Molėtai

Molėtai
City

Coat of arms
Molėtai

Location of Molėtai

Coordinates: 55°14′N 25°25′E / 55.233°N 25.417°E / 55.233; 25.417Coordinates: 55°14′N 25°25′E / 55.233°N 25.417°E / 55.233; 25.417
Country  Lithuania
Ethnographic region Aukštaitija
County Utena County
Municipality Molėtai district municipality
Capital of Molėtai district municipality
First mentioned 1387 Feb. 17[1]
Granted city rights 1539
Population (2013)
  Total 6,302
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Website http://www.moletai.lt/

Molėtai ( pronunciation , Polish: Malaty) is a town in north eastern Lithuania. 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.

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.

On August 29, 1941, 700 to 1,200 Jews were murdered in a mass execution perpetrated by an Einsatzgruppen of Lithuanian nationalists.[2]

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.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Molėtai.

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/12/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.