Molėtai

Molėtai (pronunciation ) (Polish: Malaty) is a town in north eastern Lithuania surrounded by lakes. One of the oldest settlements in Lithuania, it is a popular resort for the inhabitants of Vilnius. According to the 2013 census, it had 6,302 inhabitants.

Molėtai
City
Coat of arms
Molėtai
Location of Molėtai
Coordinates: 55°14′N 25°25′E
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionAukštaitija
County Utena County
MunicipalityMolėtai district municipality
Capital ofMolėtai district municipality
First mentioned1387 Feb. 17[1]
Granted city rights1539
Population
 (2013)
  Total6,302
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Websitehttp://www.moletai.lt/

The town is located about 60 km (37 mi) north of Vilnius and 30 km (19 mi) south of Utena.

History

It was first mentioned as a private property of the bishop of Vilnius in year 1387.

On August 29, 1941, 700 to 1,200 Jews were murdered in a mass execution perpetrated by an Einsatzgruppen of Lithuanian nationalists.[2] The victims of the massacre were commemorated in a march to the site, and a memorial was unveiled there, on the 75th anniversary, in 2016.[3]

In modern times the city has Molėtai Astronomical Observatory, the only such facility in Lithuania. And Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology - the first such type of museum in the world.

References


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