Kalnaberžė Explained

Official Name:Kalnaberžė
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Kėdainiai District Municipality#Lithuania
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Lithuania
Subdivision Name: Lithuania
Subdivision Type1:County
Subdivision Name1: Kaunas County
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Kėdainiai district municipality
Subdivision Type3:Eldership
Subdivision Name3:Surviliškis Eldership
Population As Of:2011
Population Total:324
Timezone:EET
Utc Offset:+2
Timezone Dst:EEST
Utc Offset Dst:+3
Coordinates:55.3969°N 24.0081°W

Kalnaberžė ('the hill of birch trees', formerly Polish: Kałnoberże, Russian: Калноберже) is a village in Kėdainiai district municipality, in Kaunas County, in central Lithuania. According to the 2011 census, the village had a population of 324 people. It is located between Surviliškis (6 km) and Sirutiškis (5 km), on the right bank of the Nevėžis river. At the confluence of Nevėžis and its tributary Kruostas II there is Kalnaberžė hillfort. There is library, old cemetery, former school and medicine station in the village. Kalnaberžė manor (now in ruins) is famous of being a childhood vacation place for Russian minister Pyotr Stolypin.

History

Kalnaberžė (as Calleberze) was mentioned the first time in 1371 by Hermann von Wartberge as Teutonic ride devastated this place. Kalnaberžė manor is known from the 16th century. It belonged to the Radziwiłł family, later to the Czapski family. After the January Uprising it was transferred to the Koshelevski and later to the Stolypin family. At the end of the 19th century there was a wooden chapel.

During the Interwar period, the manor was nationalized and became a child detention colony, and since 1949 till 1959 was a children home. During the Soviet era, Kalnaberžė was a kolkhoz center.

Notable people