The Peaceful Memel: Meandering through the old and new world order

“Is your family German or Prussian?” our host, R., asked me abruptly in Lumpėnai, once Lompönen in the old Memel Territory, or Memelland as it is known in German. I was surprised. I had never been asked this question before.

I smiled. “Prussian. I am 100 percent Prussian.” R. smiled back. I continued: “On my father’s side from West Prussia, and on my mother’s side, my ancestors come from East Prussia. And my grandmother was born in Tilsit.” “Ah, very nice,” replied R.

Tilsit, today Sowetsk, is just 18 km from Lumpėnai. From the top of the sacred mountain Rambynas, or Rombinus in German, you can clearly see the silhouette of the city, and the Memel River as it majestically meanders through the Memelland.

Geopolitical Reflections published by https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/10/27/the-peaceful-memel-meandering-through-the-old-and-new-world-order/