[1] The legend of the founding of Rokiškis tells about a hunter called Rokas who had been hunting for hares (Lit.

Since 1873 the Tyzenhaus family sponsored the Rokiškis Music School which operated until 1904 and focused on preparing church organists, however several prominent Lithuanian interwar musicians were its alumni (e.g. Mikas Petrauskas, Juozas Gruodis, Juozas Tallat-Kelpša, etc.).

[9] The city started to grow in 1873 when a branch of the Libau–Romny Railway was built which connected Dünaburg/Daugavpils to the east with the ice-free Baltic port of Libau/Liepāja.

In early 1919 the Red Army occupied Rokiškis, however in June 1919 the Lithuanian Armed Forces liberated it from the Soviets during the Lithuanian–Soviet War and it became a part of the Republic of Lithuania.

[8] Because of strained relationships between Lithuania and the nearby newly created Republics of Poland and Latvia, Rokiškis was economically isolated during the inter-war period.

[8] Since August 1988 the locals of Rokiškis supported Sąjūdis movement and on 6 November 1988 had raised the national flag of Lithuania.

[8] After the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania in 1990, economic changes occurred in Rokiškis and some old companies were closed, however new companies also started their businesses (e.g. in 1992 Rokiškio sūris was founded, which became one of the largest dairy products producers in Lithuania and the largest cheese producer in the Baltic states).

Situated on the Daugavpils-Liepaja railroad, during the 19th century Rokiškis served as a commercial center for a large rural area and a point for the export of wood, grain, and flax.

[14] About 70% of the production is sold in foreign markets, mostly to Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, and United States.

The first Jewish settlement may have been prior to 1574 and was located at the present site of the old Jewish cemetery (about half a kilometer southwest from the market square) until the mid-1700s,[16] when the community moved to the area near the market square and Kamai Street (now Respublikos gatvė).

[17] In May 1915, during World War I, Jews in central Lithuania were forcibly deported to the east by order of the Czarist government.

One of those who left was Yakov (Yankel) Smushkevich who later became the commander of the Soviet Air Forces before being purged and executed in 1941.

When World War I ended and the Republic of Lithuania was established, Lithuanian Jews were permitted to return home.

Initially the community thrived, shuls reopened and in addition there were strong, competing socialist and Zionist movements.

Ori Further, Lithuanian cooperatives came into being, trade in flax and produce was nationalized, and other factors caused a severe economic decline for the Jews.