Naujų komunikacinių mazgų formavimasis Žemaitijos ir Kuršo pasienyje: Vegerių miestelio atvejis (XVI a. pabaiga - XIX a. pradžia)

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Collection:
Mokslo publikacijos / Scientific publications
Document Type:
Žurnalų straipsniai / Journal articles
Language:
Lietuvių kalba / Lithuanian
Title:
Naujų komunikacinių mazgų formavimasis Žemaitijos ir Kuršo pasienyje: Vegerių miestelio atvejis (XVI a. pabaiga - XIX a. pradžia)
Alternative Title:
Formation of new communication hubs on the border of Samogitia and Sourland: the case of Vegeriai (late 16th - early 19th centuries)
Authors:
Drungilas, Jonas
In the Journal:
Lietuvos istorijos metraštis Yearbook of Lithuanian History, 2025, 2, 47-76
Subject terms:
LT
Lokalioji istorija / Local history; 1569 - 1795. Naujieji laikai. ATR; 1795-1915. Lietuva Rusijos imperijos sudėtyje; Vegeriai; Lietuva (Lithuania); Latvija (Latvia).
Summary / Abstract:

LTStraipsnyje nagrinėjama Žemaitijos pasienio su Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštyste urbanizacijos raida nuo XVI a. pabaigos iki XIX a. pradžios, analizuojant Vegerių miestelio istoriją kaip vieną svarbesnių atvejų. Tyrime parodoma, kad pasienio urbanizacija, vykusi lėtai ir netolygiai, pasireiškė trimis bangomis, iš kurių trečioji, vykusi XVI a. pabaigoje – XVII a. pradžioje, buvo ilgalaikė. Aptariami trys bandymai steigti Vegerių miestelį (1602, 1652 ir 1754 m.), kuriuos inicijavo Žemaitijos elitui priklausančių giminių atstovai. Išryškinama liturginio gyvenimo svarba miestelio atsiradimui ir jo gyvybingumui. Straipsnyje taip pat pabrėžiama, kad XVIII a. antroje pusėje Vegeriai tapo svarbiu pasienio komunikaciniu mazgu tarp Žemaitijos ir Kuršo kunigaikštystės, čia formavosi daugiatautė bendruomenė, vystėsi prekybiniai ryšiai, augo žydų ir atvykusių vokiečių liuteronų įtaka. Rakytiniai žodžiai: komunikacija, Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė, miestelis, pasienis, urbanizacija, Žemaitija, Vegeriai.

ENThis article presents an analysis of the urban development of Samogitia’s border with the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia from the end of the 15th to the early 19th centuries, paying particular attention to the history of the small town of Vegeriai. The research was based on privileges, inventories, cartographical data, visitation acts, archaeological finds and correspondence. The dynamics of three waves of urbanisation are studied. The first wave of urbanisation (late 15th – first half of the 16th century) was marked by the continuing spread of Samogitia’s small towns to the north, approaching the border of the Duchy of Courland. The second wave (second half of the 16th century) approached the border with Courland even more, forming support cities such as Old and New Žagarė and Skuodas. The third wave (late 16th – early 17th century) proved to be the most important in terms of the border situation – new small towns, including Vegeriai, started to form barely a half to one kilometre from the Courland border, however their formation took several decades or in some cases even longer than a century. The case of Vegeriai stands out for the fact that the initiative to establish this small town was repeated three times in all: in 1602 Sebastian Kesztort received a privilege to found a small town and establish a market with set tranding times (German: Jahrmarkts). This initiative was never realised on account of the marshy conditions of the location, the inconvenient relief and the owner’s death. In 1652 Daniel Marcinkiewicz received a privilege to build a church and organise trade. This time more attention was dedicated to the religious factor – the church’s construction.In 1754 Anton Giełgud, the Akmenė elder, sought to reorganise Vegeriai for the third time – he had a new church built and ensured regular Mass on a weekly basis, and also confirmed the elements of the small town’s economic life: a market and trading times. Once the small town of Vegeriai was reorganised, a Jewish community started to form there, inhabitants of Latvian and German descent arrived from Courland. By the second half of the 18th century Vegeriai had become an important border communications hub, integrated into a network of five small border towns (Leckava, Laižuva, Klykoliai, Kivyliai), while the road that formed between these settlements exists to this day. The small town’s strategic role was enhanced through ties with the Vecauce Manor located on the Courland side of the border, which like Vegeriai belonged to the same noble family – the Medems and the Vietinghoffs, which served to further entrench Vegeriai’s status on the border. The discovered archaeological finds in the small town’s territory testify to the vitality of this border point, which existed into the period of the independent Republic of Lithuania (1918–1940). The case of Vegeriai analysed in this article allows stating that the urbanisation of Samogitia’s border with Courland was a long and irregular process, which was affected by not only demographic or economic factors but also its geographical location, the consolidation of the confessional community and the continual existence of liturgical life. It was precisely the church and the importance of a regular liturgical life that became one of the most significant factors leading to Vegeriai becoming a small town. Keywords: communication, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, small town, border, urbanisation, Samogitia, Vegeriai.

DOI:
10.33918/25386549-202502002
ISSN:
0202-3342; 2538-6549
Subject area:
Istorija / History
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https://www.lituanistika.lt/content/42019
Updated:
2026-08-16 22:14:05
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