Balbieriškis ( pl, Balwierzyszki; german: Bauwerischeck, Bauwersk; russian: Бальвержишки, Бальберишкис; yi, באַלבירישאָק, Balbirishok) is a small town in

Kaunas County Kaunas County ( lt, Kauno apskritis) is one of ten counties of Lithuania. It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Kaunas. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished. Symbols The county's coat of arms can be blazon ...

in central Lithuania. It is situated on the left bank of the

Neman River The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ; ...

. As of 2011 it had a population of 966. The town was established by German lumberman Hanus, who received a plot of land in wilderness of

Suvalkija Suvalkija or Sudovia ( lt, Suvalkija or ''Sūduva'') is the smallest of the five cultural regions of Lithuania. Its unofficial capital is Marijampolė. People from Suvalkija (Suvalkijans, Suvalkians) are called (plural) or (singular) in Lith ...

from Grand Duke

Sigismund I the Old Sigismund I the Old ( pl, Zygmunt I Stary, lt, Žygimantas II Senasis; 1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548. Sigismund I was a member of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the ...

. Hanus cleared the forest and built an estate. The settlement grew around the estate and was awarded city rights in 1530. However, the privileges were revoked in 1776.

References

Towns in Lithuania Towns in Kaunas County Suwałki Governorate Shtetls {{KaunasCounty-geo-stub