Archeological findings show first citizens of Anykščiai district since 9000 B.C. The town‘s name was first mentioned as Anykščiai Manor of Lithuania‘s Duke Kazimieras. He wrote in his letters that he is assigning the manor for Radvila Astikaitis. Also, archaeological finds show that during the 13th-15th c. near Anykščiai was a wooden fortress, now called Šeimyniškėliai Mound. Some historians relate it to Voruta, the only castle of King Mindaugas mentioned in historical sources. Currently, it is the most researched mound in Lithuania and one of the most widely researched mounds in Eastern Baltic region.
During 1442–1452, a first wooden church was built in town. In the XV century, the town Anykščiai is being mentioned. In 1516 the town got the rights of the town and the Manor of Anykščiai with the town to be given to Mikalojus Radvila. In 1566 the town suffered several fires. The church was burnt to the ground, but it was soon to be re-built. In 1792, king Stanislovas Augustas gave the town rights and a blazon. The blazon consists out of the new bridge which was built right before receiving an autonomy, and the statue of st. Jonas Nepomukas, the watchman of the bridges.
In the XIX century, the town grew bigger. Here was a church with the steeple and two synagogues. When the 1831 uprising was put down, the town belonged to the Russian empire. During the uprising of 1863, the gun factory was opened here. In 1898 the narrow-gauge railway started operating with the track PanevėžysŠvenčionėliai. In 1902 the hydropower plant was built in Anykščiai. 7 years later, in the place of where an old church was built, a new church was established (in neo-gothic style).
Since 1929 local winery works in Anykščiai. In 1938, the rights of the town were renewed. During the wars, a lot of people died, mainly Jewish. In 1944 the town was a battlefield for the Nazis and the Soviets. In 1968 the factory of sand-intensity was opened („Kvarcas), as well as the mansion of culture and the blocks of living houses „Ramybė“. During 1988–1992, the railway was operating for children, on the route Anykščiai-Rubikiai. In 1992 the new blazon was confirmed. In 2012 Anykščiai town was selected to be The Capital of Lithuanian Culture.
This indicated the influence of Bernardine spirituality, the attention that had been given by the townspeople and the copious offerings. Bernardine Church was the largest church in Kaunas. The Bernardine Order had also established a school and by 1731, Kaunas had become one of the main centres of Bernardine philosophy study, where education took four years.
The war with Russia and the subsequent occupation in the middle of the 17th century, along with frequent fires completely destroyed all the Church equipment. Finally, in the second half of the 17th century – the beginning of the 18th century the magnificent Baroque interior of the Church was restored, which survives until nowadays with minor changes.
The 19th century was even worse for the Church ‒ in 1812 Napoleon army soldiers vandalised the Monastery and in 1842 the Tsarist Russian government dissolved the monastery. The monastery building was vandalised, then changed into a prison, then used as a high school and later it was used as a military warehouse.
In 1925, after a design by the architect Feliksas Vizbaras, the second floor was added on to the two-floor Gothic Monastery building, and the building acquired a Neo-Baroque outlook. The Church was closed in Soviet times in 1950, and was used as a medication warehouse. In 1993 the Church and Monastery buildings were returned to the Franciscan Order.
During the Lithuanian Vilnius Conference in 1917 two colors, green and red, were chosen for a flag, because of their prevalence in the folk art. However, the delegates did not like the design, as it was too dark. Therefore a special commission, composed of Jonas Basanavičius, Antanas Žmuidzinavičius, and Tadas Daugirdas suggested adding a strip of yellow (to symbolize the rising sun) above the green (fields and forests) and red (clouds lit up by the morning sun). The 1922 Constitution of Lithuanian Republic adopted this flag as a national. Discussions of the flag continued during the inter-war period, however eventually no changes were made.
During the Soviet Era, the use of the national flag was prohibited and strictly prosecuted. In 1988, Lithuanian movement towards independence gained real strength. In the result, the Soviet Lithuanian Parliament recognized the tricolor as a national flag once again. After independence from the Soviet Union, the tricolor flag was written into the new Constitution of Lithuania, which was adopted by a referendum in 1992.
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What does it mean? To begin with, initially on these days Lithuanians, being Pagans, were celebrating the feast of the winter solstice, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one. People believed that these days determine what kind of year it is going to be. Therefore it was a tradition of thorough cleaning, both inside and outside the house this time. On the December 24th, Lithuanian Kūčios, people were preparing a special dish “kutia” (common with Belarusians and Ukrainians), which was assigned to the souls of dead ancestors. The ritual supper was not eaten until the evening star appears in the sky. Until then, the bathhouse was heated, people bathe and dress up in festive clothes. Interesting is that the Kūčios, being a family feast, not only live but also dead members participate in it. The eldest family member was going outside to invite the souls of the ancestors, the cold, the wind and bees to eat together. On Christmas morning, December 25th, Lithuanian Kalėdos, the supper table was cleared away and checked to see if the souls of the dead left any signs of having been at the table.
Then, after the adoption of Christianity, the church added some new meanings to this feast and introduced new, Christian, ways of celebrating it. It means that the main sense of this holiday became the human God, Jesus’, birth celebration. From that time, the ritual supper on December 24th is dedicated to Jesus. On the other side, the feast’s sense of family celebration was not forgotten: it is hard to believe, but the tradition of the leaving dishes on the table to the spirits of the ancestors is alive and quite popular until nowadays. This can be also explained with the Christian tradition, that the baby Jesus allows the souls of all the departed to return to earth to visit their families. The ritual supper on the Christmas Eve also starts when the first star appears in the sky. In Christian meaning it symbolizes the Star of Bethlehem leading the shepherds. According to the tradition, the twelve different meatless dishes (because of the lent) should be served on the festive table, which represent Jesus’ twelve apostles. After the meal, everyone leaves the table to go to sleep or the midnight mass, known as the Shepherds’ Mass.
The true Christmas celebration was taking place on the December 25. The Christmas lent ends this day, so it is allowed to eat meat dishes and to drink wine. Often it has been prepared pork and other meat. Christmas merry making continued until Epiphany, the feast of the Three Kings. Youth groups called alms collectors, darlings, and gypsies or by other names, walked through villages under the pretext of wishing good harvests while greeting all homeowners. They received gifts for their greetings.
Nowadays, Christmas Eve and Christmas are the official holidays in Lithuania. Most of the young people and young families are going to their parents to celebrate this day all together. In this way, the ancient tradition of the early winter family feast with the religious meaning is preserved through the long centuries and is actual until now.
The evening of Kūčios, Christmas Eve, as all the other feasts, is filled with many traditions for either predicting the future or assuring success in the year to come. Some of them:
- The windows are covered after the meal is completed, a rooster and hen are pulled out from under the stove, and their tails are tied together. If the rooster pulls the hen to the door, there will be a wedding and if he pulls the hen back under the stove, there will be no wedding.
- A pot of water is brought to a boil and then two pieces of coal are dropped into the water. If the coals come together, there will be a wedding.
- Every girl in the room lights a candle. All the candles are placed on the table’s edge and blown out by the master of the house. The girl whose candle is not blown out will remain unmarried.
- At midnight, girls place two sacred candles and between them a glass filled with water, birch ashes and drop a wedding band inside. Looking through the glass, they will see either their chosen male or a coffin.
- Three whole herring, without breading should be eaten by a maiden before going to bed. A towel should be placed on two wooden rods, set over a bowl filled with water by their bed. They will dream of their future male while sleeping.
- That night, two needles are dropped into a plate filled with water. If the needles come together, there will be a wedding.
- No need to lock barn doors on this night, place a cross or another sign on the doors so that harmful spirits are ineffective.
- Those who sprinkle a mixture of wheat and peas in the barn will have good animals the following year.
- After supper, the mistress of the house should take all milk pots outside and place all around the farmstead so that next year the cows will give much milk.
Merry Christmas! Linksmų Kalėdų!
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With the year winding down, Kaunas, Lithuania‘s second-largest city, has received some heart-warming news that, potentially, can prompt more upbeat front-page headlines in the future.
This week, Germany’s Continental, a leading German automotive manufacturing company specialising in tyres, brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis components and other parts for the automotive and transportation industries, announced of intentions to build a factory in Kaunas and invest 95 million euros in the facility, becoming the biggest greenfield investment in Lithuania’s history.
The news was followed by the other head-line grabber by Hollister, a US-based global manufacturer of medical devices and equipment, which on Wednesday, November 8, announced of launching construction of a 50-million-euro production complex in proximity of Kaunas. Another German automotive giant Hella started building a 30-million-euro plant in the Kaunas free economic zone (FEZ) in mid-October.
Continental plans to create around 1,000 new jobs in the new electronic components plant, governmental foreign investment promotion agency Invest Lithuania said on Monday, November 6. Egidijus Jurgelionis of the agency told BNS that the exact location of the new plant was yet to be announced.
In the new facility in the Kaunas district, Continental will produce passenger safety and smart driver assistance systems, including door and seat control units, gateways and intelligent glass control units as well as radar sensors for comfort functions such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and safety functions such as Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).
«Building the first Continental plant in Lithuania is an important part of our growth strategy in Europe,» Hans-Jurgen Braun, head of 28 Central Electronic Plants worldwide at Continental, is quoted as saying.
«Continental’s decision to set up in Lithuania may be the key breakthrough that will cause not only car manufacturers but also other major participants of the supply chain to pay close attention to Lithuania,» Mantas Katinas, managing director at Invest Lithuania, said in a press release .
Shayan Ali, future CEO of Continental in Lithuania, said production was expected to start by mid-2019. Founded in 1871, the technology company generated sales of 40.5 billion euros in 2016 and currently employs more than 227,000 people in 56 countries.
Meanwhile, Hollister, a US-based global manufacturer of medical devices and equipment, has launched construction on a 50-million-euro production complex close to Kaunas. The production facility on the Kaunas free economic area is expected to create around 300 new jobs.
Headquartered in Illinois, Hollister has manufacturing and distribution centre on three continents and offices in over 25 countries. It sells products in more than 80 markets around the world. According to Invest Lithuania, the past year of 2016 was «another record-breaking year» for foreign direct investments (FDI) in Lithuania and this year has produced even more foreign direct investments (FDI).
Lithuania attracted 36 FDI projects in 2016, which were thought to create 3,716 jobs over the next three years. By comparison, 28 foreign capital companies decided to set up operations in Lithuania in 2015, creating 2,370 jobs. The year of 2017 has started off with a major arrival– Holland’s Macaw, an award-winning employer and digital solution provider, announced it is establishing in Vilnius its first office outside the Netherlands.
Some of the other newcomers this year are worth mentioning, too. The Danish window and door manufacturer Dovista set up a division in Marijampolė in southern Lithuania and is implementing one of the largest greenfield investment project in the country’s history; Ryanair has expanded its aircraft maintenance base in Kaunas.
Swedish capital companies were the biggest creators of jobs in Lithuania in 2016: over the next three years they plan to employ 1,340 specialists in Lithuania. German companies came second with 750 new jobs planned, whilst Danish and Finnish capital companies are set to create 300 new positions each.
In 2016, foreign direct investment projects were also brought to Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Marijampolė, Kėdainiai and Vievis. Yet against the European background, Lithuania‘s performance in foreign direct investments (FDI) seems quite lacklustre. In mid-2017, the FDI level per thousand inhabitants stood at 5,2 in Lithuania and, in that regard, only Romania (3,7) and Greece (2,7) did worse, meanwhile Latvia and Estonia, the other Baltic neighbours, boasted a remarkably better indication – 15,9 in Estonia and 7,4 in Latvia.
In another EU FDI ranking in the past summer, evaluating the EU member states’ investment capacities, Lithuania was also placed at the very bottom in most of the parameters (outward and inward FDI stocks, outward and inward FDI flows), although in some of the graphs Lithuania has improved, sitting comfortable in the mid-section of the ranking. Lithuania has long positioned itself as a country with a cheap workforce, but due to the EU’s record-high emigration and bad demographics, it has become pretty expensive in recent years and cannot lure investors with a cheap labour, experts note.
«Indeed, a dozen years ago, many UK and German textile manufacturers were eager to open up here (Lithuania)… paying the tailors 300-400 euros. Now the wage has risen by three times. Other investors see a similar spike in the labour costs,» says Sigitas Besagirskas, president of Vilnius’ Industry and Business Association (LPVA).
Importantly, in the age of high-tech innovations and digital services, it is a high technology industry that encourages larger FDI into countries. Yet, Lithuania cannot boast of them – the high-tech industry’s input into the year’s GDP is a mere 2,5 per cent, one of the worst indicator in the EU. In comparison, it is 4,5 per cent in Estonia, the Baltics’ leader, and the EU’s statistical average is 4,7 per cent.
«Unless we manage to turn it around, the prevailing low and mediocre technological level manufacturing will get us nowhere,» the expert noted.
According to the LPVA head, the issue of shrinking workforce and scarcer tax money in the state coffers can be addressed through automatization and robotization of the production and service sectors.
«The essence is simple: already innovative companies become more such and those employed earn more and contribute more in taxes to the social security budget. Only that way the increasing army of the unemployed can be handled without a strain to the state,» Besagirskas told BNN.
For Lithuania, the polestar should be Ireland that has enjoyed a marvellous economy run since 2008 economic crunch. To mirror the Irish success, Lithuania needs not only to overhaul its tax system, which is subject to multiple changes with a new government in office, but also thoroughly review its labour laws and overhaul the education system experts believe. The country’s education system encompasses 47 universities and colleges in Lithuania. Although the demand for the specialties in most of them is way lower or non-existent, yet the schools, whose funding depends on the number of students, keep them intact. For Besagirskas, the pillar of a country’s success is its image in the world.
«Again, Estonians can boast of Skype and zero profit tax for reinvested profits, although the latter does not always work well in the country,» he says.
According to the expert, Lithuania ought to do «way more» in servicing foreign investors.
«What is often characteristic for us that we tend to do only the initial work – meet the investor, sit down with him and sign an agreement. After that, the investor often is left alone puzzled how to get permits, where to find necessary workforce and et cetera. Only the Tauragė and Panėvežys municipalities stand out as the most investor friendly and helpful municipalities,» Besagirskas emphasised.
]]>The ritual traditions of the dead were directly related to peoples’ belief that on that day the souls of the dead return to earth, to their homes. During this feast, people gathered in cemeteries, where women sobbed and lamented over their men, remembering their valor, honesty and good habits. Afterwards the women prepared plentiful suppers.
The beliefs of All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days are:
- On the day of All Souls, the souls of the dead come to visit the living, asking that the living pray for them.
- One time before All Saints’ Day, a homemaker swept the house and sprinkled with sand. In the morning sees the floor covered with small footprints, but there are no small children in the house. Therefore, she understood that the souls of dead children had come into the house.
- If mother went to the cemetery at midnight on All Souls’ Day, she would see her dead children.
- On All Souls’ Day, churches are filled with souls of the dead. That day, the souls are not burning in hell. They are happy. However some, whose mothers are wailing, these souls arrive wet, soaked by earthly tears. No need to cry for the dead.
- On the Eve of All Saints’ Day, one does not go visiting or walking through villages because all roads and the countryside are filled with souls of the dead. There can also be some mean souls.
- On All Souls’ Day and in the evening no ashes or garbage should be taken out, because the souls can be witched by these items.
- If it rained on the night of All Souls’ Day, there will be numerous deaths in the following year.
- If the sun did not shine on All Saints’ Day, the following year will be filled with misfortunes.
- If on All Saints’ Day, trees are still fully covered with leaves, it will be a year of black death.
- If a child is born on the eve of All Souls’ Day, when in life he attends a funeral meal, he will see evil souls.
The original palace was constructed on in 1846, when a local aristocrat received authorization to build the two-story edifice. The project featured a symmetrically designed structure with seven rooms on the first floor, and nine rooms on the second floor. Shortly afterwards the building was expanded and another portal was added. In 1866, a garden was also laid out in front of the building. Two years later, additional structures were built nearby, and the building was acquired by the Russian government as a residence for the Kovno Governor. In 1876, the building was finally purchased by that government. During the latter part of the 19th century the building underwent further expansion, and an additional wing was constructed as well as a new gallery. During World War I, Kaiser Wilhelm II briefly stayed in the palace in 1915 while visiting the Eastern front.
Lithuania proclaimed its independence in 1918, and at that time, the building became the property of the Lithuanian government. Kaunas became the temporary capital of Lithuania in the interwar period and the building was designated as its Presidential Palace. It was remodeled and became the Lithuanian president’s official residence. The building witnessed a crisis of parliamentarism, the Coup d’État of 1926, and a turn towards authoritarian regime. The garden was surrounded by a cast iron fence that has survived to this day. The palace served as the presidential residence until 1940, when Lithuania again lost its independence. The Last Meeting of the government of Lithuania took place here on the night from June 14 to 15 of 1940.
During Soviet rule, the palace underwent further alterations and the size of the garden was reduced, while some adjacent buildings were demolished. On the first floor, some interior walls were removed to make way for a movie theater. Later it was converted to the Kaunas teacher’s headquarters, and hosted teacher’s organizations.
In 1989, the administration of the palace was transferred to the Vytautas the Great War Museum. After Lithuania regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the palace was designated as a historical landmark. Soon afterward, three statues of the interwar presidents of Lithuania were erected in the palace garden, Antanas Smetona, Aleksandras Stulginskis, and Kazys Grinius. In 2003, the 85th anniversary of Lithuanian Independence, the renovated palace was officially re-opened.
Today, the palace is used by the city and the state. There was a suggestion that the palace should became a branch of the Presidential Institution in Vilnius, but this suggestion has been rejected. Since 2005, the building has been a part of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Art Museum.
Currently, the palace features several exhibitions dedicated to former presidents Aleksandras Stulginskis and Kazys Grinius, and to the history of the palace. A recent exposition featured unique historical items from the collection of ambassador Kazys Lozoraitis.
]]>Kęstutis was the son of the Grand Duke Gediminas. Together with his brother Algirdas, he ruled Grand Duchy of Lithuania for long years. Two brothers divided their holdings into an eastern and western sphere of influence. Kęstutis’ efforts were concentrated in the west, while Algirdas’ were in the eastern part of the state.
Kęstutis was considered as one of the noblest knights and rulers of his time. Besides his military ability, Kęstutis was also a talented diplomatic negotiator. To avoid clashes with the Teutonic Order, he negotiated with Rome for the Christianization of Lithuania, tried to become King and to the royal crown for him and his sons. Unfortunately, it never happened.
When Algirdas died in 1377, his son Jogaila took his place and became the co-ruler of Lithuania. Kęstutis without hesitation recognized Jogaila’s authority. However, Jogaila was not as noble as his father and uncle were and sought to be the only one ruler of the Grand Duchy. Thus, the long Civil War began soon.
In August 1382 armies of Kęstutis and Jogaila met near Trakai for a decisive battle, but it never began. Both sides agreed to negotiate. Kęstutis and his son, future Grand Duke Vytautas, arrived at Jogaila’s camp but were faithlessly arrested and sent to a prison in the Kreva Castle.
Thereafter, Jogaila ordered to murder both his uncle Kęstutis and cousin Vytautas. However, Vytautas disguised in his wife’s clothing managed to escape and fled to Prussia. A few decades later, he would become the greatest ruler in Lithuanian history – Vytautas the Great.
In the 13th and 14th centuries, there were stone structures within the palace site. The stone palace was built in the 15th century, apparently after a major fire in 1419. The palace was built in Gothic style. The Gothic palace had three wings; research suggests that it was a two-story building with a basement. Grand Duke Alexander Jagiellon, who later became King of Poland, renovated palace and moved here his residence. After his marriage to a daughter of Moscow’s Grand Duke Ivan III, the royal couple lived and died in there. Sigismund I the Old, after his ascension to the grand ducal throne, conducted his affairs in the palace as well as in Vilnius Cathedral.
During the rule of Sigismund I, the palace was greatly expanded to meet the new needs of the grand duke. Another wing was added, as well as a third floor, and the gardens were extended. The palace reconstruction plan was probably prepared by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Berrecci da Pontassieve, who also designed several other projects in the Kingdom of Poland. Sigismund’s son Sigismund II Augustus was crowned Grand Duke of Lithuania in the palace. Sigismund II carried on with the development work and lived there with his first wife Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor. Sigismund II’s second wife, Barbora Radvilaitė (Barbara Radziwill), also lived in the palace. According to contemporary accounts of the Holy See’s emissary, the palace at that time contained more treasures than the Vatican. Sigismund II also assembled one of the largest collection of books and tapestries in Europe.
The palace was remodelled in the Renaissance style in the 16th century. The plan was prepared by several Italian architects, including Giovanni Cini da Siena and Bernardino de Gianotis Zanobi. The palace was visited by Ippolito Aldobrandini, who later became Pope Clement VIII. Another major development took place during the reign of the House of Vasa. The palace was refurbished in the early Baroque style during the rule of Sigismund III. Matteo Castello, Giacopo Tencalla, and other artists participated in the 17th-century renovation. During the Vasa rule, several notable ceremonies took place, including the wedding of Duke John, who later became King John III of Sweden, and Sigismund Augustus’ sister Catherine. The first opera in Grand Duchy was staged in the palace in 1634. Marco Scacchi and Virgilio Puccitelli were the opera’s impresarios.
After the Russian invasion in 1655, the state began to weaken, and that also affected the castle. In August 1655, the Muscovite army captured Vilnius. The army of Commonwealth recaptured the city six years later, but the palace was greatly damaged and its treasures were plundered. After the recapture of the city of Vilnius in 1660–1661, the palace was no longer a suitable state residence, and stood abandoned for about 150 years. In the late 18th century, after the fall of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, several families lived in parts of the ruined palace. Soon after the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was incorporated into Tsarist Russia, officials ordered the demolition of the remaining sections of the palace. The structure was almost completely demolished in 1801, the bricks and stones were sold, and the site was bowered.
Only a small portion of the walls up to the second floor survived, that were sold to the Jewish merchant Abraham Schlossberg around 1800, who incorporated them into his house. After the November Uprising of 1831, the czarist government expelled Schlossberg and took over the building, as it was building a fortress beside it.
After Lithuania regained its independence following World War I in 1918, the castle became the headquarters of the army. It soon was captured by the Polish troops following the Polish annexation of Vilnius (Wilno). During World War II, it was the office of the German Wehrmacht, and after World War II it was used by Soviet security structures and later transformed into a Pioneers Palace.
After the fall of the iron curtain in 1989, Lithuania became independent again. As part of a program of nation building, the government decided to reconstruct the palace. The project received approval after archaeological digs, various studies and controversial discussions. Ground was broken in 2002 on the site of the original building. Fragments of Schlossberg’s house became part of the eastern wing of the restored palace. The building was opened during the celebration of the millennium of the name of Lithuania in 2009.
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On 15 July 1410, the Battle of Žalgiris, or Battle of Grunwald, was fought. Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas (Witold; Vitaŭt) and his cousin, former Grand Duke of Lithuania, King of Poland Jogaila – Władysław II (Jagiełło; Jahajła), led the alliance of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland against the Teutonic Knights, led by Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. Cousins decisively defeated the Teutonic Order. Knights would never recover their former power after the Grunwald.
In 1230 the Teutonic Knights, a crusading military order, moved to Poland and launched the Prussian Crusade against the pagan Prussian clans. With support from the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor, the Teutons conquered and converted the Prussians by the 1280s and shifted their attention to the officially pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania. For few next centuries, the Knights raided Grand Duchy, every year devastating its cities and lands. Despite being Christian, Kingdom of Poland suffered hardly from the constant Teutonic invasions as well.
In 1385, Grand Duke Jogaila of Lithuania agreed to marry Queen Jadwiga of Poland. Jogaila converted to Christianity and was crowned as the King of Poland Władysław II Jagiełło. This marriage created a union between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. At the same time, the cousin of Jogaila, Vytautas, became the Grand Duke of Lithuania.
On 6 of August 1409, Teutonic Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen once again declared war on the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. By December 1409, two cousins, Vytautas and Jogaila- Władysław II had agreed on a common strategy. It was planned to unite their force and march together towards Malbork, the capital of the Teutonic Knights.
While less numerous, the Teutonic army had advantages in discipline, military training, and equipment. They were particularly noted for their heavy cavalry. The Knights also invited guest crusaders from Western Europe. Jogaila brought Poland troops along with mercenaries from Moravia and Bohemia. Serving among the Czechs was famous Jan Žižka, future commander of the Hussite forces. Vytautas gathered troops from lands of Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine and also contingent of Tatars cavalry. Interesting fact, that Vytautas actively participated in the battle himself, managing both Lithuanian and Polish units on the battlefield.
Polish soldiers gathered in Poznań. Lithuanian troops marched from Hrodna and soon reached main Poland. Both armies were united in Czerwinsk near the border with Teutonic Order and together invaded the Knights’ territory. In the early morning of 15 July, both armies met in an area between the villages of Grunwald, Tannenberg, and Ludwigsdorf.
The Polish–Lithuanian army was positioned in front and east of Ludwigsdorf and Tannenberg. Polish heavy cavalry formed the left flank, Lithuanian light cavalry the right flank and various mercenary troops made up the center. The Teutonic forces concentrated their elite heavy cavalry, commanded by Grand Marshal Frederic von Wallenrode, against the Lithuanian troops.
As cousins delayed, the Grand Master sent messengers with two swords to “assist Jogaila and Vytautas in battle”. The swords were meant as an insult and a provocation. Known as the “Grunwald Swords”, they became one of the national symbols of Poland.
In the beginning of the battle, Vytautas attacked the left flank of the Teutonic forces. After heavy fighting, the Lithuanian cavalry began a retreat. Grand Marshal Frederic von Wallenrode assumed that victory was his, broke formation and started disorganized pursuit of the retreating Lithuanians troops. It was a key event of the battle, which finally decided its outcome.
While Vytautas was retreating, heavy fighting broke out between Polish and Teutonic forces. It was the darkest time for the United army. At one moment, the Polish Royal Standard was lost and it seemed that Knights have almost secured the victory.
However, King Jogaila deployed his last reserves and his Standard was soon recaptured. The battle was so tight, that one of Teuton knights, Lupold of Kökeritz, reached the King of Poland and charged directly against him. Fortunately, Zbigniew Oleśnicki, secretary of Jogaila, saved king’s life, gaining royal favor and becoming one of the most influential people in Poland.
At the same time, the miracle has happened in the forest of Tannenberg. After entering the forest, retreating Lithuanian forces suddenly turned around. The disorganized elite Teutonic cavalry did not expect such a turn and was totally annihilated by Vytautas’ forces.
Thereafter, Grand Duke reorganized his regiments and attacked the main Knights’ army from the rear. In the result, Teutonic forces were attacked from the both sides by now outnumbered Polish and Lithuanian armies. Teutonic Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen attempted to break through the Lithuanian lines but was killed. According to Cronica conflictus, Dobiesław of Oleśnica thrust a lance through the Grand Master’s neck. After losing both leaders, Teutonic Knights retreated.
The main riddle and the object of discussions concerning the Grunwald battle is the maneuver of Grand Duke Vytautas. Was it, in fact, a real retreat or false opening gambit? Belarusian historian Vaclaw Lastowski in 1909, proposed that the retreat was a planned. This strategic maneuver was borrowed from the Golden Horde. A false retreat was used by the Tatars in the Battle of the Vorskla River a few years before. This time, Vytautas led army was dealt a crushing defeat. Grand Duke himself barely escaped alive. This theory gained wider acceptance after the discovery and publication of a German letter by Swedish historian Sven Ekdahl in 1963. The letter, written a few years after the battle, cautions the new Grand Master to look out for false retreats of the kind that were used in the Grunwald Battle. In any case, reorganizing his retreating or false-retreating troops and annihilating the most battle-worthy regiments of Teutonic Order, showed a great military talent and composure of Vytautas.
The battle and victory of the allied Lithuanian and Polish troops over the Teutonic Order is depicted on one of the most famous Polish painting, “Battle of Grunwald”, painted by Jan Matejko. The painting focuses on the death scene of the Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen. Another central figure is the “most valuable player” on the field, Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas, dressed in red with a raised sword, whose equanimity and talent was decisive in the outcome of the battle.
Žalgiris or Grunwald shifted the balance of power in Central-Eastern Europe and marked the rise of the Polish–Lithuanian union as the dominant political and military force in the region for long years. The battle was one of the largest in Medieval Europe and is regarded as the most important victory in the histories of Lithuania, Poland, and Belarus because it finally put an end to never-ending invasions of Teutonic Knights on the territory of the Grand Duchy and the Crown.
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