Kreis Labiau

It was located on the southeastern coast of the Curonian Lagoon and had the town of Labiau as its capital.

[1][2] As part of the Prussian administrative reforms, the “Ordinance for Improved Establishment of the Provincial Authorities” of 30 April 1815 resulted in the need for a comprehensive district reform in all of East Prussia, as the districts established in 1752 had proven to be inexpedient and too large.

In the spring of 1945, the district was occupied by the Red Army and then came under Soviet administration.

According to reports, Germans were gven 20 minutes to pack all their belongings and leave their homes.

[3] According to the Prussian census of 1867, the Labiau district had a population of 50,467, of which 39,225 (77.7%) were Germans and 11,242 (22.3%) were Lithuanians.