Old Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery in Piktupėnai

In the village of Piktupėnai, there are two non-functional Evangelical Lutheran cemeteries located approximately 300 meters apart. The wooden church of Piktupėnai Parish was built on a hill near the Evangelical Lutheran cemeteries in 1574, by order of Duke Albrecht Brandenburg. During the Polish-Swedish War in 1656, the wooden church was burned down by Polish troops. In 1744, a grand masonry church was constructed from field stones and bricks at a different location within Piktupėnai, where the old, now non-functional Evangelical Lutheran cemetery is located. The masonry church was destroyed in 1945 as the German army retreated. Today, only a few damaged tombstones remain in the old Evangelical Lutheran cemetery of Piktupėnai.

Pastor Christoph Daniel Hassenstein served the Piktupėnai Parish from 1792 to 1891 and was buried in this cemetery, though his grave has not been located. On December 26, 1812, during the retreat of the French army and the advance of Russian forces, the renowned Captain Albert Ernst von Mannstein was killed near Piktupėnai and was buried in the old Evangelical Lutheran cemetery, close to the church wall. A memorial stone was erected in 2002 by the Klaipeda Military History Club, marking the approximate location of Captain von Mannstein’s grave. During the Soviet era, the cemetery suffered greatly; tombstones were removed and used as foundations for agricultural buildings. Thanks to the efforts of local parishioners, the cemetery is currently being maintained.