Širvintos

Širvintos (pronunciation ) is a city in Vilnius County in the eastern part of Lithuania. It is the administrative center of the Širvintos district municipality.[1]

Širvintos
City
Municipal office
Coat of arms
Širvintos
Location of Širvintos
Coordinates: 55°2′10″N 24°58′10″E
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionAukštaitija
County Vilnius County
MunicipalityŠirvintos district municipality
EldershipŠirvintos eldership
Capital ofŠirvintos district municipality
Širvintos eldership
First mentioned1475
Granted city rights1950
Population
 (2013)
 • Total6,197
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

The word Širvintos is the plural form of the name of the Širvinta River, which flows through the city.

Its alternate names include Shirvintay, Shirvintos, Širvintai, Širvintar, Širvintų, and Szyrwinty (Polish).[1]

History

Before World War II, the town had an important Jewish community representing one-third of the total population.[2] In September 1941, Jews of the town are murdered in mass executions perpetrated by Germans and Lithuanian collaborators.[3]

Since 2010, the city started expanding and renovated the city center which improved its image and popularity.

References
  1. United States Board on Geographic Names – Lithuania – Širvintos. Accessed January 24, 2014.
  2. "Preserving Our Litvak Heritage, Volume II (Pages 166-177)". jewishgen.org. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  3. "המכון הבין-לאומי לחקר השואה - יד ושם". yadvashem.org. Retrieved July 15, 2017.


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