Although first mentioned in 1507,[5] Tauragė did not receive itscity charter until 1924, and itscoat of arms (a silver hunting horn in a red field) until 1997.
The previously small town was significantly developed in the 19th century and early 20th century, however its architecture suffered devastating damages duringWorld War I andWorld War II.[6] Notable surviving buildings in the city include thecastle (19th centuryRussian Empire customs), 19th century Post office, buildings from the 20th century inter-war period, several churches: the Lutheran (built in 1843), the Catholic (1904) and Orthodox (1933). Lithuanian, Swedish and Danish factories operate in the city.
Tauragė is a conjunction of twoLithuanian words:[7]tauras, which means "aurochs", andragas which means "horn", hence the city's coat of arms. The city is known asTauragie inSamogitian, asTauroggen inGerman,Taurogi inPolish,Tovrig (טאווריג) inYiddish, andTaurage (Таураге; historicallyTauroggen [Таурогген] orTaurogi [Тауроги]) inRussian.
Historically, Tauragė has also been called Tavrik, Tavrogi, Tavrig, Tevrig, Taurik and Tarogen.[8][9][10] It is called Tan Ragh on the 1539Carta Marina.
Tauragė mentioned as "Tan Ragh" in a map dated 1539
Tauragė is situated between two Baltic tribes and at the edge of two historical regions. In 13th c. donations written byMindaugas, the king of Lithuania mentions that there are lands calledKaršuva (Carsovia) andSkalva (Scalovia). On the eve of theTeutonic Order aggression, Skalva was situated southwest of the current town. It was inhabited by the Baltic tribeSkalviai (Scalovians). To the northeast there was a land calledŽemaitija (Samogitia) withŽemaičiai (Samogitians) as inhabitants. Karšuva, the region which existed in these lands, was different because the peoples had the blood of theKuršiai (Curonians) andLamatiečiai (Lamatians), two nearby Baltic tribes. By inhabiting the northern borders of Skalva, the Carsovians became close to the Scalovians. Even the origin of the name Karšuva (Carsovia) can be linked to the ethnonym Kuršiai (Curonians), which is written asCori, Corres, Kauren in old historical sources.
When the war with the Teutonic Order broke out, ethnic and administrative borders started to change rapidly. It is possible that in the end of the 13th c. and the start of 14th c., when Skalva suffered heavy casualties, Samogitians, supported by the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, tried to push to the southwest. But due to non-stopping attacks by the Teutonic Order in the 14th c. they had to retreat. Only in the 15-16th c. when the wars were over did Samogitians come back to their former lands. At that time northern parts of Skalva, which were left for Lithuania, was inhabited by Samogitians, because most of the Scalovians were killed or fled during the attacks of the Order.[11]
In 1915, a significant part of the city's infrastructure was destroyed by German troops duringWorld War I. During the independent Republic of Lithuania (1918-1940), the war destroyed town grew rapidly and new modern buildings, factories were built. On September 9, 1927, therebellion against the authoritarian rule of PresidentAntanas Smetona broke out in Tauragė, but the revolt was quickly suppressed. After theSovietannexation of Lithuania in 1940, theTauragė Castle was a place of imprisonment for Lithuanian political dissidents andPOWs. Many local inhabitants, including the parents and relatives ofRoman Abramovich, were exiled toSiberia during theSoviet occupation in 1940. This saved the family fromthe Holocaust. WhenOperation Barbarossa commenced on June 22, 1941, the Soviets retreated, and Tauragė was captured by theGermanWehrmacht after heavy bombing on the same day. About 4,000 Jews were murdered in Tauragė and nearby villages (about 40% of Tauragė population). In the autumn of 1944, the German occupation ended and the Soviets replaced them with a renewed occupation lasting until 1990. During the Soviet occupation the town was rebuilt and grew very rapidly, although the pre-war old town architecture was not preserved. Even the old market square and one of the main streets, Kęstučio, had been completely destroyed and built over. Only some old buildings of the town centre have survived to this day.
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