Jieznas is a small city in the Prienai district municipality, Lithuania. It is located approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Prienai along the northern shores of Lake Jieznas. As of 2023, its population was 1,024.
Etymology
Jieznas is the Lithuanian name of the city. Transcribed versions in other languages include Polish: Jezno, Russian: Езно (Yezno), Belarusian: Езна (Yezna), and Yiddish: יעזנע (Yiezne). The origin of the name is uncertain; possible sources include Lake Jieznas, the stream Jieznelė, or the river Jieznis. It is most likely that the name of the lake was original, with the city and river names deriving from it.
A folk etymology recounts that Lake Jieznas was believed to be bottomless. According to the tale, three men dove into the lake to test its depth. The first two did not reach the bottom, but the third eventually emerged shouting in Russian: Есть дно! ("There's a bottom!"), after which the lake and the city were called Jiezno.
Geography
Jieznas covers an area of 2.50 km² (0.97 sq mi) and lies at an elevation of approximately 111 m (364 ft). It is situated in the ethnographic region of Dzūkija, within Kaunas County. The city is connected by roads to Rumšiškės and Alytus.
History
Jieznas was first mentioned in written sources in 1492 as property of the Grand Duke of Lithuania. In 1633, the settlement was acquired by the Pac family, who sponsored the construction of a church. This church was later reconstructed in Baroque style between 1768 and 1772.
In 1747, the Pac family built a luxurious palace in Jieznas. The palace featured 12 halls, 52 rooms, and 365 windows—corresponding to the number of months, weeks, and days in a year. It was decorated with frescoes, gilded engravings, and Venetian mirrors. The palace was lost due to family indebtedness in 1807 and was destroyed by a fire in 1837.
During the Lithuanian–Soviet War, the Battle of Jieznas (10–13 February 1919) was one of the first battles of the recreated Lithuanian Army against the Red Army. The Lithuanian victory prevented the Red Army from advancing on Kaunas. The battle is commemorated by the city's coat of arms, designed by Arvydas Každailis in 2002, which depicts an allegorical female figure holding a golden oak branch as a symbol of strength and victory.
On 2 September 1941, 144 Jews from Jieznas were shot near the lake in the village of Strazdiškės by Rollkommando Hamann, along with local policemen and members of the Riflemen's Union.
Demographics
Historical population figures for Jieznas include: 372 (1795), 1,255 (1897), 989 (1923), 797 (1959), 2,126 (1970), 1,883 (1989), 1,476 (2001), 1,204 (2011), 1,047 (2021), and 1,024 (2023).
Landmarks
- Šv. arkangelo Mykolo ir Jono Krikštytojo bažnyčia (Church of St. Michael the Archangel and John the Baptist): A Baroque twin-tower church originally built in 1670 and reconstructed in 1772. It contains valuable wall paintings from 1770–1772 by an unknown Italian artist and two brass bells from 1770 and 1878.
- Pac Palace ruins: The western wing of the former Pac family palace survives, though it was altered during reconstruction after 1953. The estate also includes a former servants' house, an agricultural building, and a mixed-plan park established in the first half of the 18th century.
- Jieznas Gymnasium: The local school was established in 1793 and became a gymnasium in 2006.
Administrative Status
Jieznas is the capital of the Jieznas eldership within the Prienai district municipality. It was granted city rights in 1956 and served as a district center from 1952 to 1960.
