very archaic wooden grave markers
called krikstai. They were restored by the artist E. Jonusas.
- H. Blode Hotel. It was built in 1867. Many famous people lived in this hotel.
The journalist, poet and ethnographer L. Passarge (1825 - 1912) was staying here
in 1868. He translated to the German the poems by K.Donelaitis. The representative
of the late romanticism, the composer E. Humperding stayed here in the end of
the 19th century. He wrote an opera according to a fairytale by Brothers Grimm.
In 1929, the writer Thomas Mann stayed in this hotel. The poet W. Heymann (1888
- 1914) liked to stay here also. In the end of the 19th century and the beginning
of the 20th century, the hotel became the main centre for artists' colony in Nida.
Many famous German painters like L. Corinth, E. Bischopp - Culm, H. Beppo - Broschke,
M. Pechstein and others worked there. When the owner died, his son-in-law artist
E. Mollenhauer (1892-1955) continued with traditions of the hotel. At the entrance
guests saw the paintings given for presents by artists who worked there. The poem
on the wall was saying: "A stranger's single look there isn't enough/ Only
sand lies around/ Open your heart to the beauty/ and the magic world will be found."
The hotel "Nidos Smilte" has occupied this building recently.
- The house of Nida's artist-photographer P. Isenfeld. In the period between
World War I and World War II, P. Isenfeld published many postcards, which represented
nature, landscapes and daily life of the Curonian Spit.
- Houses-studios by German artists C. Knauf from Pareine and T. Birtengel from
Dresden (1887-1968). They were built in 1937 and 1939.
- The summerhouse of Nobel price laureate, writer T. Mann. The house was built
by architect H. Reimann. The writer spent three summers in it (1930-1932). Today
the Thomas Mann Culture Centre and the memorial exposition are located in this
house.
- Kuwerts' House. The Kuwert family was one of the most powerful in the Northern
Curonian Spit from the 18th until the mid 19th century. They owned post stations
and they were famous preachers. In the 19th century, the Kuwert family from Nida
started forest planting on dunes in vicinity. Thanks to them, Nida remained in
the same place. The house in Nida belonged to the last descendants of this family.
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Preila
- Preila's cemetery (19th-20th century). Some original tombstones that are typical
for the region are still there.
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Juodkrante
and vicinity
- Amber Cove. The lagoon was dug by the amber excavation company W. Stantien
& M. Becker, which worked there from 1860 until 1890. There was a dredger
harbour and shipyard. Huts for workers stood near by. Up to 23 dredgers worked
in same time in the lagoon.
- Old Juodkrante cemetery. In the end of the 19th century it grew from the Stellmachers'
family tomb. This family came from Tilze and helped to develop the Juodkrante
resort. They owned many hotels and cottages. C. T. Stellmacher (1827-1883) with
his wife J. M. Stellmacher Kolb (1830-1916) and K. Stellmacher (1862-1930) are
buried on the German part of the cemetery.
- The location of the Griekai Linden-tree (the linden tree of sins). A very
old and branched linden tree grew on this place. Many legends are told about it.
One of them says that it was a place where the community judged dissolute young
people. Another tells about the sacrificing for ancient gods. German soldiers
cut down the tree in 1939. A new linden tree has been planted there recently.
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Alksnynes apylinkės
- Love Valley. Huts for workers who were constructing the foredune and planting
forest had stood there from the 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century.
There is a suggestion that some French prisoners who worked there occupied the
huts after 1870. Later, women from the continent who also planted forest settled
in the huts. Because of their dissolute behaviour, this place got the name Love
Valley.
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Smiltyne
- Kopgalis village cemetery (the 19th - beginning of the 20th century). The
first Lithuanian captain L. Stulpinas (1871-1934) and governor of Klaipeda region,
poet-publicist Jonas Zilius - Jonila (1870 - 1932) are buried there.
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| MEMORIAL MONUMENTS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE
CURONIAN SPIT |
Nida
Memorial composition in the place of the main Lithuanian Gliding School. This
school existed between 1933 and 1939. Between 1939 and 1943 it had been used as
a school by German military airforce. The symbolic hangar arch and memorial stone
was built in 1979 remind visitors about the former gliding school. |

Pervalka
and Preila vicinity
Monument to L.Reza on Skirpstas Hill. Wooden sculpture faces the places of Karvaiciai
village, which was buried by sand in 1790. L. M. Reza was born in this village.
His poem is carved on the sculpture. Artist E. Jonusas erected monument in 1975.
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Juodkrante
Monument to the professor of Karaliaucius (Kaliningrad) university, Lithuanian
poet and folk-ethnologist, L. M. Reza (1779 - 1840m.). He was first to publish
the famous poetry work "Metai" by K. Donelaitis and fables. Monument
was erected in 1994; his author is the artist A. Sakalauskas. |

Alksnyne vicinity
A monument to Red Army soldiers of 32nd division, 113th regiment. They died in
October of 1945. Their scouts were ambushed near Alksnyne. Germans fired at the
rescue group, which was coming across the lagoon. The ice broke and many soldiers
drowned.
Creators of the memorial, architect P. Sademskis and sculptor J. Vertulis, used
the stone, which was taken from the bed of lagoon and weighted more than 30 tons.
Composition was opened in 1967. |

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Smiltyne vicinity
A monument to L.G.Hagen, one of the engineers, who forested the northern part
of the Curonian Spit. In the end of 19th century he was the first to describe,
examine and develop a method for building a protective foredune. The monument
was built on the Hagen Hill, between World War I and World War II. Memorial note
on the obelisk is in both German and Lithuanian languages.
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Monument to G.D.Kuwert in Nida |

H. Blode Hotel

New Griekai linden-tree

Monument to L.Rezai
Memorial to Soviet soldiers

Monument to L.Hagenui |