The map above shows Lithuania with its pre-WW1 borders. The country was at that time part of the greater Russian Empire (along with Poland and Latvia), and divided into three Governorate regions: Kovno, Vilna and Suvalki. Our family lived in the northwest of the old Suvalki Governorate, but the lower third of that province is now part of modern Poland (see map below). East Prussia (including Lithuania Minor) had its capital at Königsberg, and lay immediately to the west of Suvalki. This German province was annexed and divided between the Soviet Union and Poland following WW2, and Lithuania was a Soviet Socialist Republic from 1940 until its independence in 1990.
This second map of Lithuania shows the post-1990 borders after the collapse of the Soviet Union. A large swathe of the eastern part of the country is now part of Belarus, while the southern part of the old Suvalki Province is part of modern-day Poland. The old East Prussia entirely disappeared after 1945, with its southern part subsumed into Poland, while the northern tip (mostly Lithuania Minor) was annexed by the Soviet Union, although Lithuania gained a small strip of the border region to give it access to the Curonian Lagoon. This now Russian exclave is called Kaliningrad, and its previous German/Lithuanian population either fled, or were forcibly deported … or murdered. Kaliningrad today is the home of the Russian Baltic Fleet, and is known to be the most militarised zone in the world. Lithuania, Latvia and Poland are all currently members of the European Union.
Can you tell me or show me where on the map Wilkonier, Lithuania is or was located?
Hello Vic,
Sorry for the late reply, but I’ve been overseas for a month, and in areas with no Internet.
“Wilkonier” isn’t on any map I have, but I guess it’s an Anglicised spelling as there is no “W” in the Lithuanian alphabet – so possibly something like “Vilkonier”. My family came from a district called “Vilkaviškis”, which is to the southwest of Kaunas on the border with Kaliningrad (now a hot-spot because of the Russian/Ukrainian war).
However, I will have a good look at some old maps to see if I can see something closer to your spelling.
Cheers,
Alan
Can you show me or tell me where Widgiren, Lithuania is located? It is a small farming community. I am looking for family history for a married couple Julius Wagramowicz and Karolina Berkobein ( born in the 1800’s).
Hello Helen,
That’s a tough one! Sadly, Lithuanian place names are often terribly mangled when English-speaking registrars write them down on documents. Lithuanian is like no other language, and doesn’t even have any constructions that other Indo-European languages use, so it’s little wonder that English speakers get those names completely messed up!
First up, I did find one other user on Geni with a relative from “Widgerin”, but they give no clues to its whereabouts.
Secondly, there is no “W” in the Lithuanian alphabet, and English ‘listeners’ sometimes used it to replace a “V, as it’s often assumed to be like Polish (which it’s not). Working on that assumption, I’ve looked up a list of Lithuanian towns, and the nearest construction I can find with a ‘V’ that has some of the other parts of “Widgerin” is a town called Vadžgirys, which is near the town of Tauragė on my map. That’s only a guess, but here’s a link to Lithuanian towns: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_Lithuania
Another problem is that many places that existed in the 19th century have disappeared – remember the Germans alone made 70,000 Russian villages ‘disappear’ during WW2. Lithuania was ravaged by both the Russians and the Germans. Unfortunately, old maps are hard to find, and were mostly in Russian anyway.
Also, Wagramowicz and Berkobein do not sound like Lithuanian names to me – the first sounds Polish, the second German … but I’m only guessing there.
Sorry I can’t help you better. If you ever find that place, let me know!
Alan
Hello – I’m researching my husband’s family, Kaleskas, who lived in Spicer or Spiciai in the late 1800s through about 1906. Records also indicate Kaunas. Any idea where “ Spicer” might be? Thank you!
Hi Darcy,
I’ve looked up a list of Lithuanian towns, but can’t find anything very similar to “Spiciai”. Unfortunately, because Lithuanian is such a unique language, most Anglicisations of family and place names end up wildly inaccurate, and I have a number I cannot locate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_towns_in_Lithuania#See_also
Kaunas (orig. Kovno) is a county capital 100km west of the national capital, Vilnius, and even a search of its regional towns does not reveal anything similar to “Speciai”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Towns_in_Kaunas_County
My family left Lauckaimis, Vilkaviški, in 1903, in the same wave of emigration as your family. Mine went first to Scotland, and the younger ones eventually to Bayonne, New Jersey.
If you have any other clues, let me know.
Cheers,
Alan
Hi Alan – thank you for checking! I did find Spičiai as a tiny municipality in Google, but it’s about 120km north of Kaunas.
Hi, My grandfather on his Declaration of Intention in the U.S. said he was from Ribartu. Then on his Social Security Application he said he was born in Vilkauiski County, Russia. He was Lithuanian. I have not been able to find Ribartu on a map. Can you locate either of these places? His name was Juczapas Dominikjtis, and later Joseph Dominicks. Thank you.
Hello Julie,
I’ve had a look and search for “Ribartu” or something like it, but no luck, I’m afraid. I’ve even checked on an old map of Vilkaviškis written in Polish, but again without finding anything similar (tho’ Polish versions of Lithuanian names can be quite different).
However, “Vilkaviškis” is a town and regional district immediately east of the Russian Exclave of Kaliningrad, a current hot spot with the situation in Ukraine. You can see my map of that area on:
https://www.craig-galt.info/maps/lithuania-maps/vilkaviskis-district-map/
As with my family when they arrived in Scotland or the USA, Lithuanian spelling was way too hard for the registrars, who would often just write something that sounded vaguely similar to what they were being told – and who also assumed that the immigrant was talking Polish (which has no relationship with Lithuanian).
Anyway, I’ll send you my old map with Polish names, and maybe if you scour it inch by inch, you might find something that might look like “Ribartu”. Remember, a Polish “W” is actually a “V”. :-)
Good luck with your research, and please let me know if you have any success.
Cheers,
Alan
Hi Alan!
I’m not sure if you’re still helping folks look for places in Lithuania but if you have any ideas what I’m looking for I’d be so grateful.
My great-grandfather came to the US from Lithuania in 1906. On his Declaration of Intention it says he’s from Losia but I can’t figure out what name it was supposed to be.
Thanks!
Hi Joyce,
Hmm … I’ve had a bit of a look, and the nearest I can find to “Losia” is “Lifosa”, which is just to the northeast of Kaunas. If your document is handwritten, you could check to see if that might fit.
Any idea of the region he came from?
Alan
Looking for the address 298 Kovenskaya street in Jonava before WWI. Can you be of any help?
Hi Jody,
Jonava lies 30 km north-east of Kaunas. Modern maps don’t seem to show a “Kovenskaya” Street.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any old maps of that area; all the old maps I have are for the areas south and west of of Marijampole.
Good luck with your research.
Alan
Hello,
I hope you can help me. I have the names of the towns my Great Grandparent were born in but I can’t find the town on a map. Can you help me out?
Tagony, Kowno born in 1898
Trascuna, Kovno, Lithuania, 1887
Palewena, Lithuania, 1892
Gielasy, Kowno, 1891
Hi Jean,
Finding old towns in Lithuania can be very difficult. We usually have several problems:
1) Old maps are usually written in Polish or Russian (the Lithuanian language was banned until 1918), so, for example, “Vladislavov” was spelt “Weadyslawow” on old maps;
2) Many towns have changed their names due to Russification. Using the example above, “Vladislavov” is now called “Kudirkos Naumiestis”.
3) When Lithuanians who moved to English-speaking countries gave their place of origin to officials (immigration, census, marriage licences, etc.), the registrar could often only make a wild guess at the phonetics, because the Lithuanian alphabet is very different to English, and so the names you have may look very different to the way they are spelled on modern maps.
However, one good thing is that “Kowno” is the same as “Kovno”, and that is the old name for the modern city of Kaunas, which is the second biggest city in Lithuania. Kovno was the main city of the Kovno Governorate during the time of the Russian Empire. This district is the entire north-west part of old Lithuania (see my maps).
So, those towns you mention would lie in that part of the country, somewhere north of Kaunas. I’ve had a quick look at Google maps, and can’t see any matching names for the 4 towns you mention, but if you scour Google maps bit by bit zoomed in, something may jump out at you.
One possibility I did notice was “Paliepiai” which might be your “Palwena”. This tiny village is 20 km NW of Kaunas, but there are several similar words starting with “Pal”, so that may not be much of a clue.
At least you now have the province your great-grandfather came from. Hope this has been of some help.
Cheers, and good luck with your research,
Alan
My grandfather came from lithuania
I do no know what town. His name is John Gotavaskas he left
Lithuania in the 1900s for America
Lived as a coal miner in
Shenandoah Pa.
I do not have a website only email
Does anyone know where Butrimonys is in Lithuania? It existed in 1873 as the birthplace of my great grandfather who also used Russia occasionally because of the occupation of Lithuania?
Hi Patty,
Yes, Butrimonys is a small town in southern Lithuania (Alytus district), about 50 km (30 miles) south-east of Kaunas. It lies just south of the road between Marijampolė and the capital Vilnius. In 1873, it would have been part of the Vilna Governate, and at that time part of the Russian Empire.
The Lithuanian language had been banned by the Russian overlords between 1864 and 1904, and many Lithuanians spoke 3 languages (even today): Lithuanian (illegally), Russian and Polish.
When and where did your 2g-grandfather migrate?
:-)
Alan
Hi Allen, I’ve been on the hunt for my family’s original hometown in Lithuania. Great grandpa is recorded to have been born in Ktru Shvls county, Lithuania in 1873. No luck finding this on any of the old time maps I’ve searched. Would you happen to have an idea where to look?
Hi Levi,
Sorry for the late reply, but I’ve been on holidays and out of touch for the last 2 weeks.
Unfortunately, “Ktru Shvis” doesn’t seem to be on any map I can find. My guess is that it may be the Shavli (Šiauliai) town/district of the old Kovno Governate during the time when Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire. This is in the northern part of Lithuania.
One of the great problems for those of us trying to find localities for our Lithuanian ancestors is that immigration and other officials in English-speaking countries found it very difficult to understand the places/names given to them by Lithuanian immigrants, and tried to spell names phonetically – most often, what they wrote down is nothing like the way Lithuanians spell words.
Good luck with your research.
ALan