Židikai
# Židikai

Židikai (Samogitian: Žėdėkā) is a town in Mažeikiai district municipality, Lithuania. It is located 21 km west of Mažeikiai. Židikai is the seat of Židikai elderate. Židikai is known for being the home of Marija Pečkauskaitė – Šatrijos Ragana, a famous Lithuanian writer (1877–1930) for the last 15 years of her lifetime.

## Etymology

Židikai originates from the words Žydi kaip laukas (blooms like a field in English), or from the word Židikis (meaning tough). Židikai was first mentioned in historic records in 1568 AD.

## History

From 1614, Židikai was held by the Kražiai Jesuits. In 1659, during the Northern Wars, Swedish forces burnt down Židikai.

Between 1918 and 1939, when Lithuania was established as an independent state, Židikai prospered. It was both a center of a parish as well as services and a center of local governance. Židikai population in the interwar period reached nearly 1,000.

Before World War II, Židikai had an important Jewish community. According to the census of 1923, there were 893 residents in the shtetl, 799 being Jewish (89%). During the summer of 1941, hundreds of Jews were murdered in mass executions perpetrated by an einsatzgruppen of Germans and Lithuanian collaborators.

Economic activity in the village stalled. After the war, during the years of Soviet occupation, Židikai developed similarly to other small towns of Lithuania: in 1952, a hospital was established in a former parsonage; in 1954, a secondary school was established replacing the primary school; and in 1956, Židikai's Culture Center was founded. Židikai's population in 1959 was 429.

After the re-establishment of Lithuania in 1990, Židikai became the seat of the Židikai elderate.

## Progress

Currently, the town has three grocery shops, a gymnasium, a dispensary, a library, a music school and a Culture center. Parks were created in 2006 and 2008. In 2007, the President of the Republic of Lithuania approved a new coat of arms of Židikai. On 30 April 2010, a project to renovate the center of the town began. It was financed by the EU and Mažeikiai District Municipality's funds. During the project, the Nepriklausomybės and Turgaus squares as well as the buildings of the Culture center and Židikai elderate were renovated. The project was finished in 2012. Its value was LTL 731,677. The old town of Židikai is an urban monument with its street plan protected. The large Lithuanian company, ORLEN Lietuva has a presence in the Židikai eldership.

## Design

Židikai town has a radial layout, established from the time of the Wallach land reform of 1547. Conserved buildings are predominantly one or two floors high and date to the early 20th century. There are also post World War II and later 20th century buildings. The old part of Židikai is a monument of urbanistics, protected by the state.

## Culture

Židikai is noted for its resident of 15 years, the author Šatrijos Ragana. In the center of Židikai, there is a museum dedicated to her . Its exhibits document both her childhood and youth as well as her later life in the town.

The Židikai Culture Centre encourages regional traditions and leisure activities for the youth and other residents of the town. The building of the Culture Centre was completed in 1967 with two halls: a larger hall with a capacity of 200 seats for large events, concerts, disco parties etc. and a smaller hall for events such as art exhibitions and board game tournaments.

The Židikai public library was opened in 1939. In 2004, the library had about 9,000 documents and books in its holdings. In 1994, the library moved to new premises in the building of the Culture Centre (which is also home to the town's music school). The library is a branch of Mažeikiai public library.

## Governance

Židikai is the center of Židikai eldership and the largest town within the eldership. The area of the eldership is 198 $km^2$ (76.45 sq mi). The population density of the eldership is $3.044-man/km^2.$ In 2009, five sub-elderships were established, one of which was located in Židikai itself.

## Education

The Židikai Marija Pečkauskaitė Gymnasium opened in 1865 and is the oldest school in the Mažeikiai District Municipality. In the town there is also a branch of the Mažeikiai music school which was founded in 1986. There, students have an opportunity to learn to play the piano, accordion, saxophone or guitar as well as to learn music theory and history. It is located in the Židikai Culture Centre.

## Religion

Židikai has one Roman Catholic church and one chapel (in the cemetery of the town). The first church in Židikai was built in 1636 by the Kražiai Jesuits who held the town from 1614. The parish of Židikai was established in 1853. The existing St. John the Baptist's church was built in 1821 and St. Ann's Chapel was built in 1941. The most important religious festival and the biggest festival of the town is Saint Ann's Feast celebrated annually during the last weekend of July. On the Sunday of the feast, Mass is celebrated in front of the cemetery chapel.

## Notable citizens

* Marija Pečkauskaitė – Šatrijos Ragana (1877–1930), a Lithuanian author and educationalist, who lived in Židikai from 1915 until her death. She was buried in the Židikai cemetery.
* Alfonsas Bukontas (born 1941 near Židikai), a poet a translator who graduated from Židikai secondary school.
* Laimonas Inis (born 1938 near Židikai), an author, journalist and editor who graduated from Židikai secondary school.
* Klemas Inta (born 1941 near Židikai), a politician and signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania who graduated from Židikai secondary school.
