Tauragė Castle ensemble

Coordinates: 55.252555 22.284262

Object address: Dariaus ir Girėno street 5, Taurage, Lithuania

Municipality: Tauragė district

The symbol of the city – an architectural ensemble, currently referred to as Tauragė Castle – is located on the corner of Dariaus ir Girėno and Jūros streets. It consists of three historical wings, surrounded by a fence with a gate and four towers in the corners. The façades are simple, reminiscent of the classic architecture and attributed to the period of historicism. Although the buildings do have certain defensive features, that is a 19th c. construction, adapted for the customs and also certain representational functions.
The construction of Tauragė Castle was determined by the huge fire of 1836. The fire took the major part of the city and thus the Tsarist authorities issued an order to prepare a new project for the city’s construction. That project included a plan for the customs building (1844), which was supposed to take several stages (1844-1847, 1852 and 1866). The two-storey brick building for illegal immigrants was built in 1847. In 1852, the building was surrounded with a brick fence and supplemented with additional buildings in the court: a sauna, domestic premises and a well. In 1866, the ensemble was reshaped into a castle prison, acquiring castellated towers with niches, similar to shooting holes. Later, the constructions were renewed several times until the entire ensemble finally acquired the vibe of a Romantic-Renaissance castle in 1881-1886. The castle hosted all customs operations, customs employees, the Tsarist troops, also worked as a prison and these prisoners included book smugglers.
After the Tsarist era, the castle was used for various purposes: a mental hospital since 1916, Tauragė State College of Commerce in 1924-1940, while during World War II it was used by both USSR and German troops. In 1954-1964 the castle hosted Tauragė 1st Middle School, while in 1964-1990 – Tauragė Polytechnic School.
After the Restoration of Independence, the wings, towers and basement have undergone gradual renovation and modernisation. The wide well in the courtyard was found in 2016. Currently the buildings host Tauragė Regional Museum, Children’s Library, Pupils’ Creative Centre and other cultural institutions. The courtyard, overgrown with tall and lush oak trees, hosts various events.
During the years of independent Lithuania and the first years after the war, near the castle there was a monument of A Girl with a Book, while during the Soviet era, there was a monument for the Soviet army – the ‘liberators’. In 1989, the wing, which used to host the College of Commerce in 1924-1940, was marked with an information plate.

Compiled in 2018

Related Routes

No Images

Loading Maps