Nesterov (), until 1938 known by its German language name Stallupönen (; [) and in 1938-1946 as Ebenrode, is a town and the administrative center of Nesterovsky District in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located east of Kaliningrad, near the Russian-Lithuanian border on the railway connecting Kaliningrad Oblast with Moscow. Population figures:
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History
In the Middle Ages, the area in Old Prussia had been settled by the Nadruvians tribe of the Old Prussians. It was conquered by the Teutonic Knights in about 1276 and incorporated into the State of the Teutonic Order. From the 15th century onwards, the Knights largely resettled the lands with Samogitians and Lithuanians colonists. Since 1466, it was part of the Kingdom of Poland as a fief held by the Teutonic Order.[ Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, Tom XI, p. 369] The settlement was resettled by Lithuanian and German colonists in the following years.[ King Frederick William I granted it town privileges in 1722.][ Like other cities in the region during the Seven Years' War between 1757 and 1762, it was occupied by the Russian Empire forces. It became part of the newly formed province of East Prussia in 1773. During the Prussian-led unification of Germany, Stallupönen became a part of the German Empire in 1871. In 1885, the town had a largely Lithuanian-speaking population of 4,181, often employed in agriculture.]
In August 1914, the city and the surrounding area were a focal point of Battle of Stallupönen between Russian and German armies, an opening battle on the Eastern Front of World War I. It was occupied by the Russian Army between August 18, 1914 and February 18, 1915.
Because of the Lithuanian minority living there, Lithuania tried unsuccessfully to obtain the town from Germany after regaining independence following World War I. Because "Stallupönen" sounded too "un-German", the Nazi Germany renamed the town Ebenrode in 1938.
During World War II, the Germans operated a subcamp of the Stalag I-A prisoner-of-war camp for Allied POWs in the town.
Administrative and municipal status
Within the framework of administrative divisions, Nesterov serves as the administrative center of Nesterovsky District.[Resolution #640] As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Nesterovsky District as the town of district significance of Nesterov.[Law #258]
Culture
Today Nesterov is one of the cultural centers of the Lithuanian minority in Russia.
Notable people
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Max Askanazy (1865–1940), German-Swiss pathologist
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Friedrich Philipp Dulk (1788–1851), German pharmacist and chemist
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Walther Funk (1890–1960), German economist and Nazi official
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Werner Gitt (born 1937), German engineer
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Günter Rimkus (1928–2015), German dramaturge and opera manager
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Felix Steiner (1896–1966), German officer who served in both World War I and World War II
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Klaus Theweleit (b. 1942), German sociologist and writer
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Oscar Werwath (1880–1948), German engineer and academic administrator
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Ulrich Woronowicz (1928–2011), German Evangelical pastor, theologian and social activist
Notes
Sources
