Joniškis

Joniškis
City
Skyline of Joniškis
Flag of Joniškis Flag Coat of arms of Joniškis Coat of arms
Joniškis is located in Lithuania Joniškis Location of Joniškis
Coordinates:
Country	Lithuania
Ethnographic region	Aukštaitija
County	Šiauliai County
Municipality	Joniškis district municipality
Eldership	Joniškis eldership
Capital of	Joniškis district municipality Joniškis eldership
First mentioned	1526
Granted city rights	1616
Government
• Mayor	Gediminas Čepulis
Population (2011)
• Total	9,900
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Website	http://www.joniskis.lt/

File:Joniskio baznycia.JPG

Joniškis church

Joniškis () is a city in northern Lithuania with a population of about 11,150. It is located 40 kilometers north of Šiauliai and 14 kilometers south of the Lithuania–Latvia border. Joniškis is the municipal and administrative center of Joniškis district municipality.

With the Church of the Accession of the Holy Virgin Mary (founded in 1901) and a complex of two Jewish synagogues - Red (built in 1897) and White (built in 1823) at its centre, the town has the status of an urban architectural heritage site.

Joniškis has a Culture Centre, a local venue for music and theatre events.

A railway line connecting Riga and Šiauliai runs along the western boundary of the city. West of the railway, the city’s allotment gardens and the Lutheran and Victims of World War II cemeteries are located. Joniškis hosts the Jonas Avyžius Public Library of Joniškis District Municipality.

Name

Joniškis is the Lithuanian name of the city. Versions of the name in other languages include Polish: Janiszki, Russian: Янишки Yanishki, Belarusian: Яні́шкі Yanishki, Yiddish: יאנישאק Yanishok, German: Jonischken, Latvian: Jonišķi

History

Joniškis was established in the beginning of the 16th century. It was mentioned in written sources on 23 February 1536 when Bishops of Vilnius and Samogitia visited the area and found that people still practiced the old pagan faith. People were worshiping the God of Thunder (Perkūnas), fire, snakes and other pagan deities. The bishop of Vilnius, John of the Lithuanian Dukes baptized the locals and established the new parish on 23 February 1536. A wooden church was build and the town of Joniškis was built around it. Bishop of Vilnius named the town Joniškis after his own name Jonas. Joniškis was on the crossroad of important trade roads.

Notable people

• Laurence Harvey
• Maksimas Katche
• Charles Segal
• Andrius Šležas
• Adomas Varnas
• Benas Veikalas

Sister cities

Joniškis is twinned with seven cities:

• Alūksne, Latvia
• Dobele, Latvia
• Võru, Estonia
• Konin, Poland
• Kapyl, Belarus
• Sulingen, Germany
• Vimmerby, Sweden

External links

• Official site
• The murder of the Jews of Joniškis during World War II, at Yad Vashem website.