Old Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery of Šilutė

From the mid-16th century until the 1830s, residents of the villages of Šilokarčema, Žibai, and Verdainė were buried in the churchyard of Verdainė Church. As the settlements grew and the population increased, the cemetery became too small. In 1832, new Evangelical Lutheran cemeteries were opened at the intersection of today’s Geležinkelio and Tilžės streets.
Wealthier families established family plots with burial vaults, often fenced with wrought iron. Graves were typically marked with forged or cast iron crosses. Later, the cemetery was enclosed with a metal fence, and around 1907 a brick funeral chapel was built.
After 1945, the cemetery was systematically destroyed and officially closed in 1962. Graves were neglected and sunken; the chapel lost its windows.
In 2009, restoration of the chapel began, and it was consecrated and reopened on May 25, 2013.
osNotably, the parents of writer Hermann Sudermann are buried here, as well as members of the Sekunai and Štaliai families, known for their contributions to book culture.