Vištytis

Catholic church

Coat of arms

Vištytis

Location of Vištytis

Coordinates: 54°27′30″N 22°43′10″E / 54.45833°N 22.71944°ECoordinates: 54°27′30″N 22°43′10″E / 54.45833°N 22.71944°E

Lithuania

Vilkaviškis district municipality

Elderate

Vištytis elderate

First mentioned

1538

Granted city rights

1570

Population (2001)

• Total

566

Time zone

EET (UTC+2)

• Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

Vištytis (Polish: Wisztyniec, German: Wystiten, Yiddish: ווישטינעץ) is a small town in Marijampolė County, in southwestern Lithuania. It is the administrative centre of Vištytis elderate within Vilkaviškis District Municipality.

The town is situated on the northeastern shore of Lake Vištytis, close to the Russian border (Kaliningrad oblast).

The town has preserved its street structure and market square since the 18th century. Vištytis Regional Park is near the town. Southwest are Vištytis hill fort, and in a nearby village Nebūtkiemis is big Vištytis stone, preserved geologic artifact.

Vištytis was established in the first half of the 16th century, on the border with the Polish Duchy of Prussia. The first mention of the Višytis manor dates from 1538. Around it a settlement of Lithuanian, Polish, German and Russian citizens started to grow rapidly. On September 8, 1570 Sigismund II Augustus, in his capacity as Grand Duke of Lithuania, granted Vištytis city rights and coat of arms. It was the first town in the region.

In 1776 Vištytis lost its city rights, although some administration remained in the city, as it is known from the records in 1785 and 1790. Town representatives participated in the Great Sejm and succeeded in regaining city rights, although it did not get a royal privilege. That caused conflict with local elders, and the case was taken to the court. The outcome of the court is not clear, but the town preserved some of autonomy in the 19th century.

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Wikipedia