Raseiniai

City

Coat of arms

Raseiniai

Location of Raseiniai

Coordinates: 55°22′N 23°7′E / 55.367°N 23.117°ECoordinates: 55°22′N 23°7′E / 55.367°N 23.117°E

Lithuania

Raseiniai district municipality

Eldership

Raseiniai town eldership

Capital of

Raseiniai district municipality
Raseiniai town eldership
Raseiniai rural eldership

First mentioned

1253

Granted city rights

1492–1506

Population (2001)

• Total

12,541

Time zone

EET (UTC+2)

• Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

Raseiniai ( pronunciation ) (Samogitian: Raseinē, Polish: Rosienie, Yiddish: ראַסיין‎) is a city in Lithuania. It is located on the south eastern foothills of the Samogitians highland, some 5 km (3.1 mi) north from the Kaunas–Klaipėda highway.

Grand Duchy of Lithuania Raseiniai is one of the oldest communities in Lithuania – the name of the settlement was mentioned for the first time in 1253. Its name was mentioned in Chronicles of the 13th and 14th centuries under various names, including Rushigen, Rossyen, and Rasseyne. In 1253 Grand Duke Mindaugas ceded one part of the Samogitia territory, including some of the district around Raseiniai, to the Livonian Order, and the rest to the first bishop of Lithuania, Kristyan. In the 14th–18th centuries, Raseiniai was one of the most important towns in the Samogitia region.

At the end of the 14th century the city became important centre, and its representative participated with others from the region in signing the peace treaty of Königsberg in 1390. At the end of the 15th century, Raseiniai was granted Magdeburg Rights.

In the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth the city became important in the region. Government institutions were located there, and it served as a mercantile center for the area. In 1580 the local aristocrats met there in order to choose their representatives to the General Sejm (parliament) in Warsaw. From 1585 Raseiniai served as the permanent location of the county parliament. In 1792 city Magdeburg rights were renewed.

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Wikipedia