Not too long ago, we used to travel on German-era asphalt along what is now the popular route to Dreverna and Svencelė. The road, though weathered with potholes – unsurprising for its nearly 100-year-old history – and lined with trees that survived the Soviet era, stretched from the hills of Priekulė toward the untamed seaside, still overgrown with reeds and wild shrubs. On one of these hills once stood an Evangelical Lutheran church, lost to Russian bombing at the end of World War II. Before that, Ernst Wichert – a Priekulė judge, local historian, and playwright – would gaze from the window of his home on Turgaus Street, admiring the distant coastal dunes. Today, the renewed road follows the same path, passing by the oldest house in Priekulė, once home to the town’s esteemed priests, Endrikis Endrulaitis and Vilius Gaigalaitis. Nearby stands the present Evangelical Lutheran Church, and not far from it, in the Elniškės cemetery, rest their graves – close to the site of the first orphanage founded by the pressman Friedrich Schröder.
Here, too, lies the grave of Jurgis Traušys, the successor of Schröder's printing house. Nearby stands the building where the Priekulė printing house, relocated from Gropiškiai in 1875, continued its work – and where the pressman himself once lived.
How could people live without printing houses, bookshops, and their personal library custodians when reading the Holy Scriptures, singing hymns, and reciting prayers were instilled alongside faith? However, a reader is always curious about more – people cared about what was happening nearby and beyond: Where and how did the youth festivals with Vydūnas take place? Did people sail to Juodkrantė during this year's St. John's Day festival? Did they sing songs at Rambynas? Did they gather in Vingis? What’s new in Memel, Tilžė, Königsberg, and Berlin? What are the missionary priests up to in the farthest corners of Africa, Asia, and the Americas? How is Lithuania Major doing? What new innovations are being introduced to support and improve farming? And all of this – naturally, in the Lithuanian language, just as it has been for centuries. It wasn’t just religious writings but also collections of folklore, various informative, scientific, popular, and local literature, translated literature, and the ever-evolving attempts at poetry and prose that gradually made their way into the homes of Lithuanians. ‘As Lithuanian philology advanced and the national intelligentsia grew, the independence of literature as a key part of national culture was strengthened, leading to a flourishing of various works of fiction. Universal literacy has sparked a growing demand for books across a wider range of genres. Satire, didactic poetry, and short stories became increasingly popular. The development of the creative process was further nurtured by new literary trends and forms that spread through German culture, and from the last quarter of the 19th century onward – through the Lithuanian culture of Lithuania Major. This was particularly influenced by Romanticism, which was fuelled by the awakening of national consciousness. Through their artistic work, the authors embodied the ideas of love for the homeland, the beauty of the native language, and the quest for liberation from oppression. This elevated literature to a role not only of aesthetic education but also of shaping and uniting the nation’s worldview.’*
And so the books travelled to market along the Dreverna road from the warehouses of Jonas Molinius, a bookseller in Klišiai. Jonas Padagas, a local to Pjauliai, had accumulated quite a collection of books, including rare editions. It is no coincidence that correspondence regarding books and press matters was exchanged with the Šlapeliai bookstore in Vilnius, as well as with Vydūnas, Jonas Šliūpas, and even Jonas Basanavičius himself.
The route begins at one of the most iconic buildings in central Priekulė, the Prussian House, where Ernst Wichert's plays were once performed in the hall of the Giorke Hotel. It concludes at the grave of Johann Friedrich Franz Schröder in the park of the Kliošiai Manor Farm. Along the way, it features 25 sites, connecting the fates of Priekulė’s booksellers, public figures, and both Prussian Lithuanians and foreigners who were invested in Lithuanian affairs. They answered the call for a Lithuanian language through prayers, hymns, poetry, and stories – many of which are only now being rediscovered and truly appreciated.
For details on the route, attractions, and more, click HERE.
This route was created by Daiva Beliokaitė, Language Manager at the Klaipėda District Municipality Administration.
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