Viekšniai
Town in Samogitia, Lithuania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Viekšniai (ⓘ Samogitian: Vėikšnē, Yiddish: וועקשנע Vekshne, Polish: Wieksznie) is a town in the Mažeikiai district municipality, Lithuania. It is located 17 km (11 mi) south-east of Mažeikiai. The etymology of the town's name probably comes from a former lake near Viekšniai.[3]
Viekšniai | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Viekšniai Town Square in Sept., 2012 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Viekšniai Location of Viekšniai | |
| Coordinates: 56°14′0″N 22°31′0″E | |
| Country |  Lithuania |
| Ethnographic region | Samogitia |
| County | Telšiai County |
| Municipality | Mažeikiai district municipality |
| Eldership | Viekšniai eldership |
| Capital of | Viekšniai eldership |
| First mentioned | 1253[1] |
| Granted city rights | 1725 |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
• Total | 2,180 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Jewish history
The town had a large Jewish population prior to the outbreak of World War 2. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were 3 synagogues, several Jewish primary schools, and a yeshiva.[4][5]
According to the 1897 Russian Census, of the total population of 2,951, 1,646 were Jews.[5]
In the summer of 1941, over 400 Jews from the town were murdered in Mažeikiai, along with other Jews of the district.[5]
Notable people
- Mykolas Biržiška, historian and politician who was a signatory of the Act of Independence of Lithuania[6]
