Molėtai

Molėtai
City
Flag Coat of arms
Molėtai Location of Molėtai
Coordinates: 55°14′N 25°25′E
Country	Lithuania
Ethnographic region	Aukštaitija
County	Utena County
Municipality	Molėtai district municipality
Capital of	Molėtai district municipality
First mentioned	1387 Feb. 17[1]
Granted city rights	1539
Population  (2022)
• Total	5,716
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Website	moletai.lt

Molėtai (pronunciation^ⓘ; Polish: Malaty; German: Mulau) is a city in north eastern Lithuania surrounded by lakes. One of the oldest settlements in Lithuania, it is a popular resort for the inhabitants of Vilnius. According to the 2013 census, it had 6,302 inhabitants.

The town is located about 60 km (37 mi) north of Vilnius and 30 km (19 mi) south of Utena.

History

It was first mentioned as a private property of the bishop of Vilnius in year 1387.

On 29 August 1941, 700 to 1,200 Jews were murdered in a mass execution perpetrated by an Einsatzgruppen of Lithuanian "nationalists".^[2] The victims of the massacre were commemorated in a march to the site, and a memorial was unveiled there, on the 75th anniversary, in 2016.^[3]

Economy

Molėtai hosts a factory of Teltonika, a Lithuanian semiconductor company, which employed 270 people in 2024.^[4]

Molėtai Astronomical Observatory, which belongs to Vilnius University, is located near the town.^[5] Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology operates next to the observatory.

Gallery

• 
  Molėtai sign
• 
  Molėtai Church of St. Peter and St. Paul exterior
• 
  Molėtai Church of St. Peter and St. Paul interior
• 
  Molėtai Church House
• 
  John of Nepomuk sculpture
• 
  Molėtai Arena
• 
  Molėtai Youth Square
• 
  Molėtai post office
• 
  Molėtai Child Care Home
• 
  Municipality of Molėtai
• 
  Art School of Molėtai
• 
  Molėtai Gymnasium
• 
  Molėtai Primary School

References

1. Jogaila (17 February 1387). "F6-1. Lenkijos karaliaus ir Lietuvos didžiojo kunigaikščio Jogailos privilegija Vilniaus katedrai" (in Latin). Vilnius, Lithuania. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
2. Holocaust Atlas of Lithuania: Mass Murder of the Jews of Molėtai Accessed 26 April 2017
3. The Road to Death (75th Anniversary of the Murder of the Jews of Molėtai) at lzb.lt Accessed 26 April 2017
4. "How Teltonika is transforming small Lithuanian town into hi-tech centre". LRT. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
5. "Molėtų astronomijos observatoriją papildys naujas žvaigždžių stebėjimo prietaisas". 15min (in Lithuanian). 3 March 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2024.

External links

• Molėtai tourist information centre (Places of interest)
• Virtual Tour of Molėtai
• (in Lithuanian) Town's homepage
• The murder of the Jews of Molėtai during World War II, at Yad Vashem website.