Slabodka, Lithuania
In the past, it was a separate town from Kaunas. The jews are known to have settled here since the fourteenth century. Due to this the place was referred to as Judenstadt. The popular nickname Slabotkė is still in use, derived from the Polish name of the place Słobódka Wiliampolska. The word Wiliampolska is an adjective from "Wiliampol" ("Wilia town") derived from the Slavic name of the nearby Neris river - Wilia and "słobódka" means "little sloboda". Later this name was Lithuanised into "Vilijampolė". Historically, it was the home of the Slabodka yeshiva, or Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael, and the main site of the Kaunas Ghetto.
The Lithuanian Veterinary Academy campus is located in the neighbourhood. Two bridges across the Neris connect Vilijampolė with the main part of the city. Petras Vileišis Bridge connects the district with the Old Town and Varniai Bridge with the neighbourhood of Žaliakalnis.
References
- ^ gyventojų ir būstų surašymas
- ^ gyventojų ir būstų surašymas
- ^ https://www.kaunas.lt/administracija/struktura-ir-kontaktine-informacija/seniunijos/vilijampoles-seniunija/
- ^ ZALKIN, M. (15 October 2023), Jewish Urbanization and the Midsize City:, Purdue University Press
- (in Lithuanian) City of Kaunas - Elderate of Vilijampolė
External links
- Website of Kaunas city
- Kaunas travel guide from Wikivoyage