Anaičiai cemetery

Anaičiai is a small settlement in Palanga municipality, 5 km south of the centre of Palanga, near the old Klaipėda-Palanga road (the first gravel road on the right).

Užanaičiai, Anaičiai, a small settlement in Palanga municipality, 5 km south of the centre of Palanga, near the old Klaipėda-Palanga road (first gravel road on the right).

17 km north of Klaipėda, 8 km north-west of Kretingale.

In 1735 the village was called Aneiten. In 1785 it was mentioned as Uszeneiten-Gerge or Aneiten – a royal peasant village of Klaipėda County with 4 firemen.

In 1905 it was a village community of Kretingale parish of Klaipeda district with 9 houses, 76 inhabitants (69 Lithuanians), in 1910 – 70, in 1925 – 56 inhabitants. In 1939 it was merged with Graudušiai, Nemirseta and Šaipiai villages to form Nemirseta parish.

It belonged to Karklininkai parish. After 1945 it disappeared. The old cemetery was preserved. Anaičiai cemetery is described as one of the unique places in Klaipėda region – one of the most beautiful and neatest ethnographic Lutheran cemeteries.

It is different from the rest of Lithuania. Instead of stone gravestones, there are beautiful crosses made by blacksmiths. It is the crosses that attract the attention of visitors. This is another excellent example of Lutheran burial traditions.

The cast or wrought iron crosses, ‘tablechas’, granite and marble slabs typical of Lutheran cemeteries are much better preserved in this cemetery than in the old cemetery of Karkle Village I.