Aknīste

Aknīste
Town
Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  Aknīša; Oknist; Aknysta;
Country	Latvia
District	Aknīste municipality
Town rights	1991
Area
• Total	133 km2 (51 sq mi)
Population
• Total	1,951
• Density	15/km2 (40/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	LV-5208
Calling code	+371 652

Aknīste () is a town in Aknīste municipality, Selonia, in the southern portion of Latvia, near the Lithuanian border. The town is located near the river Dienvidsuseja. For the first time name Akniste had been mentioned in year 1298. Town was a part of Lithuania for few centuries ( starting with 17th century), but at the beginning of the 20th century Lithuania exchanged Akniste for Palanga.

The town was the site of a mass killing of Jewish residents on July 18, 1941, during the Nazi occupation of the Baltic states.

See also

• List of cities in Latvia
• The Holocaust in Latvia