The Šilutė Evangelical Lutheran Church

As the settlement of Šilokarčema (since 1923 – Šilutė) was expanding intensively, the locals and residents of the nearest villages wanted a church to be built in Šilokarčema and a new parish to be established. The owner the estate, Hugo Scheu, appealed to the East Prussian Evangelical Consistory in 1910, asking to separate Šilokarčema and the nearest villages from the Verdaine parish and form a new one. His idea was supported by the head of the county, Heinrich Peters. H. Scheu donated 80 m wide and 95 m long plot of land to build the church and a rectory. On June 13, 1913, the corner stone of the church was consecrated and the masonry of the rectory building began. Ludwig Friedrich Theodor Eicke, who was the second priest of the Verlaine parish at that time, was appointed as the first priest of the parish. In 1914, with the outbreak of the World War I, the construction of the church was interrupted. However, in autumn of 1915, the rectory was built. Due to the huge inflation that raged in the country after the war and the economic turmoil, the church construction work was resumed only on August 24, 1924.  The work went very fast. Money for the construction was collected throughout Prussia. It was planned to build a very beautiful chapel. Even before the war, a competition for the design of the church was announced, which was won by the local architect Curt Gutknecht. In advance, three bells were ordered from a famous Thuringian foundry, and artists were sought to decorate the interior of the church properly. The contract was concluded with Richard Pfeiffer, a professor of the Konigsberg Royal Academy of Fine Arts.  On November 10, 1926, on Martin Luther’s birthday, the new church (now 21 Lietuvininkų St.) was solemnly consecrated. The chapel was impressive: 50 m high tower, which accommodates three bells and a tower clock, donated by the Town Board, the dials of which are placed on east, south and west sides.

The clock is the largest in Lithuania: the diameter of its dial is 2.5 m, the big hand is 1.10 m, and the small hand is 0.80 m long; it beats quarters, half hours and hours. Its works was built in a large watch factory in Berlin. The interior of the church is decorated with columns and balconies, stained glass windows and paintings; there are 950 seats. An 80 m² fresco with images of 104 people was painted at the central altar. This fresco depicts the Catholic saints, figures of the Reformation and Evangelical Church, scientists, artists, church councilors, church builders and craftsmen. Among them there is the patron H. Scheu, holding a model of the church in his hand. The Šilokarčema church was considered as one of the most beautiful Evangelical Lutheran churches in East Prussia. It was not damaged during the World War II. It is said that the Russian military commandant, impressed by the magnificence and beauty of the church, ordered it to be locked and the keys brought to him. The post-war Šilute Evangelical Lutheran community was officially registered on August 27, 1948. Currently, the parish has about 430 believers.