Klaipėda Castle and the Castle Site

Klaipėda Castle (German: Memelburg) is the most important historical part of the city, the place where the construction of the city of Klaipėda began. In 1252, the first wooden castle was built in a strategically important place of the Curonian territory: on the left bank of the Dangė estuary, near the Klaipėda Strait, which connects the Curonian Lagoon with the Baltic Sea. In 1253-1254, the wooden castle was replaced by a brick one. The castle was protected by moats filled with water, a bridge and ramparts were installed at the gate. Brick and wooden buildings were built in the courtyard of the castle, and the city began to develop. However, the castle was constantly attacked and destroyed by the Samogitians, Scalvians, Sembas and Lithuanians.

In 1525, after the establishment of the Duchy of Prussia, the castle was completely rebuilt. It became of a closed irregular square plan with an opening for the gate in the southwest part. The gate was guarded by two round towers in the corners of the buildings, the other three stood in the north-west, north-east and south-east corners. Later, the castle was fortified several times, and its defense system was improved. In 1670 the two-winged Commandant’s House was built on Prince Karl’s bastion. It is believed that the last improvements to defensive installations may have been made at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries.

In 1757, during the Seven Years’ War, after Klaipėda was occupied by the army of the Russian Empire, the castle lost its strategic importance, was abandoned and began to decay. In 1812, during the French era, barracks, an arsenal, warehouses, and a hospital were installed in the castle. The fortifications and buildings of the castle were sold and demolished. The townspeople demolished the castle buildings and used them to build their own houses. After 1888, the most important masonry buildings of the castle were sold and demolished. In 1920-1921, the part of the protective moat was moulded up and the two southern bastions were dozed, thus the castle, which had stood for almost 600 years, was destroyed, and its territory became part of the city. Since 1975 archaeological research has been carried out in the territory of the castle. In 1945-2009, the Klaipėda ship repair company was located in this area.

In 2002, the Castle Museum, a branch of the Museum of Lithuania Minor, was established in the restored Prince Frydrich’s postern. In 2006, the continuation of the Castle Museum exposition was opened in the restored posterns and casemates of Prince Karl’s bastion. In the vaulted premises of red brick masonry, you can get acquitted with the development of Klaipėda city and castle in 13th-20th centuries. The surviving underground red brick walls of the castle are the oldest in the entire city.

In 2014, after extensive archaeological excavations were carried out in the Klaipėda castle site, the aim was to restore the entire Renaissance-style castle with the surrounding bastions and defense moats, starting with the restoration of the great castle tower. In 2015, the reconstruction works were started.

At the beginning of 2018, the east courtina was restored, and World War II exposition was installed in it. In 2019, in the restored northern courtina a modern museum space was opened. The value of the Reconstruction of the northern courtina  cost  4.8 million  euros, the funds were allocated from the municipal budget. During the implementation of the revitalization project of the Klaipėda castle site, the defensive moat of the castle was partially restored, and the former paint warehouse was reconstructed. The Castle Museum, the conference center and World War II exposition “Museum 39/45” operate in these spaces.

In spring of 2020, the project of restoration works of the castle tower was presented. After the reconstruction, the castle tower would become a great attraction for citizens and guests of the city. It is planned to hold educational classes, events, and display the existing castle exposition here. At the top of the tower, at a height of about 30 m, an observation deck will be installed.