Monument to Jurgis Zauerveinas (Georg Sauerwein)

In Liepų street at the former inn in 2011 there was unveiled a monument to Jurgis Zauerveinas – a granite sculpture of two-meter-high. Presumably that is exactly the place where he stayed when visited Klaipėda. The monument was financed by businessman V. Vaičekauskas Family Foundation. Sculptor Gintautas Jonkus says that by this his work he wanted not only to honour the distinguished scientist and public figure, but also portray the eternal journey. (According to A.Kripaitė‘s article „Paminklo J. Zauerveinui kūrėjams – piniginės premijos”.15 min, 2008-07-10).         

The sculptor says that „J. Zauerveinas was a very strong personality. I wanted to exhibit him as a polyglot, to reveal such his image but it is difficult to do by the plastic“. 

„J. Zauerveinas (1831-1904) is an unique Lithuanian and European figure. Zauerveinas was the greatest polyglot of his time and mastered about 75 languages; he was the claimant and passionate advocate of nations, human and liguistic rights as well, more than 25 years having lived and acted in Lithuania Minor, the Klaipėda region, the author of hymn “Lietuvininkai mes esam gimę” (“As Lithuanians we are born” (melody of Stasys Šimkus) as well as other poetic works…He was the European and world citizen. His favourite countries besides native German were England and Lithuania (particularly Lithuania Minor); he called Lithuanian language in his poems „sweatheart“. (According to article of A.Žalys „Skelbiame paminklo įžymiajam Mažosios Lietuvos kultūros veikėjui Jurgiui Zauerveinui kūrimo konkursą”. Klaipėda, 2007-12-07). In 1877 he came to Lithuania Minor for the first time and, having settled at Vilius Kalvaitis‘s residence, chose pseudonym of Girėnas. He created over 300 poems in Lithuanian language, was a supporter of the minority languages, organized deputation of Lithuanians to King Wilhelm on the Lithuanian language rights, was a candidate from Lithuania Minor in elections to the German Reichstag.