Vilkaviskis

Vilkaviskis is one of the oldest towns of Suduva. The village was established at the confluence of the Seimena and Vilkauja rivers in the second half of the 16th century, after a cut-down of the largest forests of Suduva was started. The first church was built in 1620, and the first synagogue-in 1623.

In 1660 Vilkaviskis was granted the rights of a town, and in 1697, when town’s vitas (highest authority) was approved, the Magdeburg rights were renewed and the town was granted a coat of arms. After a partition of Polish and Lithuanian state in 1794 the town belonged to Prussia. When the Tilze treaty was signed in 1807 with Uznemune Vilkaviskis devolved to France. Since 1815 Vilkaviskis belonged to Russia after Napoleon lost the war against it.

Vilkaviskis county was established in 1867. In 1870 the construction of a big brick church of Blessed Mary the Virgin’s visit was began. The church was consecrated by a bishop Juozapas Aleka in 1884. The town did not suffer very much during World war I. In 1926 Vilkaviskis became a centre of the diocese, while the parish church turned into a cathedral. The first bishop of Vilkaviskis was Antanas Karosas, his coadjutor – bishop Mecislovas Rainys.

During World War II Vilkaviskis was devastated, with only 10 percent of building remaining. The cathedral was depredated at the end of the war and later, during the Soviet period, it was demolished. In 1950 Vilkaviskis became a centre of the region. There operated a hardware factory (up to 1938), in 1955 a clothing manufacture started working, in 1962- a car transportation company and a canning factory, and in 1972 – a bake-house. During the rebirth period the Vilkaviskis parish cathedral was decided to be rebuilt. The initiator and organizer of works was the dean of Vilkaviskis deanery Vytautas Gustaitis. In 1998 the cathedral was sanctified.