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The history of Klaipėda - Memel Castle is different from the history of other Lithuanian castles. It was built in 1252 by swordsmen or the Livonian Order and the Curonian Bishop who tried to enslave Lithuania at that time. The castle remained in their hands for about 75 years. Since 1328 for almost 200 years it passed into the possession of the Teutonic Knights, and later became one of the Prussian strongholds. The castle was built in a very important place from a strategic point of view - at the mouth of Dangė, almost at the northern end of the Curonian Spit; the castle crew controlled the entrance to the Curonian Lagoon, Dangė, Minija, Nemunas and its tributaries. Thus, the trade route from Lithuania to the Baltic Sea, Gotland and other Scandinavian countries was closed. Memelis - Klaipėda was not only supposed to cut off Lithuanians from the most important shopping centers on the shores of the Baltic Sea, but also to become an important fortress for expansion.