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38-569: The largest river in Lithuania, and the third-largest in Belarus, it is navigable for most of its length. It starts from two small headwaters merging about 15 kilometers (9 mi) southwest of the town of Uzda – about 55 km (34 mi) southwest of capital city Minsk . Only 17 kilometres (11 mi), an eastward meander, contributes to the Belarus–Lithuania border . Thereafter

76-517: A folklore ensemble, a weekly magazine about art and culture, a sanatorium , and numerous guest houses and hotels. Lithuanian and Polish literature often mention the Nemunas. One of the most famous poems by Maironis starts: Smaller rivers and rivulets in Lithuania with names morphologically derived or cognate are the Nemunykštis, Nemuniukas, Nemunynas, Nemunėlis and Nemunaitis. The etymology

114-582: A Bible publication. In 1793, it became a part of the Russian Empire . In 1798, the owner of the town, Kasimir Zaviha, built a wooden Catholic church named the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (preserved to the present day). At the time there was also a functioning Orthodox church named Saint Peter and Paul. In 1839–1849, the town had a printer, a school, four primary schools, a brewery, a mill,

152-550: A maze of river branches and canals mixing with polders and wetlands and is a very attractive destination for eco-tourism . The four main distributaries are Atmata, Pakalnė, Skirvytė (the southern mouth, marking the international border) and Gilija. The river plays a crucial part in the ecosystem of the Curonian Lagoon . It provides the main water inflow to the lagoon and keeps the water almost fresh. This allows fresh water and brackish water animals to survive there. As

190-460: A northerly direction for only 4.5 km ( 2 + 3 ⁄ 4  mi). The loops are not conventional river meanders ; they follow underlying tectonic structures. The faults are the source of local mineral springs. The area is historically and culturally significant. Its castles served as the first line of defense against forays by the Teutonic knights . At its delta Nemunas splits into

228-486: A pharmacy, a post office, 30 shops and a Sunday Fair. In 1886, it had a public college, a local board of administration, a school, a distillery, a brewery, a cloth factory, two mills, 24 shops, Orthodox and Catholic churches, a synagogue, a mosque, and three prayer houses. From 1894 to 1939, the population increased from 2,800 to 3,500 people. The Jewish population in Uzda in 1900 was assessed as 2,068 people. On 1 July 1924, it

266-628: Is a town in Minsk Region , Belarus . It serves as the administrative center of Uzda District . In 2009, its population was 10,000. As of 2024, it has a population of 10,619. The town's name means "bridle". Uzda was first referred to in 1450 as a country estate belonging to the Korsaks. From the second part of the sixteenth century, it belonged to the Kavechinskys, Zavishas, and Krasinskys. In 1574, Symon Budny spent time there working on

304-681: Is disputed: some say that "Nemunas" is an old word meaning "a damp place", while others that it is "mute, soundless river" (from nemti, nėmti "to become silent", also memelis, mimelis, mėmė "slow, worthless person"). The name is possibly derived from the Finnic word niemi "cape". Art critics praised its depiction in the paintings by Michał Kulesza . Much of the river is used for fishing, hydropower generation, water supply, industry, agriculture, recreation, tourism, and water transport. Lithuania has tabled local plans to dredge it, below Kaunas, to make it more consistently usable. The largest cities on

342-411: Is the country's principal user of the river; the local industries that impact the river are hydropower generation, machinery, chemical, wood processing and paper production, furniture production, textile and food-processing. In Kaliningrad, industrial centers near the river include Sovetsk and Neman, which have large pulp and paper production facilities. Above Kaunas a dam was built in 1959 to serve

380-845: The Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant . The resulting Kaunas Reservoir ( Lithuanian : Kauno marios ) is the largest such lake in Lithuania. It occupies 63.5 km ( 24 + 1 ⁄ 2  sq mi); its length is 93 km (58 mi); its greatest depth is 22 m (72 ft). The reservoir is a popular destination for Lithuanian yachting . The Augustów Canal , built in the 19th century, connects Neman to Vistula river. Fish found include the: perch , pike , zander , roach , tench , bream , rudd , ruffe , and bleak . Its tributaries have borne stone loach , three-spined stickleback , minnows , trout , sculpins , gudgeon , dace and chub . Atlantic salmon migrated upstream to spawn; however, dams on

418-696: The Memel Territory from German East Prussia as of 1920. At that time, Germany's Weimar Republic adopted the Deutschlandlied as its official national anthem . In the first stanza of the song, written in 1841, the river is mentioned as the eastern border of a (then politically yet-to-be united) Germany : Lithuanians refer to Nemunas as "the father of rivers" ( Nemunas is a masculine noun in Lithuania). Countless companies and organizations in Lithuania have "Nemunas" in their name, including

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456-617: The Michelauer Land . These results were described as a "disappointment" for Poland. The treaty also required that the Teutonic Commander's Castle in Nieszawa be destroyed. At the time of the treaty, the parties did not have their official seals and therefore it was not immediately ratified . Grand Master Rusdorf attempted to exploit the recess and renegotiate the treaty because his subjects were not satisfied with

494-653: The Polish–Lithuanian union . The peace transferred Samogitia to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but only for the lifetimes of Polish King Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło) and Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas . At the time both rulers were aged men. Soon disagreements arose as to the Samogitian borders: Vytautas claimed that the entire northern bank of the Neman River , including the port of Memel ( Klaipėda ),

532-665: The Thirteen Years' War (1454–66) , a civil war that tore Prussia in half. The agreement drew the Prussian–Lithuanian border roughly and imprecisely, resulting in local demarcation disputes. The border was redrawn with greater detail and precision in 1532 and 1545. The border survived without major changes until World War I. In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles detached the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) from Germany as

570-517: The Baltic Sea between the towns of Palanga (Polangen) and Šventoji (Heiligen Aa) – a distance of about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). However, Lithuania failed to develop harbors in Palanga or Šventoji as there was stiff competition with the nearby established ports of Memel and Libau ( Liepāja ) and unfavorable natural conditions. Thus it could not be considered a real access to the sea. For

608-477: The Kaliningrad section include high concentrations of BOD, lignosulphates, and nitrogen . In Lithuania, the Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant barrage affects the riparian ecosystem . Co-operation which would be beneficial is complicated by the geographical split between three nations but water quality improvement initiatives are underway. Uzda Uzda ( Belarusian : Узда ; Russian : Узда )

646-755: The Knights this short coastline strip was a major sacrifice as it separated the Teutonic Knights in Prussia from their branch in Livonia . The treaty is often described as a mutual Prussian–Lithuanian compromise. The Kingdom of Poland received Nieszawa and half of the Vistula channel from the mouth of the Drwęca River; in return Poland renounced any territorial claims to Pomerelia , Culmerland , and

684-581: The Lithuanian name for the river. In 1992 Nemunas Loops Regional Park was founded. Its goal is to preserve the loops (Lithuanian: vingis ) that the river makes in the Punia forest. Near Prienai , the river makes a 17-kilometer-long (11 mi) loop (like a teardrop) coming within 1.2 km ( 3 ⁄ 4  mi) of completing the loop. Nemunas flows along the double bend between Balbieriškis and Birštonas for 48 km (30 mi) and then moves in

722-764: The Polish–Lithuanian cooperation against the Knights. The Teutonic Knights attempted to befriend the Lithuanians, offering a royal crown to Vytautas in hopes of breaking up the Polish–Lithuanian union. During the Lithuanian Civil War (1431–1435) , Lithuanian Duke Švitrigaila was able to employ the Polish–Teutonic animosity for his own advantages – the Knights invaded Poland, starting the Polish–Teutonic War . The two states battled again during

760-533: The Polish–Teutonic disputes were not resolved. In a telling episode shortly after the treaty had been signed, the Knights and the Poles disputed a watermill in Lubicz , a strategic post that had been turned into a fortress. Vytautas was angered by the dispute and threatened to give up Palanga to the Knights if Poland did not surrender its claims to Lubicz. The Knights won this dispute. The treaty put an effective end to

798-529: The Prussian–Lithuanian border, which afterwards remained unchanged for about 500 years. A portion of the original border survives as a portion of the modern border between the Republic of Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast , Russia, making it one of the oldest and most stable borders in Europe. The First Peace of Thorn of 1411 did not resolve long-standing territorial disputes between the Teutonic Knights and

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836-597: The Teutonic Knights and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which had continued with brief interruptions since the 13th century. The last volunteer crusaders arrived in October 1422; after that the Knights had to rely on their own men or on mercenaries. It was a welcome development to Lithuania, as the treaty allowed it to direct its attention towards its Eastern territories and to internal reforms. War-devastated border regions in Samogitia and Suvalkija began to recover. However,

874-542: The conflict before reinforcements from the Holy Roman Empire could arrive through Farther Pomerania . A truce was signed on 17 September 1422. Each side named eight representatives, gave them full authority to negotiate, and sent them to the Polish Army camp near Lake Melno. The Treaty of Melno was concluded ten days later, on 27 September. According to the terms of the treaty, the Teutonic Knights for

912-504: The delta extends north the lagoon opposite narrows. Since the delta is in Lithuania, it is often referred to as Nemunas Delta . Nemunas Delta Regional Park was created in the delta in 1992. The following rivers are tributaries to the river Neman/Nemunas (from source to mouth): From west to east, the largest settlements are Sovetsk/Tilsit , Neman , Kaunas , Alytus , Druskininkai , Grodno , and Masty . Ptolemy referred to Neman as Chronos (although competing theories suppose Chronos

950-594: The first time renounced all territorial, political, and missionary claims against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Samogitia was permanently ceded to Lithuania. The Prussian–Lithuanian border ran from sparsely inhabited wilderness in Suvalkija , through the triangle north of the Neman River , to Nemirseta on the Baltic Sea . Thus the Knights still controlled Neman's lower reaches and Memel ( Klaipėda ), an important seaport and trade center. Lithuania retained access to

988-639: The population increased from 4,300 people to 9,500. Uzda is located 72 kilometres (45 mi) south-west of Minsk , 31 kilometres (19 mi) from the town of Stowbtsy , and 24 kilometres (15 mi) from the town of Dzyarzhynsk . Both of these towns are crossed by the M1 highway (part of European route E30 ). This Belarus location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Treaty of Lake Melno The Treaty of Melno ( Lithuanian : Melno taika ; Polish : Pokój melneński ) or Treaty of Lake Melno ( German : Friede von Melnosee )

1026-575: The river are Grodno in Belarus, Alytus and Kaunas in Lithuania, and Sovetsk in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia. The river basin has a population of 5.4 million inhabitants. Industrial activities in the Belarusian section include metal processing, chemical industries, pulp and paper production, and manufacturing of building materials, as well as food-processing plants. In Lithuania, the city of Kaunas, with about 400,000 inhabitants,

1064-409: The river includes notable loops along a minor tectonic fault. Its drainage basin settled in the late Quaternary to be roughly along the edge of the last glacial sheet so dates to about 25,000 to 22,000 years BC. Its depth varies from 1 meter (3 ft 3 in) in its upper courses to 5 meters (16 ft) in the lower basin. Due to their location, "the Nemunas loops" are often described using

1102-688: The river, Memel. The city of Memel, now in Lithuania, is known today as Klaipėda (confusingly, another city of Memel was on the Dange River, now called the Danė ). In German road maps and lexika, only the 112-kilometer (70 mi) section within Prussia (starting at Schmalleningken ) was named Memel; the bulk of the river was Niemen. The border between the State of the Teutonic Order and Lithuania

1140-581: The river, most of them built in the 20th century, have depleted them. The dam at Kaunas does not provide fish ladders . The spawning season took place in the fall. Ethnographic studies, from before the dams, state night fishing, using torches and harpoons , was a common technique. A report by the Swedish EPA (Environmental Protection Administration) rates the river's quality in Lithuania as moderately polluted to polluted. High concentrations of organic pollutants, nitrates and phosphates occur in parts of

1178-436: The river. Environmental issues include water quality ( eutrophication and pollutants largely due to outdated technology sewage treatment works), changes in the hydrological regime, and flooding control. The environmental problems in each of the countries that make up the basin are slightly different. In Belarus, the main problems are oil products as well as nitrogen and BOD (biological oxygen demand). The environmental issues in

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1216-731: The terms. He hoped to wage a war with assistance from the Holy Roman Emperor. However, Sigismund and Jogaila met in Käsmark ( Kežmarok ) and agreed to an alliance: Sigismund would end his support to the Knights and Poland–Lithuania would stop their assistance to the Hussites in the Hussite Wars . This meant that Vytautas had to abandon his interventions in Bohemia. The agreement was signed on 30 March 1423. The Treaty of Melno

1254-614: Was Samogitian territory. The dispute was mediated at the Council of Constance and by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor . When Sigismund delivered an unfavorable judgment to the Lithuanians, Jogaila and Vytautas invaded the monastic state of the Teutonic Knights in July 1422, starting the Gollub War . The Teutonic Knights, led by Grand Master Paul von Rusdorf , were unable to mount a suitable defense. However Poland–Lithuania decided to end

1292-647: Was a peace treaty ending the Gollub War . It was signed on 27 September 1422, between the Teutonic Knights and an alliance of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at Lake Melno (German: Melnosee, Meldensee ; Polish: Jezioro Mełno ), east of Graudenz ( Grudziądz ). The treaty resolved territorial disputes between the Knights and Lithuania regarding Lithuania Minor and Samogitia , which had dragged on since 1382, and determined

1330-517: Was fixed in 1422 by the Treaty of Lake Melno and remained stable for centuries. The Treaty of Tilsit between Napoleon and Tsar Alexander I was signed on a raft in the river in 1807. Napoleon's crossing at the outset of the 1812 French invasion of Russia is described in War and Peace and also mentioned in Pan Tadeusz . In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles made the river the border separating

1368-537: Was in fact Pregolya ). The river has lent its name to the Neman Culture , a Neolithic archaeological subculture. In German , the part of the river flowing through historic Prussia has been called die Memel at least since about 1250, when Teutonic Knights built Memelburg castle and the town of Memel at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon, naming it after the indigenous name of

1406-452: Was made the center of the Uzda district of the Minsk region. On 28 June 1941, it was occupied by Nazi Germany . About 5,600 people, including 1,740 Jews in the ghetto, were murdered. On 29 June 1944, it was liberated by the 300th Voroshilov Partisan Brigade. On 25 December 1962, it was made a part of Dzerzhinsk district. On 30 July 1966, it became an independent district. Between 1970 and 1989,

1444-467: Was subsequently ratified on 9–18 May in Veliuona and approved by Pope Martin V on 10 July 1423. Poland–Lithuania affixed some 120 official seals to the treaty. The first Lithuanian signatories were voivode of Vilnius Albertas Manvydas , starosta of Vilnius Kristinas Astikas , voivode of Trakai Jonas Jaunius, elder of Samogitia Mykolas Skirgaila. The treaty effectively ended warfare between

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