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Former Courthouse and 200-Cell Prison

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In 1848, a district courthouse and a prison capable of holding up to 200 inmates were built in Žibai village, now part of Šilutė. Reconstructed in 1909, the buildings operated during the annexation of the Klaipėda region to Lithuania and later during the Nazi occupation. After World War II, the site served as a Stalinist regime prison where political prisoners were detained.

In 1954, the buildings were repurposed for a vocational school—the former prison became a dormitory, and classrooms were established in the courthouse. Since 2011, the historical legacy of the site has been preserved with the opening of a museum in the former solitary confinement cell.

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Built in 1848 in what is now the Žibai area of Šilutė, the district courthouse and prison initially housed individuals from surrounding villages who were sentenced to up to three years of imprisonment. In 1909, the complex was expanded with the addition of a third floor and a supplementary building. The courthouse and prison continued to function during the Klaipėda region’s incorporation into independent Lithuania and throughout the Nazi occupation. After 1944, the site became a Stalinist regime prison, holding political prisoners until its closure following Stalin’s death. In 1954, the buildings were renovated and converted for use as a vocational school, now the Šilutė Tourism and Service Business School. Classrooms were established in the courthouse, while the former prison was turned into a dormitory. To preserve its historical significance, a museum was opened in 2011 within the former solitary confinement cell, offering visitors an insight into the site's past.

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