Routes

Kretinga Jewish heritage

The first Kretinga Jewish community was mentioned in written sources in 1765. They settled beyond the city limits, in the valley of the Akmena River next to the watermill. There they had established Jewish Newtown with their own market square. At the end of the 18th century, Jewish tardes began to settle along the Klaipėda-Kartena trade route in the town of Jokūbavas, witch in 1777 received the market privilege. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Jews were the second-largest community in terms of number of residents in the Kretinga area. The Jews of the Kretinga area in the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries continued to live in the cities and towns, which had become a very particular living space for them and centres for the formation of a Jewish way of life and culture. Jews lived apart from other residents, traditionally settling around the market square along the main streets. The main building, around witch all social life revolved, was the synagogue. Follow this route and discover the Jewish heritage of Kretinga