Editing Klaipėda (section)

==Religion==
{{See also|Religion in Lithuania}}
[[File:St. Johannis (Memel).jpg|thumb|left|185px|Façade of the [[Church of St. John, Klaipėda|Church of St. John]] with 75-metre tower which dominated in Klaipėda's skyline until World War II, photographed in the 19th century<ref>{{cite web |title=Istorija |url=https://www.svjono.lt/lt/istorine-baznycia/istorija/ |website=SvJono.lt |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=lt |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408212444/https://www.svjono.lt/lt/istorine-baznycia/istorija/ |url-status=live}}</ref>]]
The first church (possibly chapel) dedicated to the military garrison was built along with the [[Klaipėda Castle]] in 1252 and was [[Consecration|consecrated]] after [[Mary, mother of Jesus]], although it did not have as much effect for the townspeople, as well as the residents of surrounding villages.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai">{{cite web |last1=Juška |first1=Albertas |title=Klaipėdos parapija |url=https://www.liuteronai.lt/klaipedos-parapija/ |website=Lietuvos evangelikų liuteronų bažnyčia |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=lt |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410163057/https://www.liuteronai.lt/klaipedos-parapija/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Initially, it was planned that Klaipėda would become centre of the [[Bishopric of Courland]].<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai" /> Thus, before 1290, a St. Mary's Cathedral was built in the town and a six-members [[Chapter (religion)|chapter]] settled down in 1290.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai" /> Nevertheless, the cathedral also did not have much effect on the town's religious life in long-term as bishop {{ill|Edmund von Werth|de|Edmund von Werth}} waived his rights to the cathedral in 1298.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai" /> Eventually, the cathedral was moved to [[Ventspils|Windau]].<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/>

[[Eberhard von Sayn]], the [[Teutonic Order|Teutonic]] Grand Marshal, and {{ill|Heinrich von Lützelburg|de|Heinrich von Lützelburg}}, the Bishop of Courland, agreed in a treaty to build two churches: one for German colonists ([[Church of St. John, Klaipėda|Church of St. John]]), the other for [[Baptism|baptized]] natives (Church of St. Nicholas).<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> The Church of St. Nicholas was large (with 10 windows) and served residents of many neighborhoods.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> The [[church service]]s were held in [[Latin]] and [[sermon]]s were given in German, but there also were translators into the language of the local people who had a dedicated place near the [[pulpit]].<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/><ref name="JuskaMle">{{cite web |last1=Juška |first1=Albertas |title=Klaipėdos lietuvininkų parapija |url=https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/klaipedos-lietuvininku-parapija |website=Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=lt |archive-date=6 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206071719/https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/klaipedos-lietuvininku-parapija |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Church of St. Jacob (Lietuvininkai or Laukininkai) in Klaipėda, painted in the second half of the 19th century.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Church of St. Jacob, Klaipėda|Church of St. Jacob (''Lietuvininkai'')]] in the second half of the 19th century]]
Following the creation of the [[Duchy of Prussia]] in 1525 and due to the [[Reformation]] movement, the [[Lutheranism|Evangelical]] faith was spread in the languages of the local people, including [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]].<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> In 1620, the Lithuanian Parish of Klaipėda became an independent unit, but in 1627, the Church of St. Nicholas was demolished due to necessity to build a city wall around a growing city and the parish was left without its own church.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/><ref name="JuskaMle"/> The construction of a [[Church of St. Jacob, Klaipėda|new church]] for the Lithuanian Parish began in 1686, and the new church was consecrated in the summer of 1687.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/><ref name="JuskaMle"/> Johann Lehmann worked in the new church, and by having a great knowledge of Lithuanian language he checked the [[Daniel Klein (grammarian)|Daniel Klein]]'s ''[[Grammatica Litvanica]]'' and wrote other texts in Lithuanian.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> Following Lehmann's death, the parish was taken over by his son, who worked there for 32 years, and then his grandson, who worked there in 1696–1722.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> Later priests of the parish (e.g. Abraham David Lüneburg, Johann Richter) also knew Lithuanian language and published Lithuanian texts.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/>

[[File:Klaipėda (Memel) Evangelical Reformed Church, 1930s.jpg|thumb|upright|Evangelical Reformed Church in the 1930s]]
The Lithuanian Church was destroyed during the Great Fire of Klaipėda in 1854.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/><ref name="JuskaMle"/> Consequently, the parishioners collected funds and the reconstruction project was prepared by architect [[Friedrich August Stüler]] which was completed in the winter of 1856.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/><ref name="JuskaMle"/> The Lithuanian Parish of Klaipėda was large (it had 15,600 parishioners in 1848 and 16,000 parishioners in 1878).<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> In 1852, German services started being held in the Lithuanian Church, and since then, the church was called ''Landkirche'', but was eventually renamed to Church of St. Jacob.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/><ref name="JuskaMle"/> Karl Rudolf Jacobi worked in the Church of St. Jacob in 1859–1881 and in 1879 was selected as Chairman of the [[Lithuanian Literary Society]].<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> After Jacobi's death he was replaced by Janis Pipirs who is also known for his prominent Lithuanian publications.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Tydecks |first1=Martin |title=Jonas Pipiras |url=https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/jonas-pipiras |website=Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=lt |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410165054/https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/jonas-pipiras |url-status=live}}</ref> Following the [[Klaipėda Revolt]] in 1923 the priests of the Church of St. Jacob stayed loyal to Lithuania and did not demonstrate vast support for Adolf Hitler in 1939.<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> Due to migration following the revolt, the number of Catholics in Klaipėda increased and in 1926 the [[Dean (Christianity)|deanery]] of Klaipėda was assigned to the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai]].<ref name="KKKB"/> In 1939 the Catholic deanery had 25,000 believers.<ref name="KKKB"/> In 1944 almost the entire Lutheran parish was evacuated westward to avoid [[Political repression in the Soviet Union|Soviet repressions]].<ref name="JuskaLiuteronai"/> Due to the forceful implementation of [[state atheism]] in the post-war period, the damaged churches of St. John, St. Jacob, Evangelical Reformed, Anglican and Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity were completely demolished.<ref name="KlaipedosIstorija"/><ref name="JuskaMle"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Vainorius |first1=Martynas |title=Pradingusi itališko stiliaus Tiltų gatvės puošmena |url=https://www.atviraklaipeda.lt/2019/11/03/pradingusi-italisko-stiliaus-tiltu-gatves-puosmena/ |website=AtviraKlaipeda.lt |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=lt |date=3 November 2019 |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410164733/https://www.atviraklaipeda.lt/2019/11/03/pradingusi-italisko-stiliaus-tiltu-gatves-puosmena/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1956, there were 30,000 Catholics in Klaipėda.<ref name="KKKB" /> Following the death of [[Joseph Stalin]], a construction of the Church of Mary, Queen of Peace, in Rumpiškės Street was started in 1961, but the Soviet administration did not allow to open it.<ref name="KKKB" /> Furthermore, with the support of the [[Soviet Army]], the tower of the church was demolished and it was rearranged into a philharmonic, while priests who built the church were imprisoned.<ref name="KKKB" /> The church was eventually returned to the believers in 1987.<ref name="KKKB" />

Following the [[Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania|restoration of independent Lithuania in 1990]], Klaipėda has one of the largest parishes of the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lithuania|Lithuanian Evangelical Lutheran Church]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lietuvos Evangelikų Liuteronų Bažnyčia |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-evangeliku-liuteronu-baznycia/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=lt |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410165502/https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/lietuvos-evangeliku-liuteronu-baznycia/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1991, the Catholic Church of Klaipėda Region belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Telšiai.<ref name="KKKB">{{cite web |last1=Pupšys |first1=Vladas |title=Klaipėdos krašto Katalikų Bažnyčia |url=https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/klaipedos-krasto-kataliku-baznycia |website=Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=lt |archive-date=10 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410165143/https://www.mle.lt/straipsniai/klaipedos-krasto-kataliku-baznycia |url-status=live}}</ref> The Days of Lutheran Culture that features various concerts, discussions, lectures and other events are held annually in Klaipėda Region since 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grįžta Liuteroniškos kultūros dienos: 20 renginių per 5 mėnesius |url=https://www.liuteronai.lt/grizta-liuteroniskos-kulturos-dienos-20-renginiu-per-5-menesius/ |website=Liuteronai.lt |access-date=25 August 2024 |lang=lt}}</ref>