The monument to Simon Dach: the Sculpture Taravos Anikė

The fountain installed in Klaipėda Theater Square in 1912 was dedicated to the memory of Simon Dach (1605-1659), a poet born in Klaipėda and a professor of the Königsberg University. The Simon Dach fountain was built with public funds, and was popularly called ‘Simon Dach’s well’ (Simon Dach Brunnen). The sculpture depicts a young barefoot girl, a character of his poem. The author of the sculpture is Alfred Künne from Berlin. This is a 17th-century love story about Anikė, a beautiful daughter of a priest from Tarava, who married one of the pioneers of Lithuanian writing, priest Johan Partacius, at the age of seventeen.  Simon Dachau (Dach), the already famous poet and a future professor of the University of Königsberg, was invited to the wedding ceremony at the Königsberg Cathedral and fell in love with Anikė at first sight. This love was immortalized in his poem ‘ Tarava Anikė’ (Änchen von Tarhau). The legendary poem glorifies the poet’s love for Anikė for almost 400 years; it spread and later became famous as a song that is constantly sung not only in Lithuania, Germany, but also in Switzerland and Austria. Anikė died in her 70s. After the early death of her husband Johan, she was married two more times.

It is believed, that in 1939 the monument was removed from the Theater Square. For some time, the sculpture of Tarava Anikė stood propped up near Lietuvininkų Square. This fact is confirmed by the photo found in Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Memellandkreise e.V.. (AdM) archive in I. Simonaitytė Public Library of Klaipėda County. The monument disappeared during the war.

The initiator of the restoration of this monument was Heinz Radziwill and several enthusiasts: M. Mollenhauer-Ehlermann, Gerhard Wiloweit, Saulius Manomaitis, Antanas Stanevičius, Jonas Tatoris, etc.; who with the support of Klaipėda residents and the city authorities (Alfonsas Žalys, the former chairman of the executive committee), restored the famous, poetic and love-inspired sculpture of Tarava Anikė.

The sculpture was recreated based on photographs and an original copy of a small sculpture. The monument was restored by Berlin sculptor M. Haacke.

Tarava Anike has again become a symbol of the city, and Simon Dach’s love is expressed by the words engraved on the pedestal: “Ännchen von Tharau, mein Reichthum, mein Gut, du meine Seele, mein Fleisch und mein Blut!” flesh and blood!]. The solemn opening of the monument took place on November 18, 1989.