ON BOTH SIDES OF “THE ETERNAL BORDER”

Driving out of Jurbarkas along Muitinė Street, the Šventoji river—which flows into the Nemunas River about 10 km away near Smalininkai (Jurbarkas District)—marks the so-called “Eternal Border.” For more than 500 years (1422–1923), it marked the border between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Order, which later became as the Duchy of Prussia and the Kingdom of Prussia. After the collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in the 19th century this border separated two empires—Russia and Germany. Over time, it also became the boundary between Lithuania Major and Lithuania Minor.

In 1422, the Treaty of Melno established the first long-lasting border between Lithuania and the Order: on the right bank of the Nemunas, the border ran two „miles“ along the Šventoji River, then straight across the wilderness to the Jūra River, leaving the Nemunas on the left bank to the Order, along with a two-mile strip of land on the right bank. The border then ran one „mile“ along the Jūra River, then straight across the wilderness, leaving the Nemunas, Rusnė, the Curonian Lagoon, and Klaipėda to the Order up to the coast of the Baltic Sea.

Nevertheless, this border not only separated but also fostered unique economic, cultural, and casual life ties between the inhabitants on both sides.

On this side of the border…

The Jurbarkas customs post was established in 1540, along with the town on the Nemunas River. It was an important source of revenue for the state treasury. Sigismund the Old instructed merchants to travel to Prussia via the customs posts at Jurbarkas and Gargždai. In the 17th century, based on the revenue collected for the state treasury, the Jurbarkas customs post was classified as a medium-revenue customs post.

After the collapse of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Jurbarkas became a western border town of the Russian Empire. The imperial authorities began to strengthen border security with neighboring Prussia. Starting in 1811, the border was guarded by regiments of Don Cossacks. Each regiment was tasked with monitoring a 160-kilometer stretch of the border, with three Cossacks guarding every kilometer. In 1822, due to the large scale of smuggling, the Cossack army was withdrawn behind the customs security line.

In 1819, a first-class customs post was established in Jurbarkas on the site of the former customs outpost (1797). A two-story brick building was erected near the road to Smalininkai. At the end of the 19th century, a smaller wooden customs post also operated in Pašventis, near Smalininkai, right next to the border.

The state border between the German and Russian empires was marked by a ditch and a specially constructed path for border guards. It snaked its way through forests, bushes, and fields. Border cordons were stationed every 3–5 km. Violators were pursued by mounted patrols, and in some cases, smugglers were shot. Smugglers operated in an organized and active manner—there were instances where groups of 20–80 people crossed the border. Shootouts sometimes occurred. The Russian police department offered cash rewards for seized contraband, but smugglers often found ways to strike deals with border guards. In an effort to strengthen border security, the tsarist government authorized the shooting of border violators starting January 1, 1898, resulting in several book smugglers being wounded or killed.

The period of press censorship that began in 1863–1864 following the failed uprising forged a special bond between Lithuania Minor and Lithuania Major. Printing activities flourished in Lithuania Minor—Lithuanian books, brochures, and calendars were printed here in large print runs. They were secretly transported to Greater Lithuania, which was under the rule of the Russian Empire. The newspapers “Aušra” (“Dawn”) and “Varpas” (“Bell”) which were printed in Tilsit and Ragnit, along with other banned publications, became an important part of the Lithuanian national revival.

One of the most important routes for book smugglers from East Prussia to Lithuania stretched across the territory of the present-day Jurbarkas District. Pašventys, Žirniškiai, Smukučiai, Jurbarkas, Eržvilkas, Pašaltuonys, Vertimai, Globiai, Girdžiai, Skirsnemunė, Šimkaičiai, Vadžgirys, Veliuona, and Seredžius became important centers of book smuggling. One of the most famous distributors of banned Lithuanian publications in Jurbarkas was the pastor of the Holy Trinity Church in Jurbarkas, pastor Kazimieras Marcinkevičius.

Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Lithuania

…and across the border

Following the Treaty of Melno, a border outpost was established on the right bank of the Nemunas River, near Smalininkai. It was situated near one of the most important postal routes connecting the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with Western Europe through the territories of the Teutonic Order, later the Duchy of Prussia, and the Kingdom of Prussia.

In the 18th century, a waterway customs post was already operating in Smalininkai. In the 19th century, following administrative reforms, the headquarters of the General Customs Board was established in the town. A large contingent of customs officers monitored not only the border crossing at Smalininkai but also the entire western part of East Prussia up to Pagėgiai. Nevertheless, their numbers were no match for the Russian Empire’s border forces concentrated on the other side of the border, where hundreds of Russian soldiers were lined up in what was practically a human chain.

            Customs officials were stationed in various settlements. Border officers were constantly rotated, and higher-ranking officials usually came from other regions. The authorities gave preference to officials of German ethnicity. In the early 20th century, a new two-story brick building was constructed for this service in Smalininkai, next to the old customs house, at the entrance to the town. Until World War I, the Smalininkai customs office was one of the most important local institutions shaping the life of the town.

            During the period of the book-smuggling movement, border guards in Smalininkai did not actively interfere with the transport of Lithuanian publications. The printing presses were beneficial to the local economy, as they employed a significant number of local residents. At that time, the policy was to primarily control goods being imported into the country. In Smalininkai, one could purchase Lithuanian publications from the innkeeper Vieškalnis and smuggle them into Lithuania.

The period of the press ban coincided with the German government’s policy of Germanization of the region, which began in the 19th century. The need to print Lithuanian publications, which most often traveled beyond the “cordon,” contributed to the preservation of Lithuanian identity in Lithuania Minor.

“Greetings from Smalininkai. J. Rubenstein’s guesthouse, Russian (Pašventis) customs, Prussian customs”

From the collection of Algimantas Petkūnas

German topographic map at a scale of 1:100,000, first published in the early 20th century. The international border, which effectively separated the two countries for 500 years, is highlighted; a border crossing point was established near the village of Pašventys