THE CITY OF KEIDAN: An Historical Memoir by Boruch Chaim (Alter) Cassel

Early in the 16th Century, Calvinism, the doctrine of John Calvin, began to spread through Europe. This was a reformist movement which was outspokenly democratic, in opposition to Catholicism which was favored by the aristocratic classes.

Calvinism spread from France to many parts of Europe, including Poland and Lithuania. In 1590, Michael Radzivill became the first Lithuanian ruler to accept Calvinism. The Radzivills resided in Keidan, which became a center for Calvinists.

During the reign of Sigismund III (1587-1632) Calvinism spread extensively through Poland evoking strong opposition from the Jesuits. The leader of the Calvinists in Poland and Lithuania was Janusz Radzivill, who lived in Keidan.

The struggle between the Calvinists and the Jesuits was very bitter. One Sunday as Janusz Radzivill walked to church with his family, his skull was split open by his own manservant, who had been bribed by Jesuits to attack him .

In 1590 Sigismund III granted Keidan administrative and judical independence under a proclamation called the "Rights of Magdaburg." Keidan prospered and became a commercial center. Fairs took place three times a year, the largest one on the holiday of Begoiavlenia. In 1614 Christopher Radzivill, ruler of Lithuania and Protector of Vilna, married the beautiful Anna, the daughter of Stanislav Kishko. As his dowry, Radzivill's father-in-law ceded half of Keidan to him. In a short time Radzivill bought the remaining half and made Keidan the residence of the Radzivills. Thus began Keidan's era of greatness.

As the home of the ruler of Lithuania, who also led the Calvinist movement there, Keidan attracted many Calvinist scholars who were persecuted elsewhere in Europe. In 1625 Christopher Radzivill built the first Calvinist gymnasium with an extensive library. In 1560 Michael Radzivill usurped the Catholic church in Keidan and converted it to a Calvinist church. This resulted in a long judicial process in the Polish courts, which was resolved eventually in 1627 in favor of a Catholic priest named Kabilinski. Christopher Radzivill was forced to return the church to the Catholics and to pay a fine of 12,000 zlotys. At the same time, however, the citizens of Keidan succeeded in having a law passed which forbade the building of additional Catholic churches and cloisters in Keidan. This law existed as long as the Calvinists were in power.

In 1626 Christopher Radzivill undertook the construction of a large Calvinist church and meeting place in Keidan, which was completed in 1629. He installed a stone memorial plaque at the altar, inscribed in Latin, giving details of when and by whom the church was built. He also had the remains of his brother, Janusz Radzivill, placed in a special vault in the cellar of the church, together with the sword which Janusz's servant had used to murder him. An explanatory inscription was placed on the vault. The cellar of the church became the burial place for the Radzivill family.

In 1629 for the first time, a Lutheran pastor was invited to Keidan to serve the Augsburger German community. A German-Lutheran wooden church was built in 1638, and Radzivill granted religious freedom to the church community.

The Russians in Keidan had a cloister of black monks, where Russian Orthodox adherents gathered for Sunday services. After James VI, King of Scotland became James I, King of England, and persecutions of Calvinists in Scotland increased, many Scottish Calvinists ⁵ migrated to Keidan. Many of them became soldiers in Radzivill's army.

In order to increase the Jewish mercantile population of Keidan, Christopher Radzivill decreed that Jews would have full rights of citizenship as well as religious freedom, and it was guaranteed that anyone who left to settle elsewhere would not lose his property or real- estate holdings.

Despite Radzivill's desire to absorb more Jews into Keidan, he was very careful to admit only people with proper letters of reference attesting to their reputations, characters and honesty. As a result, the Keidan Jews, who mainly came from Germany, tended to be learned and of the higher classes.⁶ It is believed that many Jews also came to Keidan from Scotland, among them many weavers. As a result, the weaving industry became highly developed in Keidan. At the start of the 19th century, weaving in Keidan was largely in Jewish hands.

Radzivill was very receptive to the new Jewish immigrants and allocated a special part of the city for their needs. In time they became adept in various kinds of handicrafts. Radzivill took great pride in the many expert craftsmen. Many scholars from Germany also immigrated, and Keidan became a center of Torah study and piety. In time Keidan achieved a reputation as the most significant Jewish community in Zamut - the heart of Lithuania.

In 1623 the Jews of Lithuania and Zamut formed a "Council of the Main Nations of Lithuania" which became a part of the "Council of the Four Lands." Within a short time, Keidaner Jews were representatives in the Lithuanian council.

By the time of Christopher Radzivill's death in 1640, when Keidan was inherited by his son Janusz Radzivill, the Jews there had achieved a very comfortable status.

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