Jurbarkas

Jurbarkas (; Samogitian: Jorbarks, known also by several alternative names) is a city in Tauragė County, in Samogitia, Lithuania. Jurbarkas is located in the historic land of Karšuva. It is on the right-hand shore of the Nemunas at its confluence with the tributaries Mituva and Imsrė. The town became an important road junction after a bridge was built over the Nemunas in 1978. The name Jurbarkas is derived from the Ordensburg castle, Georgenburg, built in the 13th century. Jurbarkas has also been known by many derivate spellings in various languages throughout its history. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: in Samogitian Jorbarks, in German Georgenburg, Jurgenburg, and Eurburg, in Polish, Jurbork, and in Yiddish יורבורג (Yurburg). Although Jurbarkas is said to have been a seat of Lithuanian princes from the Palemonids legend, it was first documented in 1259 as the Teutonic Knights' Ordensburg castle of Georgenburg ("George's castle") southwest from the confluence of Mituva and Nemunas. This castle was constructed west of the current town on a hill now known as Bišpiliukai, while the Lithuanians built a castle on Bišpilis hill by the river Imsrė. The castle of Georgenburg was destroyed by the Grand Duke Vytautas in 1403 and was never rebuilt. The region was included within Lithuania in the Treaty of Melno in 1422, and the current site of Jurbarkas began to develop as a town and customs point, growing through the exporting of lumber on the Nemunas to Ducal Prussia. In 1430 a first church was built. Around 1540 new settlement have risen, in 1545 new church and parish primary school was built. In 1561 Jurbarkas comprised 82 houses. In 1569 Jurbarkas had about 600 inhabitants, small shops and inns, market place was present. In 1586 famous chronicler Maciej Stryjkowski became a church provost in Jurbarkas. King Sigismund III Vasa granted Jurbarkas its Magdeburg rights in 1611. In 1673 Jurbarkas comprised 56 houses.