Who do I have the honour to speak to? How do I apply? Sir or Madam? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a fisherman’s woman, I’ve lived here for a long time.It’s a pleasure to meet you. In my long life I have seen many families and curious children, romantic lovers, newlyweds “digging for honey”, and tourists and Klaipėda residents trying to remember every corner of Kopgale with wide eyes; Not really heard of? Then stop, take your time. Make yourself comfortable and listen to this special place, the northernmost of the Curonian Spit National Park.
Who do I have the honour to speak to? How do I apply? Sir or Madam? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m a fisherman’s woman, I’ve lived here for a long time.It’s a pleasure to meet you. In my long life I have seen many families and curious children, romantic lovers, newlyweds “digging for honey”, and tourists and Klaipėda residents trying to remember every corner of Kopgale with wide eyes; Not really heard of? Then stop, take your time. Make yourself comfortable and listen to this special place, the northernmost of the Curonian Spit National Park.
The tip of the ridge has been constantly changing under the influence of wind, storms, tides, alluvial deposits and loose sand. In the 18th century, after a long struggle against the forces of nature, man took root on the Neringa Spit. In 1814, the first permanent inhabitants of Kopgali from the Klaipėda suburb of Bomelsvite settled here. They spoke Curonian, German and Lithuanian. The Germans called this land Süderhuk, Süderhaken, Süderspitze (South Cape, promontory, peak, cape). The Prussian Curonians pronounced the place name in their own way – Ziderspice. It is strange why the northernmost part of the spit is called the “Southern Cape”, isn’t it? Süderhuk was created as a counterpoint to Norderhuk, the Northern Cape, which used to be on the mainland at the lighthouse, but was torn away by storms and winds;
The children of Kopgali were educated in the casemate of the Nerija Fort, later the Kopgali village school was moved to our ethnographic fisherman’s homestead, and finally the children started to study in the town; In the morning, they would walk along the lagoon shore or through a planted forest to the Smiltyne ferry; With the wind howling and the branches swaying, the bend in the road at Kopgalis Cemetery looked ominous;
Until the 20th century; The number of Copgallians grew in the beginning, but then dropped to 2-3 dozen permanent residents; 1904-1906; Lorez and Gwildies, fishermen from Kopgale, have become famous. At the harbour piers, they unsuccessfully attempted to fish with their ribbons for a white whale that had followed the herring schools; |Well, in 1913 m. 6 Kopgal fishermen’s families are allowed to collect amber.
19th – 20th centuries; At the turn of the 20th century, the excellent sandy beaches attracted holidaymakers from Klaipėda, and fishermen began to rebuild their houses, adapting them to the needs of holidaymakers and tourists. Reed roofs were replaced with tiles. The houses have spacious verandas. After they had practised, the townspeople set up their summer houses and became the new Kopgalians. The village has gradually transformed into a suburban resort. Colourful rows of bathing houses have sprung up on the beach in Kopgalis. Each of them had an exotic name – “Villa of the Fish-eater’s Scream”, “Sea View”, “House of Nervous Calm”, etc. Inside, holidaymakers enjoyed the wicker chairs, feasted at the flip-up tables, drank from the ornate paintings, and lit the kerosene lamps at dusk. Ladies were treated to coffee and pastries and men to hot grog and cigars. 1934 m. “Sea Day” events were held in Kopgalys – Smiltyne; Guests and participants of the festival could take a ride on motorised fishing boats. A carnival on the water was organised in the Mariana Islands between Kopgalis and the Smiltyne ferry pier. There was also a fishermen’s regatta. Even in the off-season, groups of schoolchildren picnickers would visit the village; They were playing, they were interested in the fort.
The normal flow of life was disrupted by the 1939; the forced return of the Klaipėda region to Germany. Some of the Copgalians rejoiced and ignored the premonitions of an impending war. The employees of the Lithuanian institutions who lived there hastily left Kopgalis and moved to Lithuania; The remaining young Copgalians were soon conscripted into the German army or navy, and the Nerija Fort was reoccupied by German troops; 1945 m. During the retreat, the German army unsuccessfully attempted to blow up the fort, but only the redoubt and the bridge over the moat were damaged.
A few hours later, the abandoned fort was occupied by Red Army troops; They found the village of Kopgalis empty. Soon afterwards, Kopgal was placed in a strict border zone; After the war, civilians and Soviet border guards settled in the abandoned villas and farmhouses. The ban on walking outside the countryside or by the seaside from 8pm onwards has long been in place; until 6am. Residents were required to report the appearance of strangers or suspicious behaviour by neighbours, and to carry special permits. Most of the settlers only cared about this day – after living in one part of an abandoned building, they would set up another one in the winter; Taip išnyko daugumas kaimo pastatų.Most of the settlers only cared about this day – after living in one part of an abandoned building, they would set up another one in the winter;
The remoteness and seclusion were beneficial for special guests. The “party bosses of the city” used to have orgies when they came here. In Kopgale, the party “cream” could relax without fear of gossip in the city; “Samane” flowed in streams, and young party women and beautiful Komsomol members catered to all the guests’ interests..; The Lithuanian Maritime Museum was established in the Nerija Fort, and a cylindrical aquarium was built on the site of the casemate;
Well, here we are at the end of the story. Nowadays, the village is reminded only by the marks of the foundations, the overgrown olive bushes, and a few apple trees that have reached maturity. Enough of this chatter, I have to go and do some work. Thank you, sir, madam, for talking to me. I have to say, it’s a great pleasure to meet the young people of the port city.
