In what year was the city of Koenigsberg renamed? Former Koenigsberg, and now Kaliningrad - history, legends, interesting places of the ancient city

October 17, 1945 to
decision of the Potsdam Conference, the German city of Königsberg with its adjacent
territories was temporarily included in the USSR. At the same time, the southern part
East Prussia went to Poland.

Later in April 1946
years, the corresponding region was formed as part of the RSFSR, and after another three
month its capital - Koenigsberg - was renamed Kaliningrad ( in memory of the “All-Union” who died on June 3
headman" M.I. Kalinin).

As a result of entering
territory into the USSR from the 370 thousand Germans who once inhabited it in the region
only 20 thousand remained, the rest were deported to their homeland in Germany. Gradually
the city was populated Soviet citizens. Started at a fast pace here
restore production.

New stage of development
Kaliningrad region occurred in the 90s of the twentieth century, when the Soviet Union,
in fact, no longer existed. Since 1991, Kaliningrad began to cooperate with
many foreign countries, primarily Germany and Poland. So it opened
a new page in the history of the modern western frontier Russian Federation.

However, it would not be
it is true to say that the very history of Koenigsberg as part of Russia began precisely
since its annexation to the USSR. We should not forget that the city, like
the surrounding area was once part of the Russian Empire. Was
this is during the times Seven Years' War. In 1758, the residents of Königsberg swore allegiance
Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and until the spring of 1762, until the conclusion of peace,
East Prussia had the status of a Russian general government. It is even known
that in 1758, Immanuel Kant himself, the famous city dweller, addressed the empress
Koenigsberg, with a request to provide him with a position as a professor in the local
university.

As part of Russia with
Over time, Kaliningrad began to flourish. Today he turns twenty-five
largest industrial centers of the country. Mechanical engineering is actively developing here,
metallurgy, light industry, printing industry, fisheries. Some
years in a row, in 2012, 2013 and 2014, according to the rating of Kommersant magazine
Secret of the Company", Kaliningrad was recognized the best city Russia. According to RBC,
for a long time he was the most beautiful, and according to the Forbes magazine rating, the most favorable for
business city of the country.

True, today in the background
reunification of Crimea with Russia, calls have increasingly begun to be made for
return Kaliningrad to Germany. Among others, the Estonian
Analyst at the Center for Eastern European Studies Laurynas Kasciunas. Recently an expert
made a proposal to revise the Potsdam Treaty and recalled that the Kaliningrad
The region was given to the USSR for 50 years for administration. This period, according to
Kaschiunas, has already expired, which means that there is a reason “to raise this issue” again.

In response to this from
Russia received a proposal to revise the agreement on the transfer of Lithuanian
Republic of the city of Vilna and the Vilna region and about mutual assistance between the Soviet
Union and Lithuania. Simply put, modern Vilnius was offered to be returned
Poland, “since Lithuania does not comply with the requirements of the treaty on the protection
state borders." And in case Poland refuses, Vilna was recommended
return to the “brotherly Belarusian people.” By the way, the proposal to transfer it to Belarus
sounded back in 1939...

From myself I would like
add that the Estonian analyst we mentioned did not take into account another very important historical
a detail that could nullify all his arguments: when signing agreements on
borders, the Kaliningrad region was fully recognized as the possessions of the Soviet
Union, so there was no talk of any temporary use even then.

Text: Marina
Antropova, Notum Information Bureau

The material was prepared on
based on open sources.

70 years ago, on October 17, 1945, by decision of the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, Koenigsberg and the surrounding lands were included in the USSR. In April 1946, a corresponding region was formed as part of the RSFSR, and three months later its main city received a new name - Kaliningrad - in memory of the “All-Union Elder” Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin, who died on June 3.

Inclusion of Königsberg and surrounding lands in Russian-USSR composition had not only military-strategic and economic significance, and was Germany’s payment for the blood and pain inflicted on the Russian superethnos, but also had a deep symbolic and historical significance. After all, since ancient times, Prussia-Porussia was part of the huge Slavic-Russian world (superethnos of the Rus) and it was inhabited by the Slavic Porussians (Prussians, Borossians, Borussians). Later, the Prussians living on the shores of the Venedian Sea (Wends is one of the names of the Slavic Russians inhabiting Central Europe) were recorded as Balts by “historians” who rewrote history to suit the needs of the Romano-Germanic world. However, this is a mistake or deliberate deception. The Balts were the last to emerge from the single superethnos of the Rus. Back in the XIII-XIV centuries. The Baltic tribes worshiped gods common to the Rus, and the cult of Perun was especially powerful. The spiritual and material culture of the Rus (Slavs) and the Balts was almost the same. Only after the Baltic tribes were Christianized and Germanized, suppressed by the matrix of Western civilization, were they separated from the superethnos of the Rus.

The Prussians were slaughtered almost completely, as they showed extremely stubborn resistance to the German “dog knights”. The remnants were assimilated, deprived of memory, culture and language (finally in the 18th century). Just as before this, their kindred Slavs, the Lyutichs and the Obodrichs, were exterminated. Even during the centuries-long battle for Central Europe, where the western branch of the superethnos of the Rus lived (for example, few people know that Berlin, Vienna, Brandenburg or Dresden were founded by the Slavs), many Slavs fled to Prussia and Lithuania, as well as to the Novgorod land. And the Novgorod Slovenes had thousands of years of connections with the Rus of Central Europe, which is confirmed by anthropology, archeology, mythology and linguistics. It is not surprising that it was the Western Russian prince Rurik (Falcon) who was invited to Ladoga. He was not a stranger in the Novgorod land. And during the battle of the Prussians and other Baltic Slavs with the “dog knights,” Novgorod supported their relatives and supplied weapons.

In Rus', the memory of a common origin with the Porussians (Borussians) was preserved for a long time. The great princes of Vladimir traced their origins to the Rus (Prussians) of Ponemanya. Ivan the Terrible, an encyclopedist of his era, wrote about this, having access to chronicles and annals that did not survive to our time (or were destroyed and hidden). Many noble families of Rus' traced their ancestry to Prussia. So, according to family tradition, the ancestors of the Romanovs left for Rus' “from Prussia.” The Prussians lived along the Rossa (Rusa) River, as the Neman was called in its lower reaches (today the name of one of the river branches is preserved - Rus, Rusn, Rusne). In the 13th century, the Prussian lands were conquered by the Teutonic Order. The Prussians were partly destroyed, partly driven out to neighboring regions, and partly reduced to the status of slaves. The population was Christianized and assimilated. The last speakers of the Prussian language disappeared in early XVIII century.

Königsberg was founded on a hill on the high right bank in the lower reaches of the Pregel River on the site of a Prussian fortification in 1255. Otakar and Grand Master Teutonic Order Poppo von Ostern founded the Order fortress of Königsberg. The troops of the Czech king came to the aid of the knights who had suffered defeats from the local population, who, in turn, were invited to Prussia Polish king to fight the pagans. Prussia for a long time became a strategic springboard for the West in the fight against Russian civilization. First, the Teutonic Order fought against Rus'-Russia, including Lithuanian Rus' (a Russian state in which the official language was Russian), then Prussia and the German Empire. In 1812, East Prussia became the focus of a powerful group of French troops for a campaign in Russia, shortly before the start of which Napoleon arrived in Königsberg, where he held the first reviews of troops. The French troops also included Prussian units. During the First and Second World Wars, East Prussia was again a springboard for aggression against Russia and more than once became the scene of brutal battles.

Thus, Rome, which was then the main command post of Western civilization, acted on the principle of “divide and conquer,” pitting the peoples of the Slavic civilization against each other, weakening them and “absorbing” them part by part. Some Slavic Russians, like the Lyutichs and Prussians, were completely destroyed and assimilated, others, like the Western Glades - Poles, Czechs, submitted to the Western “matrix”, becoming part of European civilization. We have observed similar processes in the last century in Little Rus' (Little Russia-Ukraine), especially accelerated in the last two or three decades. The West is rapidly turning the southern branch of Russians (Little Russians) into “Ukrainians” - ethnographic mutants, orcs who have lost the memory of their origin, are quickly losing their native language and culture. Instead, the death program is loaded, the “orc-Ukrainians” hate everything Russian, Russians and become the spearhead of the West for a further attack on the lands of Russian civilization (the superethnos of the Rus). The masters of the West gave them one goal - to die in battle with their brothers, weakening Russian civilization with their death.

The only way out of this civilizational, historical catastrophe is the return of Little Rus' to a single Russian civilization and the denazification of the “Ukrainians”, the restoration of their Russianness. It is clear that this will take more than one decade, but as history and the experience of our enemies show, all processes are manageable. Kharkov, Poltava, Kyiv, Chernigov, Lvov and Odessa must remain Russian cities, despite all the machinations of our geopolitical opponents.

The first time Koenigsberg almost became Slavic again was during the Seven Years' War, when Russia and Prussia were opponents. In 1758, Russian troops entered Königsberg. Residents of the city swore allegiance to the Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Until 1762 the city belonged to Russia. East Prussia had the status of a Russian general government. However, after the death of Empress Elizabeth, he came to power Peter III. Once in power, Emperor Peter III, who did not hide his admiration for the Prussian king Frederick II, immediately stopped military operations against Prussia and concluded the St. Petersburg Peace Treaty with the Prussian king on conditions extremely unfavorable for Russia. Pyotr Fedorovich returned to Prussia the conquered East Prussia (which by that time had already been four years integral part Russian Empire) and abandoned all acquisitions during the Seven Years' War, which was practically won by Russia. All the sacrifices, all the heroism of the Russian soldiers, all the successes were wiped out in one fell swoop.

During World War II, East Prussia was the Third Reich's strategic springboard for aggression against Poland and the Soviet Union. East Prussia had a developed military infrastructure and industry. Bases were located here German Air Force and the Navy, which made it possible to control most of Baltic Sea. Prussia was one of the most important regions of the German military-industrial complex.

The Soviet Union suffered enormous losses, human and material, during the war. Not surprisingly, Moscow insisted on compensation. The war with Germany was far from over, but Stalin looked to the future and expressed the Soviet Union's claims to East Prussia. Back on December 16, 1941, during negotiations in Moscow with A. Eden, Stalin proposed attaching a secret protocol to the draft agreement on joint actions (they were not signed), which proposed separating East Prussia and part of it with Königsberg to transfer to the USSR for a period of twenty years as guarantees of compensation for losses incurred by the USSR from the war with Germany.

On Tehran Conference in his speech on December 1, 1943, Stalin went further. Stalin emphasized: “The Russians do not have ice-free ports on the Baltic Sea. Therefore, the Russians need the ice-free ports of Königsberg and Memel and the corresponding part of East Prussia. Moreover, historically these are primordially Slavic lands.” Judging by these words, Soviet leader not only realized strategic importance Koenigsberg, but also knew the history of the region (the Slavic version, which was outlined by Lomonosov and other Russian historians). Indeed, East Prussia was an “original Slavic land.” During the conversation between the heads of government during breakfast on November 30, Churchill said that “Russia needs to have access to ice-free ports” and “... the British have no objections to this.”

In a letter to Churchill dated February 4, 1944, Stalin again addressed the problem of Königsberg: “As for your statement to the Poles that Poland could significantly expand its borders in the west and north, then, as you know, we agree with this with one amendment. I told you and the president about this amendment in Tehran. We claim that the northeastern part of East Prussia, including Königsberg, as an ice-free port, will go to the Soviet Union. This is the only piece of German territory that we claim. Without satisfying this minimal claim of the Soviet Union, the concession of the Soviet Union, expressed in recognition of the Curzon line, loses all meaning, as I already told you about this in Tehran.”

Moscow’s position on the issue of East Prussia on the eve of the Crimean Conference is set out in a brief summary of the note of the Commission on Peace Treaties and Post-War Organization “On the Treatment of Germany” dated January 12, 1945: “1. Changing the borders of Germany. It is assumed that East Prussia will go partly to the USSR, partly to Poland, and Upper Silesia to Poland...”

Great Britain and the USA have long tried to push the idea of ​​decentralizing Germany, dividing it into several state entities, including Prussia. At the Moscow Conference of the Foreign Ministers of the USSR, USA and Great Britain (October 19-30, 1943), British Foreign Minister A. Eden outlined the British government's plan for the future of Germany. “We would like,” he said, “to divide Germany into individual states"In particular we would like the separation of Prussia from the rest of Germany." At the Tehran Conference, American President Roosevelt proposed discussing the issue of the dismemberment of Germany. He said that in order to “stimulate” discussion on this issue, he would like to outline the plan he personally drew up two months ago for the dismemberment of Germany into five states. So, in his opinion, “Prussia should be as weakened as possible and reduced in size. Prussia should constitute the first independent part of Germany...” Churchill put forward his plan to dismember Germany. He proposed, first of all, to “isolate” Prussia from the rest of Germany. “I would keep Prussia in harsh conditions,” said the head of the British government.

However, Moscow was against the dismemberment of Germany and eventually achieved the concession of part of East Prussia. England and the United States agreed in principle to satisfy Moscow's proposals. In a message to J.V. Stalin received in Moscow on February 27, 1944, Churchill indicated that the British government considered the transfer of Koenigsberg and the surrounding territory to the USSR “a fair claim on the part of Russia... The land of this part of East Prussia is stained with Russian blood, generously shed for common cause... Therefore, the Russians have a historical and well-founded claim to this German territory».

In February 1945, the Crimean Conference took place, at which the leaders of the three Allied powers practically resolved issues related to the future borders of Poland and the fate of East Prussia. During the negotiations, British Prime Minister W. Churchill and American President F. Roosevelt stated that, in principle, they were in favor of the dismemberment of Germany. The British Prime Minister, in particular, again developed his plan for the separation of Prussia from Germany and “the creation of another large German state in the south, the capital of which could be in Vienna.”

In connection with the discussion at the conference " Polish question" it was essentially decided that "all of East Prussia should not be transferred to Poland. The northern part of this province with the ports of Memel and Koenigsberg should go to the USSR. The delegations of the USSR and the USA agreed to provide compensation to Poland “at the expense of Germany,” namely: parts of East Prussia and Upper Silesia “up to the line of the Oder River.”

Meanwhile, the Red Army had practically resolved the issue of liberating East Prussia from the Nazis. As a result of successful offensives in the summer of 1944, Soviet troops liberated Belarus, part of the Baltic states and Poland and approached the German border in the region of East Prussia. In October 1944, the Memel operation was carried out. Soviet troops not only liberated part of the territory of Lithuania, but also entered East Prussia, surrounding the city of Memel (Klaipeda). Memel was captured on January 28, 1945. The Memel region was annexed into the Lithuanian SSR (a gift from Stalin to Lithuania). In October 1944, the Gumbinnen-Goldap offensive operation was carried out. The first assault on East Prussia did not lead to victory. The enemy had too strong a defense here. However, the 3rd Belorussian Front advanced 50-100 kilometers and captured over a thousand settlements, preparing a springboard for a decisive push on Königsberg.

The second assault on East Prussia began in January 1945. During the East Prussian strategic operation (it was divided into a number of front-line operations), Soviet troops broke through German defense, reached the Baltic Sea and eliminated the main enemy forces, occupying East Prussia and liberating the northern part of Poland. April 6 - 9, 1945 during Koenigsberg operation Our troops stormed the fortified city of Königsberg, defeating the Königsberg Wehrmacht group. The 25th operation was completed with the destruction of the Zemland enemy group.

At the Berlin (Potsdam) conference of the leaders of the three allied powers on July 17 - August 2, 1945, which took place after the end of hostilities in Europe, the issue of East Prussia was finally resolved. On July 23, at the seventh meeting of the heads of government, the issue of transferring the Königsberg region in East Prussia to the Soviet Union was considered. Stalin stated that “President Roosevelt and Mr. Churchill gave their consent on this matter at the Tehran Conference, and this issue was agreed upon between us. We would like this agreement to be confirmed at this conference.” During an exchange of views, the US and British delegations confirmed their consent, given in Tehran, to the transfer of the city of Königsberg and the surrounding area to the USSR.

The minutes of the Potsdam Conference stated: “The Conference considered the proposals of the Soviet government that from now on final decision territorial issues in a peaceful settlement, the part adjacent to the Baltic Sea western border The USSR passed from a point on the Eastern shore of the Danzig Bay to the east - north of Braunsberg-Goldan to the junction of the borders of Lithuania, Polish Republic and East Prussia. The Conference agreed in principle to the Soviet Union's proposal to transfer to it the city of Königsberg and the surrounding area, as described above. However, the exact boundary is subject to expert research.” In the same documents, in the “Poland” section, the expansion of Polish territory at the expense of Germany was confirmed.

Thus, the Potsdam Conference recognized the need to exclude East Prussia from Germany and transfer its territory to Poland and the USSR. “Expert studies” did not follow due to the change international situation, but this does not change the essence of the matter. There are no deadlines (“50 years”, etc., as some anti-Soviet historians claim) for which Königsberg and the surrounding area were supposedly transferred to the USSR, allied powers not installed. The decision was final and indefinite. Koenigsberg and the surrounding area became Russian forever.

On August 16, 1945, an agreement on the Soviet-Polish state border was signed between the USSR and Poland. In accordance with this document, the Mixed Soviet-Polish Demarcation Commission was formed, and demarcation work began in May 1946. By April 1947, the state border line was demarcated. On April 30, 1947, the corresponding demarcation documents were signed in Warsaw. On April 7, 1946, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a Decree on the formation of the Koenigsberg region on the territory of the city of Koenigsberg and the adjacent region and on its inclusion in the RSFSR. On July 4, it was renamed Kaliningradskaya.

Thus, the USSR eliminated a powerful enemy bridgehead in the northwestern direction. In turn, Königsberg-Kaliningrad became a Russian military-strategic bridgehead in the Baltic. We have strengthened the naval and air capabilities of our armed forces in this direction. As Churchill rightly noted, former enemy Russian civilization, but a smart enemy, it was a fair act: “The land of this part of East Prussia is stained with Russian blood, generously shed for a common cause... Therefore, the Russians have a historical and well-founded claim to this German territory.” The Russian superethnos returned part of the Slavic land that was lost many centuries ago.

Kaliningrad. The westernmost regional center of the Russian Federation, its “foreign territory”, surrounded by the countries of the European Union... But that’s not what this story is about.

Until July 1946, Kaliningrad was called Königsberg. The city became part of Russia by decision of the Potsdam Conference of the USSR, Great Britain and the USA, held in July 1945. Before that, Koenigsberg was part of Germany and was actually the “second capital” after Berlin.

In my opinion, the history of Königsberg began not in 1255 (the year the Königsberg fortress was founded), but a little earlier. In 1190, the Teutonic Order was founded in Palestine. The Order was officially approved by the Pope Innocent III in 1198.

Knights of the Teutonic Order

After the end of the Crusades, the Order received some lands in Germany and southern Europe. IN central Europe the land had long been divided and therefore the gaze of the knights of the Order turned to the east.
At that time, Prussian tribes lived on the territory of the Kaliningrad region and part of present-day Poland. This group of tribes was related to the Latvian, Lithuanian and Slavic peoples. The ancient Greeks traded with the Prussians - they bought amber in exchange for weapons. Also, mentions of the Prussians can be found in the works of Pliny the Elder, Tacitus and Claudius Ptolemy. In IX - XIII centuries Christian missionaries visited Prussian lands more than once.

The conquest of Prussia by the Teutonic Order took a long time. In 1255, the crusaders founded the Königsberg fortress on the site of the Prussian village of Tvangeste (according to other sources - Tuvangeste or Twangste). There is a legend that the knights witnessed solar eclipse. They considered this a sign, and therefore the Königsberg fortress (Royal Mountain) was founded on the site. The honor of founding the city is attributed to the Bohemian king Ottokar II Przemysl. However, there is an opinion that the name is more of a tribute to the knights' respect for royalty.

Ottokar II Przemysl (1233 - 1278)

Königsberg Castle. Pre-war years

Three cities were founded around the Königsberg fortress: Altstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht. The cities were part of the Hanseatic Trade League.

Interestingly, the city of Königsberg appeared only in 1724, when Altstadt, Kneiphof and Löbenicht united. Therefore, some historians consider 1724 to be the year of the founding of Königsberg. The first burgomaster of the united city was the burgomaster of Kneiphof, Dr. legal sciences Zacharias Hesse.

The oldest building preserved in Kaliningrad is the Juditten Church. It was built in 1288. The building successfully survived the Second World War, but was destroyed by settlers from the USSR. Only in the 1980s was the church actually rebuilt and now the Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral is located there.

Juditten-Kirch. Modern look

The main symbol of the city of Kaliningrad is the Cathedral. It was founded in 1325. The first version of the cathedral was realized in 1333 - 1345, and was subsequently rebuilt many times. Initially it was just a church, and the name Cathedral was given only in the 17th century, possibly due to the presence of local church authorities there. The cathedral was very badly damaged by the British air raid on Königsberg on August 29-30, 1944 and the battles in April 1945. The outer part was restored only in 1994 - 1998, and now there is a museum there.

Cathedral. Modern look


One of the attractions of the cathedral is the large organ.

Since 1457, Königsberg was the residence of the masters of the Teutonic Order. At this time, the Order waged a war with Poland, which ended in 1466 with the signing of the Second Peace of Torun. The order was defeated and until 1657 was a vassal of Poland. The Order was already greatly weakened and already in 1525 Albrecht Hohenzollern secularized the lands of the Order and founded the Duchy of Prussia.

Duke Albrecht (1490 - 1568)

Before taking such a step, Albrecht consulted, among other things, with Martin Luther. It is interesting that Luther's son Johann (Hans) is buried in Altstadt, in the church of St. Nicholas (which was demolished in the 19th century). The daughter of the great reformer Margarita married the Prussian landowner Georg von Künheim and settled on the Mulhausen estate (now the village of Gvardeiskoye, Bagrationovsky district). She died in 1570 and was buried in the local church.

The history of the Teutonic Order did not end with the secularization of its lands. The order was dissolved in 1809, restored in 1834 in Austria, and existed until the Anschluss of Austria and the seizure of Czechoslovakia by Germany in 1938 - 1939. After the Second World War, the Order was restored and now the residence of the master is in Vienna.

In addition to the masters of the Order, one of the figures of German classical philosophy, Immanuel Kant, whose name is also associated with the city, is buried in the Cathedral. Nowadays the newly formed Baltic Federal University bears his name.

Immanuel Kant (1724 - 1804)

The name of Albrecht Hohenzollern is associated with the founding of the Albertina University of Königsberg. Albrecht began his reign as Duke of Prussia in 1525 by ordering the collection of all the necessary books for the university library. Among those who helped Albrecht found the university was the Belarusian pioneer printer Francis Skaryna. A monument to him can now be seen in front of one of the buildings of the Baltic Federal University. I. Kant.

Monument to Francis Skaryna (left)

IN different years Johann Hamann, Johann Herder, Friedrich Bessel, Carl Jacobi, Ferdinand von Linderman, Adolf Hurwitz, David Hilbert, Hermann Helmholtz worked and gave lectures at Albertina; studied theology, the founder of Lithuanian fiction Kristionas Donelaitis; listened to lectures on philosophy by the writer and composer Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann. It is also worth mentioning that Immanuel Kant worked here.

The Albertina tradition is continued by the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, which was founded in 2010 on the basis of the Russian State University. I. Kant by decree of the President of the Russian Federation.

After the Thirty Years' War, another war followed - the Northern War (1655 - 1660). In it, Sweden fought against Poland for the Baltic territories and dominance in the Baltic Sea. During this war, Prussia's dependence on Poland was ended. The Brandenburg-Prussian state was created, with Berlin as its capital. Elector Frederick III declared himself King Frederick the First of Prussia. During his reign, Peter I visited Königsberg several times, to whom Frederick presented the famous Amber Room and the pleasure yacht "Liburica". Frederick I himself, among other things, was very fond of tall soldiers and collected them throughout Europe. Therefore, Peter, as a return courtesy, presented the king with 55 selected grenadiers of the tallest stature.


Amber room. Restored view

The Amber Room remained in Pushkin until 1942. Retreating, the Germans took the room to Königsberg, where it was mounted for display to a narrow circle of people. In 1945, it was hidden in the castle cellars. Further fate rooms unknown. According to one version, it is still located under the ruins of the castle. According to others, she could have ended up on board the Wilhelm Gustloff or somewhere in Germany. For the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the Amber Room was restored (including with the involvement of German capital) and is now available for visiting in the Catherine Palace.

Many people know Frederick II the Great. Interestingly, he settled the empty lands of Prussia, trying to increase the number of taxpayers. To increase employment, the king sharply opposed machine technology. In addition, the king believed that the roads should be in poor condition in order to impede the movements of the enemy army. The Prussian army was one of the best in Europe.
In 1758 - 1762 Koenigsberg was part of the Russian Empire. At that time, the city was governed by a governor. One of the governors was Vasily Ivanovich Suvorov - the father of the great commander Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. After V.I. Suvorov, Pyotr Ivanovich Panin (1721 - 1789), who participated in the suppression of the Pugachev uprising, became governor. By the way, Emelyan Pugachev took part in the Seven Years' War and could well have visited Königsberg.

Vasily Ivanovich Suvorov (1705 - 1775)

We should also remember Queen Louise, the wife of King Frederick William III. Her life is continuously connected with the dramatic events of Prussia's struggle against Napoleon. She died in 1810, before the victory over Napoleon.

Queen Louise (1776 - 1810)

A city alley was named in her honor, and there was a Queen Louise shelter for poor women (the building has not survived). Also in 1901, the Queen Louise Church was built (nowadays there is a puppet theater there). In the village of Nidden (now Nida, Lithuania) on the Curonian Spit there was a boarding house for Queen Louise and a monument in her honor.

Church of Queen Louise. Modern look

According to the Peace of Tilsit, Prussia had to pay a huge indemnity. Of this amount, Königsberg owed 20 million francs (later the amount was reduced to 8 million). It is interesting that the city paid this amount to France until 1901.

During the Napoleonic wars, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov visited Koenigsberg while passing through. The famous writer Stendhal visited Königsberg twice - first on his way to Moscow, captured by Napoleon. And then Stendhal had to flee Moscow. Moreover, he was in such a hurry that he overtook the retreating French army. Denis Vasilyevich Davydov was also in Königsberg.

In the 19th and 20th centuries the city grew and developed. To mid-19th century, Königsberg bore the imprint of a typically medieval city - there were very few trees on the streets. It was only in 1875 that the Landscaping Union was created. In 1928, the green area of ​​Königsberg was approximately 6,303,744 m2. Unfortunately, the city's green attire is now experiencing an increasingly persistent attack by industrial and residential buildings.

I have covered only a small fraction of what can be told about the history of Königsberg. The destinies of many people are connected with this city. To tell about everything, you need a book as thick as several volumes of War and Peace. However, what I told are very bright moments in the history of Koenigsberg that should not be forgotten,


Kneiphof after a British air raid. 1944

The Second World War did not spare Koenigsberg. Many unique buildings have been lost forever. The city was not spared and the people who came to equip the new Soviet region. However, a piece of Königsberg is present in today’s Kaliningrad, playing direct role in the history of the new city.

It is worth adding that the Germans show a noticeable interest in the history of Königsberg - Kaliningrad. You can constantly see German tourists on the street. In addition, in Duisburg there is a German center for the study of everything related to the history of Königsberg.

Kneiphof model. The author is a native of Königsberg, Horst Dühring.

To conclude, I will voice the motto of the Year of Germany in Russia: “Germany and Russia - create the future together.” I think this very accurately applies to the history of Kaliningrad - Königsberg.

Kaliningrad is a unique city in many ways, with an amazing history, shrouded in many mysteries and secrets. The architecture of the Teutonic Order is intertwined with modern buildings, and today, walking along the streets of Kaliningrad, it is difficult to even imagine what kind of view will open around the corner. This city has more than enough secrets and surprises - both in the past and in the present.

Koenigsberg: historical facts

The first people lived on the site of modern Kaliningrad back in the first millennium BC. Remains of stone and bone tools were discovered at tribal sites. A few centuries later, settlements were formed where artisans who knew how to work with bronze lived. Archaeologists note that the finds most likely belong to Germanic tribes, but there are also Roman coins issued approximately in the 1st-2nd centuries AD. Until the 12th century AD These territories also suffered from Viking raids.

But the settlement was finally captured only in 1255. The Teutonic Order not only colonized these lands, but also gave the city a new name - King's Mountain, Königsberg. The city first came under Russian rule in 1758, after the Seven Years' War, but less than 50 years later, Prussian troops recaptured it. During the time that Königsberg was under Prussian rule, it was radically transformed. A sea canal, an airport, many factories, a power plant were built, and a horse-drawn horse was put into operation. Much attention was paid to education and support of art - the Drama Theater and the Academy of Arts were opened, and the university on Parade Square began accepting applicants.

Here in 1724 the famous philosopher Kant was born, who did not leave his beloved city until the end of his life.

World War II: battles for the city

In 1939, the city's population reached 372 thousand people. And Koenigsberg would have developed and grown if World War II had not begun. Hitler considered this city one of the key ones; he dreamed of turning it into an impregnable fortress. He was impressed fortifications around the city. German engineers improved them and equipped concrete pillboxes. The assault on the defensive ring turned out to be so difficult that for the capture of the city, 15 people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

There are many legends telling about the secret underground laboratories of the Nazis, in particular about Konigsberg 13, where psychotropic weapons were developed. There were rumors that the Fuhrer's scientists were actively studying the occult sciences, trying to exert an even greater influence on the consciousness of people, but there was no documentary evidence of this.

During the liberation of the city, the Germans flooded the dungeons and blew up part of the passages, so it still remains a mystery - what is there, behind tens of meters of rubble, maybe scientific developments, and maybe untold riches...

It is there, according to many scientists, that the legendary amber room, taken from Tsarskoe Selo in 1942.

To avoid possible protest sentiments, new city It was decided to populate it with a population loyal to the Soviet regime. In 1946, more than twelve thousand families were “voluntarily and forcibly” transported to the Kaliningrad region. The criteria for selecting migrants were specified in advance - the family must have at least two adults, able-bodied people, it was strictly forbidden to relocate “unreliable” people, those who had a criminal record or family ties with “enemies of the people.”

The indigenous population was almost completely deported to Germany, although they lived for at least a year, and some even two, in neighboring apartments with those who had recently been sworn enemies. Clashes happened often, cold contempt gave way to fights.

The war caused enormous damage to the city. Most of the agricultural land was flooded, 80% industrial enterprises were either destroyed or seriously damaged.

The terminal building was seriously damaged; all that remained of the grandiose structure were the hangars and the flight control tower. Considering that this is the first airport in Europe, enthusiasts dream of reviving its former glory. But, unfortunately, funding does not allow for a full-scale reconstruction.

The same sad fate befell the Kant House Museum; a building of historical and architectural value is literally falling apart. It is interesting that in some places the German numbering of houses has been preserved - the counting is not by buildings, but by entrances.

Many ancient churches and buildings are abandoned. But there are also completely unexpected combinations - several families live in the Taplaken castle in the Kaliningrad region. It was built in the 14th century, since then it has been rebuilt several times, and is now recognized as an architectural monument, as stated on the sign on the stone wall. But if you look into the courtyard, you will find a children’s playground and modern double-glazed windows installed. Several generations have already lived here and have nowhere to move.

City, time, power

Three cities of Königsberg

It is known that in the winter of 1255 a detachment of crusaders invaded the northern part of Prussia and the Samland Peninsula. The most senior “in rank” in the detachment was the Czech king Otakar II Přemysl. The knights captured and destroyed the Prussian fortress of Twangste, and in its place they erected a new fortification. The fortress was named Koenigsberg, which means: Royal Mountain. Gradually, settlements arose near the fortress, which became cities.

The settlement between the fortress and the Pregel River was named Altstadt. On February 28, 1286, according to the charter of the Prussian landmaster Konrad von Thierenberg, Altstadt began to officially be called a city.

On May 27, 1300, the Königsberg commander Bruhaven granted city rights to the second settlement. At first it was called Neustadt, but then another name took root - Löbenicht. This city is located east of the fortress.

In April 1327, the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Werner von Orseln, announced the granting of city rights to Kneiphof, which was located on an island formed by branches of the Pregel River.

Over time, nearby craft settlements, villages and settlements began to merge into the Königsberg cities. Thus, a kind of urbanized conglomerate was formed at the mouth of the Pregel. It was dominated by a fortress-castle on the mountain, which, in fact, was called Koenigsberg. Adjoining it was a small territory to the north and northwest, which was the property of the Teutonic Order.

Near the castle, as already mentioned, three medieval cities nestled: Altstadt, Löbenicht and Kneiphof. They had a fairly wide range of privileges included in the concept of Kulm (Helm) law. A system of sovereign city rights developed in Germany back in the 13th century under the name “Magdeburg Law”. Its Prussian version focused on the highest courts of appeal in the city of Kulm (Helm), and then in the city of Thorn (Toruń). City rights, guaranteeing relative independence from feudal authorities, remained in gradually decreasing importance until the 19th century.

It should be noted here that, in addition to Altstadt, Löbenicht and Kneiphof, medieval village-communities located outside the boundaries of the Königsberg cities also had fairly broad powers. Some of them had their own office work, seal and coat of arms. These included the Königsberg suburbs: Burgfreiheit, Tragheim, Hinter-Rossgarten, Vorder-Rossgarten, Neue-Sorge; related to Altstadt: Steindamm, Neu-Rossgarten, Laak, Lastadi, Lomse; related to Löbenicht: Anger, Sackheim; related to Kneiphof: Vorder-Forstadt, Hinter-Forstadt, Haberberg, Alter-Garten. Expanding, the fortress and cities absorbed new territories.

How did administrative services work in the Königsberg cities? The entire urban population, as a rule, was divided into several classes. The group of large burghers consisted of merchants and brewers. The category of small burghers included artisans and shopkeepers. Separate layers made up other groups of the population. In the beginning suffrage belonged only to the city elite, over time the majority of citizens received the right to choose.

In each city, a city council of just over ten people was elected. The City Council, in turn, elected the burgomaster and vice-burgomaster, and appointed officials responsible for areas of work. I must say that wages At first, the members of the Council did not receive any money, working, as we would say, on a voluntary basis. It follows from this that city officials were quite wealthy people, they served not for gold, but for conscience, however, then selfless service for the benefit of the citizens became obsolete. At the beginning of the 18th century, the burgomaster of Altstadt, for example, received 300 thalers per year. Let’s compare: Immanuel Kant, working around the same years as an assistant librarian, received 62 thalers per year, the highest government salary that I. Kant received as a professor did not exceed 620 thalers per year, and the philosopher’s house after his death was sold for 130 thalers .

Of course, there was no division into districts in the medieval Königsberg cities. There were communities of citizens, usually coinciding in territory with church communities. At the head of the civil communities were elected elders. The opinion of the elders often played decisive role when discussing tax policy issues at the City Council. Representatives of the three city halls and all urban and suburban communities gathered together to consider matters concerning the life of the three cities of Königsberg.

Lack of space does not allow me to describe in detail administrative structure each city and community, especially since the system of interactions and relationships between authorities at all levels was quite complex. Democratic freedoms combined with dictatorship centralized system. Therefore, I will not delve into the jungle, especially since all this relates to matters of long ago. For interest, I will only note that in 1700 in the City Council of Altstadt, among other elected positions, there was one lifelong position of a clerk, who, although not a member of the Council, nevertheless worked in its composition.

Unification of cities

On June 13, 1724, the Prussian king Frederick William I signed a decree to unite the three cities and suburban communities into one city Koenigsberg. At the turn of the 19th and 20th years, a certain management system developed in Koenigsberg.

The city municipality had about one hundred elected deputies elected from three classes for a period of six years. The election procedure was organized in such a way that every two years a third of the members were re-elected. Members of the municipality elected the city council of 21 people. The Chairman of the Council was called the Oberburgomaster, his deputy - the Burgomaster. Councilors in charge of city services were appointed.

There was no regional division, as already mentioned, in our understanding of the word in Konigsberg. In terms of police, Koenigsberg was divided into 12 districts. At some sites there were additional posts and departments. In parallel with the police, seven criminal commissariats and two criminal authorities functioned in the city.

The church divided the territory of the city in its own way. The most significant in terms of influence, the Evangelical Church had more than 30 parishes, the Catholic Church - 6 parishes, the New Apostolic Church - 5 associations, and so on. There was a small Orthodox community in Königsberg. Certain parts of Königsberg wore traditional historical names, making it easier to navigate the city.

After all opening remarks You can go directly to the Koenigsberg mayors. You just have to keep in mind that the post of mayor was officially introduced in 1809; before that, the head of the city was called burgomaster. I will tell my story about the mayors from 1724, since I have not studied the personal composition of the burgomasters of the cities of Altstadt, Löbenicht and Kneiphof.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to remind you that in 1994 it will be 270 years since the formation of the united city of Königsberg.

Koenigsberg mayors

1. In 1724, Doctor of Law, Mayor of Altstadt 3. Hesse became the first mayor of the newly formed city of Königsberg. 3. Hesse remained in this position for six years until his death in 1730.

It must be assumed that a lot of all sorts of worries related to the establishment of a unified city mechanism fell on his shoulders. The population of Koenigsberg was more than 40,000 people, which was quite large at that time. The consequences of the terrible plague of 1709-1710, when about 18,000 people died from the epidemic, were not completely eliminated in the city.

A few months before the unification, in April 1724, Immanuel Kant was born in the Kneiphof suburb of Forstadt. It’s a pity that burgomaster 3. Hesse was not destined to find out about great destiny a brilliant contemporary of the glorious city of Konigsberg.

2. Royal Commissioner I. Fokkeradt replaced the deceased 3. Hesse. He served in office for two years. The residents of Koenigsberg should have been very grateful to him for the fact that during his time oil lamps were installed in the city. After all, before this, late walks around the city at night turned into a complete nightmare. Wealthy people hired torchbearers. And when the use of flammable torches was banned in 1704, they walked around with small lanterns or no lights at all.

3. In 1732, the post of mayor went to J. Grube. During his seven years in office, he had to deal with the troubles associated with the arrival of settlers from distant Salzburg in Konigsberg. Lutheran refugees, unable to bear the oppression from the Catholic environment, were forced to leave their homes and go to the shores of the cold, as it seemed to them, Baltic. The Salzburgers played a positive role in the industrial development of Königsberg, as among them there were many business people, skilled artisans and skilled craftsmen.

4. Ernst von Müllenheim did not remain in office for long, only a few months at the turn of 1739 and 1740. He had a very harsh winter. Even the usually ice-free Baltic Sea became covered with ice, and snow fell on May 7. The residents' fuel supplies were quickly dwindling, they were freezing and needed help.

5. In 1740, I. Schroeder was chosen as the head of Koenigsberg, who ruled the city for five years. The beginning of his activities in an honorary post coincided with the beginning of the reign of King Frederick the Great. The Prussian king didn’t really like Koenigsberg. The stingy monarch held the traditional coronation in Königsberg very modestly, although he donated a thousand thalers for the poor. After the coronation, the king ordered the creation of a big park on the site of the old royal garden.

6. The next mayor in 1746 was I. Kiesewetter (until 1751). On the one hand, this burgomaster promoted the development of the printed word: under him, the large newspaper and printing business of Hartung was founded in Königsberg. But on the other hand, there was no proper supervision of city bridges. As a result of negligence, the rotten pillars of the Green Bridge collapsed, and it collapsed into the river along with four random passers-by. But this loss did not significantly affect the size of the urban population - it reached 50,000 people.

7. In 1752, Daniel Ginderzin took over as mayor. He served in office for 28 years, breaking the record for the duration of all mayors of Konigsberg and Kaliningrad. But these years were not the calmest in the life of the city.

In 1758-1762, Königsberg, during the unsuccessful Seven Years' War for Prussia, became part of the Russian Empire. German self-government bodies needed to establish contacts with the Russian administration. Although the city privileges of Königsberg remained intact, the Prussian eagles on the coats of arms installed on the facades of some buildings were replaced by the double-headed Russian eagle. Only on the tower of the Orphanage in Sackheim is the Prussian eagle preserved.

On January 24, 1756 - the birthday of the Prussian king Frederick the Great - a ceremony was held in Königsberg to take the oath of allegiance to the Russian Empress Elizabeth. King Frederick did not like this turn of events; he was terribly offended by Konigsberg and never came to East Prussia again.

The Russian governor of Corf, who replaced the governor of Fermor, treated the city favorably and even completed the eastern wing of the Royal Castle. In July 1762, power in the city again passed completely to the German administration and Russian troops began to leave Koenigsberg. The Russian commandants of Koenigsberg during this period were General Rezanov and Brigadier Treiden.

But it was not only the concerns of relations with the Russians that worried the burgomaster. Severe fires in 1756, 1764, 1769, 1775 led to great disasters. The cold winter of 1761 created certain problems. Unfavorable economic situation led to a slight decrease in industrial production in Königsberg. But in contrast to this, there has been a revival of cultural life in the city.

8. In 1780, Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel was appointed burgomaster of Königsberg. He was born in 1744 in Gerdauen (now the village of Zheleznodorozhny) and made a career as a successful official. His hobby is literature, where he has achieved notable success. A close acquaintance with I. Kant does T. Hippel a great honor. His wonderful collection of paintings later became the property of Königsberg.

Theodor Hippel served as mayor until his death in 1796. His name was given to one of the city streets. Now this street is called Omskaya.

After a series of large fires under the previous burgomaster, the city gradually established normal life. Already in 1781, there were 224 breweries in Königsberg with excellently tasty beer. Trouble approached from the other side: overcrowding of the population and insufficient sanitation led to a cholera epidemic in 1794. With the onset of winter, cholera subsided, but very severe cold came again.

The next coronation in Königsberg took place on September 17-23, 1786. The new king Frederick William II, paying great attention to East Prussia, did not bypass Königsberg. True, the city did not receive any special generosity from him. But Koenigsberg very wisely and skillfully began to use the important benefit granted to it by the previous king Frederick II. This is the right of “marriage”, that is, the ability to determine the quality of goods passing through the city, which brought great benefits, given the presence of port facilities and transit transportation of goods in Koenigsberg.

9. Bernhard Gervais, who replaced T. Hippel, remained burgomaster until 1808. It is possible that the French sound of his surname had some effect positive influence on the state of the city during the period of confrontation with French Emperor Napoleon. After all, it is known that in 1807, after a short battle, Koenigsberg was entered French troops. Emperor Napoleon himself honored the city with his visit.

Natural disasters were added to the military misfortunes. In the autumn of 1801, severe hurricanes led to flooding that inundated Kneiphof. There was a big fire in 1803, and in December 1806 terrible hurricane struck the city again. In 1807, war travelers - epidemics of typhus and dysentery - took the lives of 10,000 people from the city. But still, despite the misfortunes, the population grew steadily and by 1800 it amounted to about 55,000 people.

Royalty often visited Königsberg, although, admittedly, many visits were forced. The coronation of Frederick William III took place at the Royal Castle from 3 to 9 June 1798. And then, from December 1806 to January 1807, the royal couple, forced to leave Berlin, lived in Königsberg. The military situation in the fight against France was clearly not in favor of Prussia. Therefore, Queen Louise, from January 1808 to December 15, 1809, was forced to live most of the time in Königsberg, and here on October 4, 1809, her son Albrecht was born.

10. Martin Deetz, who took office in March 1808, became officially known as Mayor in 1809. But it is not the place that makes the man, but the man the place. M. Deetz saw that, even with a new title, he could not cope with the avalanche of complex cases, and had the courage to resign the following year.

11. August Heidemann with great energy took over the management of the city during the difficult time of the actual French occupation of Koenigsberg. In the summer of 1812, Napoleon again arrived in Konigsberg and from here he set off on his inglorious Russian campaign.

The defeat of Napoleon in Russia caused a panicky retreat of the French through Koenigsberg and brought a lot of trouble to the city. In this difficult situation, A. Heidemann showed patriotism and statesmanship, trying to preserve the city. Fortunately, in January 1813, Russian troops, pursuing the French, entered Konigsberg. Units of the Prussian liberation army also entered Konigsberg.

Military spending heavy burden fell on the residents of Königsberg. To pay indemnity to the French conquerors, they transferred 1,784,450 thalers to the city treasury. The Prussian government then paid this huge debt to its people to the citizens of Königsberg until 1901!

Nevertheless, public life in Königsberg did not freeze. In 1809, the construction of a city was completed on the territory of the Royal Garden. opera house. In 1810, astronomer F. Bessel came to Konigsberg and headed the observatory, built by 1813. In 1811, the University Botanical Garden was created. But the severe fire of 1811 destroyed 144 houses and went down in the history of the city as one of the largest disasters.

In 1811, the streets of Königsberg received official names, and all houses were numbered according to a single system.

August Heidemann died on December 15, 1813. A small street in Sackheim, now Cherepichnaya Street, is named after him.

Flashed in the press interesting message that for a short period from the beginning of 1813, the Russian mayor of Koenigsberg, Major Pyotr Semenovich Stepanov, was appointed. But confirming. no documents have been found yet. But it is absolutely known that the Russian Lieutenant General Karl Karlovich Sivers was appointed commandant of the Königsberg fortress at that time. However, the Russians’ stay in Koenigsberg was short-lived this time.

12. Karl Horn became mayor of Königsberg on March 23, 1814, at the age of 35. He had work experience: for three years he held the position of burgomaster, the second most important. His patriotic sentiments during the period of the French invasion were widely known and earned respect. Karl Horn served as mayor until 1826 and died five years later. His name was given to the street, which is now called Sergeant Koloskov Street.

Mayor Horn paid a lot of attention to the organization of city government and streamlining the work of city services. And of course, it was not his fault that in January 1825 the city experienced severe flooding caused by a hurricane westerly wind.

13. Under this number in June 1826 as mayor. Johann List became the ruler of Königsberg and ruled the city until 1838. Natural disasters did not leave Koenigsberg. A flood in April 1829 inundated the western part of Kneiphof, and a cholera epidemic in 1831 killed 1,327 people. A cholera riot broke out in the city, resulting in the death of more than 30 people. In July 1832 there was a frost that destroyed part of the crop, but in the summer of 1838 it was so hot that the plants bloomed twice.

Koenigsberg gradually changed its medieval appearance. The first attempts are being made to replace old city wells with water supply. The first steamship sailed along the Pregel River.

14. Rudolf von Auerswald served as mayor of Königsberg for four years (1838-1842). The city continued to grow, incorporating suburbs outside the fortress walls. Its population reached 70,000 people.

But fires continued to plague residents. In 1839 there was a severe fire in Altstadt, which caused great losses.

The coronation of Friedrich Wilhelm IV in Königsberg took place on September 10, 1840 in the usual manner.

15. In March 1843, the Königsberg City Council was headed by August Kra. His concerns for the good of the city extended to the founding of the Urban Resources society, where donations from private individuals were concentrated. He tried to attract citizens to participate in financial support of the city. Unfortunately, A. Kra died of cholera on October 9, 1848, without having time to complete all his plans.

Under him, a new building for the university was laid on Parade-Platz. But the fires continued to rage: in 1845, 14 warehouses burned down. During the reign of A. Kra, construction began on a modernized ring of fortifications around the city with new gates.

16. The work begun by August Kra was continued by Karl Sperling. At first he served as the mayor of the city, and was officially elected on February 7, 1853. He held office until 1864. The city quickly began to join the benefits of civilization. In 1853, the first bright gas lamps were installed, replacing the dim and smoky oil lamps. In August of the same year, under the glare of gas lamps, the first train to Berlin departed from the brand new East Station. Telegraph machines were installed to communicate with the stations.

The winter of 1849 turned out to be cold; on January 11 the temperature dropped to minus 35 degrees. In 1857, cholera again visited Königsberg. To more successfully fight fires, a professional fire brigade was created in the city in 1858.

In 1855, the city authorities intended to magnificently celebrate the 600th anniversary of the founding of the Königsberg fortress. But due to a bad harvest and the king’s illness, he had to limit himself to church liturgy and a festive dinner for a limited circle of invited guests.

The new Prussian constitution did not allow the next Prussian king, William I, to be officially crowned in Königsberg. However, paying tribute to tradition, the royal couple visited the city in October 1861 and held a ceremony at the Royal Castle. Later in 1864, construction began on a new castle tower with a height of 97.87 meters above sea level, which was finally built in 1866.

17. After the death of Karl Sperling on July 8, 1864, the duties of the head of the city were performed by Mayor Bigork (until August 8, 1865). Due to the short duration of his tenure, it is difficult to assess the results of his activities. I will only note that in 1865 the railway connection between Koenigsberg and Pillau (Baltiysk) opened.

18. The duties of the mayor were then entrusted to the Landrat Commissioner Ernst von Ernsthausen, who remained in office until June 30, 1866.

19. And this short-term leapfrog of the authorities was completed by E. Retzenstein, who served as mayor until April 1, 1867. During his reign, cholera made itself known again: in 1866, 2,671 people died from it. By this time, the construction of new city gates in Königsberg had been completed.

20. The next mayor was Landrat Commissioner F. Kischke (from 1867 to 1872). The population of Koenigsberg by this time had reached 110,000 people. But the epidemics did not stop: in 1871, 771 people became infected with smallpox, and 1,790 people died from cholera.

In 1869, King Wilhelm honored with a visit to Königsberg. During the high visit, a great misfortune occurred: the railings of the bridge on Castle Pond collapsed, killing 33 people. And that same year there was a significant flood.

Meanwhile, in 1871, the state of Prussia ceased to exist, and Koenigsberg became part of Germany, retaining its significance as the capital of the Prussian province. King Wilhelm received the title of Emperor of Germany.

21. After the voluntary resignation of Friedrich Kischke in February 1872, Karl Szepanski acted as mayor. He was officially elected to the post on November 5, 1872. He headed the City Council for two years and did a lot of good things. Only cholera did not want to retreat and in 1873 it visited Koenigsberg again. And the next year, the first line of water supply networks came into operation, which contributed to a significant improvement in the sanitary situation in the city.

22. After the voluntary resignation of K. Shepanski, from October 1, 1874 to April 6, 1875, the City Council was headed by Brown.

23. In 1875, I. Selke, who had previously been the mayor of Elbląg, was confirmed as the head of Königsberg. He was born in 1836 and served in the war with France in 1870/71. Having become the mayor of Königsberg, Johann Selke actively contributed to the development of the city. During his presence there were held great work for sewerage and gasification.

In 1875, the construction of the trading exchange was completed, and in 1881, horse-drawn carriages opened in Königsberg - transporting passengers on rails in carriages driven by horses. This was the first sign of the beginning of democratic public transport.

Continued railway construction: in 1885, Koenigsberg was connected by a line with Kranz (Zelenogradsk), in 1891 - with Tilsit (Sovetsk). In 1892, the Walter-Simon-Platz sports ground (now the Baltika Stadium) was built and the first 544 telephone sets were supplied. In 1890, the city's first industrial power plant was built.

The population of Königsberg grew rapidly. If in 1880 there were 140,000 residents in the city, then in 1890 there were 160,000 people.

I. Selke died on June 29, 1893, and a street was named after him in the city, now Maly Lane.

24. Hermann Theodor Hoffmann was born in 1836 into the family of a Königsberg merchant. From the beginning of the seventies he worked as treasurer in the municipality, after 10 years he became burgomaster, and in 1893 - chief burgomaster. He died in 1902 and a small street in Koenigsberg was named after him; now it is part of Epronovskaya and Krasnooktyabrskaya streets.

The activities of this mayor were quite intense, as a simple listing of events can tell: 1895 - a pulp factory was founded in the Liep region and a meat processing plant in the Rosenau region. In the same year, an electric tram route was put into operation. Königsberg became the first city in Germany where the tram was city property. 1896 - opening of the zoo. 1897 - a construction school was opened on Schönstrasse. 1898 - a large student house was built - “Palaestra Albertina”. 1900 - construction of the small railway Koenigsberg - Neuhausen (Gurieven) - Curonian Lagoon was completed. In the same year, trains began operating on the lines Koenigsberg - Neukuren (Pionersky) - Rauschen (Svetlogorsk). 1902 - a new gas plant is built in Kosei and construction of a modern harbor begins. We still use much of what was built then.

True, the elements did not give up. On February 12, 1894, a strong storm was accompanied by a large surge of water. Then there was a small outbreak of cholera, but it seems that this disease visited Konigsberg for the last time. The heavy snowfall of 1899/1900 put a lot of work into the city's cleanup service.

The population of Königsberg at the beginning of 1900 was 190,000 people, the area of ​​the city was 2,000 hectares.

Koenigsberg becomes a major shopping center. More than 2,100 thousand tons of cargo pass through it annually. The revenue side of the city budget is expressed in the amount of 5,900 thousand marks per year.

25. Hermann Hoffmann died on June 30; from September 5, his deputy Paul Kunkel (1848-1925) began to perform the duties of mayor. When on February 3, 1903, Z. Körte was elected mayor, Paul Kunkel remained his deputy until 1913 and provided great assistance in the improvement of Königsberg. Quite deservedly, in 1933 a street was named after him - Kunkelstrasse, now it is a section of Karl Marx Street from Cosmonaut Leonov Street to Georgiy Dimitrov Street.

26. The fate of Lord Mayor Siegfried Körte was tragic. He was born in 1861 in Berlin in the family of a doctor, studied finance and law, then moved to Königsberg. In 1903 he was elected head of the city.

The beginning of his management was successful. Although strong westerly winds in 1905, floods brought seven times to the city, but did not cause significant harm. The snowy winter in 1908 forced the municipality to mobilize all forces to remove snow. A severe winter occurred in 1911/1912, followed by a very hot summer. In 1913, as a result of a storm, the water in Pregel rose to 163 centimeters higher than usual.

Koenigsberg continued to modernize. In 1905, the Kaiser-Brücke Bridge was built across the Pregel arm, connecting the island of Lomse with the densely populated area south of the island of Kneiphof. The following year the bridge on Castle Pond was reconstructed. In 1907, a powerful power plant was put into operation in the Kosei region, which gave new push development of the industrial potential of Koenigsberg. Since 1910, the annexation of new suburbs to the city began, which continued until 1939. Therefore, the population of Koenigsberg immediately increased sharply and amounted to about 250,000 people.

The war that began in 1914 disrupted the peaceful course of events. The front approached Koenigsberg. Russian troops approached Tapiau (Gvardeysk). Although they were soon forced to retreat, the battles raged very close to the city.

Then came the days of revolutions. On November 10, 1918, Mayor 3. Körte held the last meeting of the magistrate. After this, power in the city passed into the hands of the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies.

Removal from work, the ensuing serious operation, and the death of his beloved daughter undermined the strength of 3. Körte. He died on March 4, 1919, the day after the cessation of Soviet power in Konigsberg. In the city, one of the beautiful streets in the Amalinau area, which is now called Kutuzov Street, was named after him.

We owe the abundant green spaces that have remained in our city to this day to Lord Mayor Körtha. It was under him that the urban gardening industry was founded, green areas were created and the landscaping of the fortress ramparts was carried out.

27. Between November 10, 1918 and January 1919, the leadership of the city council was taken over by Albert Borowski (1876-1945), manager of the Königsberg branch of the Social Democratic Party. Albert Borowski was one of the organizers of consumer cooperation in the city and surrounding area, and worked as a city councilor for a long time. In 1934 he retired and lived in Rudau (Melnikov) and, apparently, died during hostilities.

Difficult situation, which developed in Koenigsberg during the revolutionary events, required the city authorities to exert maximum effort to prevent anarchy. To their credit, it should be noted that relative order and tranquility were ensured in the city; there were no robberies or violence.

28. For some time, from January to October 27, 1919, the post of mayor of Königsberg was filled by Erdmann, the city treasurer. At this time, government troops of General Winning entered the city, and Soviet power in Koenigsberg was liquidated.

29. In the same 1919, G. Lomeiter, born in 1881, became the mayor of Königsberg from July 23. This was the last mayor elected democratically in Königsberg. He did everything in his power to not only preserve the appearance and well-being of the city, but also bring it to a higher level of development in the conditions of the severe post-war crisis. In Königsberg, intensive urban construction continued, which began in late XIX century. The Koenigsberg-Moscow airline opens, the city radio station begins operating, and the East Prussian Fair begins to be held regularly. In 1927, the city magistrate moved to a new building on Hansaplatz (now Victory Square).

The area of ​​Königsberg in 1927 was 8,474 hectares, the population was about 280,000 people. The revenue side of the city budget in 1925 amounted to 31,560 thousand Reichsmarks.

With the Nazis coming to power, G. Lohmeiter was removed from office in 1933. He survived Hitler's regime, the destruction of Königsberg during World War II, and died in Berlin in 1968.

30. Helmut Bill was nominated for the post of Mayor of Königsberg Nazi Party in 1933 and remained in office until April 9, 1945, that is, until the city surrendered to the Red Army. After the surrender, G. Ville was taken into Russian captivity, where he remained for about ten years.

At first, life in the city continued to develop in peacetime conditions. The population of Königsberg in 1939, according to various estimates, ranged from 340,000 to 370,000 people; the latter figure is apparently more accurate. In 1941, the city had a population of about 380,000 people; the area of ​​Königsberg was 193 square kilometers.

In 1939, World War II began. The following January there was a very harsh winter. In June 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union.

Koenigsberg suffered from air raids. At the end of August 1944, two massive air raids on the city turned it into ruins. central part. The furious assault on Königsberg in April 1945 added to the destruction. Civilian population experienced enormous shocks and hardships.

The surrender of the Königsberg garrison opened another page in the history of the city.

Military Administration

After the capture of Koenigsberg by the Red Army in April 1945, the city was smoking with fires and gaping with destruction. All power in Konigsberg was transferred to the military commandant. On April 10, Major General M.V. Smirnov was appointed commandant of the city and fortress of Koenigsberg. In June 1945, he was replaced by Guards Major General M.A. Pronin.

On May 10, 1945, under the military commandant, a Provisional City Administration was created for civil cases. It had seven departments. Four days earlier, the German population was allowed to walk the streets from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Civil Affairs Department was headed by the Deputy Commandant. The city was divided into eight district commandant's offices, and a Temporary Civil Administration was also created at each district commandant's office.

This is the first period from martial law to peaceful life. It was necessary to extinguish the fires, clear the streets, register local population and provide him with food. The supply of water and electricity had to be established. Quite quickly we managed to put a pulp and paper mill into operation, open school No. 1, and create the first city construction organization UNR-230. In September 1945, the grand opening of the monument to fallen soldiers took place on Gvardeysky Prospekt.

On November 12, 1945, the Provisional City Administration for Civil Affairs compiled a certificate of strength German population Koenigsberg. There were 60,642 Germans in the city, of which 18,515 were men. 29,681 people were registered as able-bodied, 12,276 were children.

On November 19, 1945, a Provisional Civil Administration was created under the Military Council of the Special Military District, commanded by Guard Colonel General K. N. Galitsky. Guard Major General appointed head of the Provisional Civil Administration technical troops V. G. Guziy.

Civil administration

On April 7, 1946, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a Decree renaming Koenigsberg to Kaliningrad. At the same time, the Council of Ministers of the USSR creates a Civil Affairs Directorate in Kaliningrad, subordinate to the regional Civil Affairs Directorate.

On May 22, 1946, P.I. Kolosov was appointed head of the Kaliningrad Civil Affairs Department. Management services were located on Svyazistov Street (now Kommunalnaya Street).

In April 1947, Vladimir Mikhailovich Dolgushin, who had previously been deputy chief, was appointed acting head of the Kaliningrad Department of Civil Affairs.

The city gradually transitioned to peaceful life. In August 1946, the first settlers from Russia and Belarus began to arrive in Kaliningrad in an organized manner. The Pobeda cinema opened, and the Kaliningradskaya Pravda newspaper began publishing. German street names have been renamed. An important stage in the life of Kaliningrad was the launch of tram route No. 1.

Kaliningrad mayors

1. May 28, 1947 Supreme Presidium; The Council of the RSFSR abolished the Office of Civil Affairs and appointed the Executive Committee of Kaliningrad. V. M. Dolgushin (born in 1905) became the acting chairman of the city executive committee. He worked in this position until July 1947, and then became head of the public utilities department.

From the certificate compiled by V. Dolgushin, it is clear that the population of Kaliningrad in June 1947 was 211,000 people, including 37,000 Germans, of whom 1,700 were able-bodied. By this time, Kaliningrad was divided into six districts according to numbers.

2. On July 26, 1947, Pyotr Kharitonovich Murashko, born in 1899, was approved as chairman of the city executive committee. After elections to local councils were held in December 1947, a session of the city Council of Workers' Deputies confirmed the appointment of P. Murashko as chairman of the city executive committee. He remained in office until December 22, 1949 and was released from work at the proposal of the city committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) for the unsatisfactory state of affairs.

On July 25, 1947, four districts were formed in Kaliningrad: Baltic, Leningradsky, Moscow and Stalingrad. Later, the Central District was created, and the Stalingradsky District was renamed Oktyabrsky.

In 1946-1947, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a number of resolutions on the development of the Kaliningrad region. To implement government resolutions, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers A. N. Kosygin came to Kaliningrad.

The city was getting better peaceful life. The Kaliningrad theater showed its first performance, Kaliningrad radio started talking. In 1948 in North Atlantic As a fishing expedition set out, Kaliningrad began to acquire the importance of an important fishing supply point. Classes began at the pedagogical institute.

In 1947-1948 The resettlement of Germans from Kaliningrad to Germany was carried out.

The year 1949 was filled with many events, among them: the opening of the Energy College (later the Polytechnic), the commissioning of the restored South Station.

3. In the period from December 22, 1949 to March 1950, the duties of the chairman of the city executive committee were assigned to N. S. Serov.

4. Sergei Aleksandrovich Veselov, sent to Kaliningrad by decision of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, was elected as the next mayor in March 1950. He worked in this post until February 1951, after which he was elected chairman of the regional Trade Union Council.

Development continued in the city fishing industry. In May 1950, the Vessel Ferry Agency was formed.

5. On February 22, 1951, Vladimir Evgrafovich Pavlov was elected chairman of the Kaliningrad city executive committee (until March 1955).

The population of Kaliningrad stabilized for some time and fluctuated around 200,000 people. This may have been due to some uncertainty about the future of the Baltic city, although the media persistently carried out a campaign proving the ownership of the lands of East Prussia Slavic territories. In 1953, the first plan for the reconstruction of Kaliningrad was adopted. It should be noted that many central regions the cities still continued to lie in ruins, so Kaliningrad in those years made a rather gloomy impression, significantly lagging behind other Russian cities that suffered from the war in the pace of restoration work.

6. Alexander Nikitovich Nekipelov was nominated for the post of mayor on March 11, 1955 and served in office for two years.

In April 1956, on the way to England and upon returning back, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR N.A. Bulganin and Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee N.S. Khrushchev visited Kaliningrad. Apparently, this visit served as some impetus to intensify restoration work, although the consequences did not appear immediately.

7. On March 19, 1957, the session of the City Council elected Nikolai Fedorovich Korovkin, who headed the executive committee until 1963, as chairman of the executive committee.

The number of residents of Kaliningrad has finally exceeded the two hundred thousand mark and began to grow steadily. In 1961, 230,000 people lived in the city, in 1963 - about 240,000 people.

Finally, they began to systematically clear the city of war ruins. Unfortunately, under the hot hand, buildings suitable for restoration were demolished. But here the directive for the decisive eradication of elements of Gothic architecture in Kaliningrad was steadily in effect.

In September 1960, on his way to New York, Kaliningrad was again visited by the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee N. S. Khrushchev. Leaders of Eastern European countries also visited here: E. Y. Kadar (Hungary), G. Georgiu-Dej (Romania), as well as heads of delegations of the union republics: K. T. Mazurov (Belarus) and N. P. Podgorny (Ukraine) .

8. On May 9, 1963, Nikolai Petrovich Loshkarev became chairman of the Kaliningrad City Executive Committee. On March 2, 1966, he was removed from office for improper distribution of apartments.

N.S. Khrushchev visited Kaliningrad again on his way to Denmark and Norway. During this visit of the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, the city looked incomparably better than during previous visits. The Rossiya cinema was built in the center, and a pavilion for the North Station was built. Destroyed urban areas were intensively built up.

In July 1965, the holiday “Fisherman’s Day” was celebrated for the first time in Kaliningrad. The city was visited by cosmonauts Alexey Leonov and Pavel Blinov, who were awarded the title of honorary citizens of the city.

But the fight against German Gothic architecture spread to urban landscapes. For example, the construction of a large car park was allowed in the green zone behind the Lithuanian Val. Due to the delay in the construction of sewer networks, they gave the go-ahead to discharge feces into city water bodies. Some subsequent mayors can also be blamed for this.

9. Dmitry Vasilyevich Romanin headed the executive committee in March 1966. He was born on June 22, 1929 in the Bryansk region, graduated from a mechanical college and technical institute. Before being elected mayor of the city, he worked as second secretary of the Kaliningrad city committee of the CPSU. Resigned as mayor on August 17, 1972 in connection with his election as first secretary of the Kaliningrad city committee of the CPSU.

In 1967 it was approved Master plan reconstruction, construction and development of Kaliningrad. This plan, to some extent, sought to introduce variety into the monotony of block and panel construction. Some of the facilities included in this plan were built, but overall it was not implemented.

In 1968, they actively began to demolish the ruins of the Royal Castle, the next year they blew up the remains of the towers and began to build a multi-story House of Soviets, which is still unfinished.

The population of Kaliningrad was constantly increasing. In 1970 there were 300,000 people in the city, by 1972 there were already about 315,000 people. In 1971, Kaliningrad was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

The elements continued to rage under any government. In 1967, during a strong storm, the water in Pregol rose 160 cm above normal. And in the 1970s, the city suffered a planned disaster: all fences and fences near houses, squares and front gardens were removed. As a result, all courtyards turned into walk-through, trampled and littered areas.

10. On August 17, 1972, Viktor Vasilyevich Denisov was elected chairman of the city executive committee. From mayors Soviet period he served in office for the longest time - 12 years. Under him, at the end of 1973, the city executive committee moved to a building on Victory Square, the same one where the German municipality was located.

Intensive development continued in the city's microdistricts: along Gorky, Oktyabrskaya, and Batalnaya streets. Large-panel housing construction has acquired a dominant influence.

The improvement of the area around the Lower (Castle) Pond and a number of other measures to improve the appearance of the city made a favorable impression. In some places they began to restore fences near houses and public gardens again, although in general this work has not been completed to this day.

During this period, the construction of a new large overpass bridge was completed, connecting the central areas of Kaliningrad with the main railway and bus stations. The Puppet Theater opened in the restored Queen Louise Church in 1976, and the city concert hall began operating in the former Catholic church in 1980.

The length of the tram tracks (in single-track terms) was about one hundred kilometers, the number of tram cars was 210. In the same year, a trolleybus was launched in the city.

As for natural disasters, as a result of a strong hurricane on the night of January 5-6, 1975, water flooded the low-lying areas of the city. In January - February 1983, three hurricanes hit Kaliningrad; on January 18, the water in Pregol rose to a record high of 183 cm above normal.

The area of ​​Kaliningrad in 1983 was 198 square kilometers, the population was 374,000 people.

11. Boris Andreevich Fomichev, who worked at the Yantar plant, was elected to the position of mayor on December 26, 1984, worked in this post for four years, after which he returned to the Yantar plant.

By this time, the population of Kaliningrad was approaching 400,000 people, and they had to freeze a little in January 1987, since such a cold winter had not happened in the city for the last forty years.

So, gradually going through the mayors, we came closer to our days. The winds of perestroika blew. Changes took place in the echelons of power: they were divided into legislative and executive. According to the new laws, legislative power in Kaliningrad is concentrated in the City Council, which must elect a chairman by secret ballot. Executive power is vested in the head of the city administration, who must be elected to office through direct universal elections. But at the time of writing, he was appointed by Decree of the President of Russia.

12. On October 14, 1988, Nikolai Grigorievich Khromenko was elected chairman of the Kaliningrad City Executive Committee. At the end of March 1990, when the authorities were divided into two parts, N. Khromenko was elected chairman of the city council, continuing at the same time to serve as head of the city administration until April 1990. In April 1990, Georgy Nikolaevich Isaev was appointed head of the administration.

A year later, on April 5, 1991, N. Khromenko voluntarily left the post of chairman of the City Council.

I won’t talk about the life of Kaliningrad during this time of transition; it is in plain sight for all of us. It seems that the division of powers, at first, great benefit it didn't work for the city. Let me just say that the revenue side of the city budget in 1990 was 90,290,000 rubles. But since the division also affected financial bodies, it makes no sense to delve into the area of ​​monetary issues.

13. On April 29, 1991, Vitaly Valentinovich Shipov was elected chairman of the Kaliningrad City Council. On June 6, 1991, in connection with the resignation of G. Isaev, V. Shipov simultaneously held the position of head of the city administration.

14. In January 1992, the situation with the two authorities became somewhat clearer. Nadezhda Ivanovna Lazareva, who worked as an associate professor of the Department of Physics in Technical Institute. And a little earlier, by Decree of the President of Russia of December 24, 1992, Vitaly Valentinovich Shipov, captain of the second rank Navy, appointed head of the Kaliningrad administration.

So, the city authorities sat down in their chairs. Now we will wait for positive results. The next elections to local government, unless the laws change, should take place in 1995. Time flies inexorably...

List
mayors of Koenigsberg and Kaliningrad

Koenigsberg 1724-1945