Piliaviete (Priespilio st. 2)
Klaipeda, Lithuania
Piliaviete – a Cradle and Bastion of the City
In 1252, when political will and spiritual vision met, the idea of building a castle was born – the castle that gave birth to Klaipėda, a city with the centuries-long maritime history. The Klaipėda Castle was first mentioned in a document by which the Grand Master Eberhard von Zeine and Bishop Heinrich of Courland agreed to build a castle between the Nemunas and the Danė rivers. At that time, it was believed that the Curonian Lagoon was a branch of the Nemunas River known under the name of Memel in Germany, which is why the castle was named Memelburg.
The first wooden castle was built in a marshy place on the southern cape of Danė. Already in 1253, a brick, curtain wall-type castle with wooden and brick buildings in the bailey was built on the right bank. It was protected by ramparts and ditches. In the 14th-15th centuries, the castle suffered multiple fires during attacks carried out by Samogitians and Lithuanians. Later, it was fortified to withstand attacks of firearms: towers, a wall, fortified ramparts and ditches were installed.
In the 17th century, the castle was attacked by the Swedes, and fires raged. Bastions were installed in 1686, and the last fortification works were completed during the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763).
Today, the castle site reminds not only of the origins of the city but also of the centuries-long struggle to protect it.
