Cayman Castle

The Prussian name "Kaimen" means "village." Burials from the 8th century were discovered here. The Kaimen burial fields are among the most significant in the vicinity of Labiau and East Prussia as a whole. They were apparently located to the west of the Prussian rampart fortification within a sacred grove, which is mentioned in the documents of the Teutonic Order as late as 1459. The burials here predominantly date back to the Roman Empire era, but there are also late pagan and early Order-period graves. The discovered graves indicate that Kaimen was the center of a well-populated district during the late pagan period.

The Teutonic Order castle Kaimen was founded in 1261. However, a Prussian fortress existed on its site even before the Teutonic invasion. It was captured in January 1255 during King Ottokar II's campaign and then handed over to the Prussians who had sided with the Order, who later reaffirmed their loyalty during the Prussian uprising. The official founding date is precisely 1261. This was preceded by the first division of Prussian lands between the Teutonic Order and the bishop, as a result of which the Kaim (Caym) or Kaimis (Caymis) area remained under the Order. In the same year, 1261, a settlement began to form near the fortress walls.

In 1308, the knightly castle was captured and burned by Lithuanian troops. Subsequently, between 1330 and 1352, the Order brothers rebuilt the fortress in stone. Upon completion, Kaimen castle likely consisted of a two-winged building with an extensive outer bailey. After the reconstruction, the castle endured several Lithuanian raids, but the garrison managed to repel each assault each time. From 1424, a Kammeramt (chamber office) related to the Komturei of Königsberg was located in Kaimen. After the Thirteen Years' War (1454–1466), Kaimen castle was given to the commander of mercenaries as debt repayment. On September 3, 1525, the castle was seized by rebelling peasants, who took the Amt manager Andreas Rippe prisoner. Duke Albrecht threatened the rebels with harsh suppression, after which the uprising subsided. Rippe was removed from office, and the ringleaders of the rebellion were executed (such was the compromise solution). In 1583, master builder Blaus Berwart thoroughly rebuilt Kaimen fortress. He transformed it into a water-surrounded castle-palace. It was one of the best water castles in Prussia.

In 1668, by order of Elector Friedrich Wilhelm, the castle's interior was rebuilt. On January 10, 1758, during the Seven Years' War, the terms of East Prussia's capitulation were signed in the castle.

In 1782–1783, the castle was significantly expanded by master builder Glazius Berwart. Some walls and towers were demolished, and the castle was adapted for administrative rather than military purposes.

From 1886 to 1925, Kaimen had a school with two classes, attended also by students from Botenen and Wilditten. Regarding the castle, in the first half of the 20th century, it was rented out. Overall, Kaimen was one of the few surviving castles with water moats.

The castle was handed over to Soviet settlers in a decent condition but required care and repairs. However, the local collective farm used it solely for utilitarian purposes, such as storage and a pigsty. The castle became popular when, in the 1990s, it somehow appeared in a regional guidebook to attractions, which, however, did not prevent locals from turning it into a source of building materials. As a result, by the turn of the millennium, only overgrown fragments of walls and partially buried cellars remained.

Now the site is in neglect. Only the ruins of the western and southern walls remain, and the former moats have turned into marshy streams.

One kilometer from Kaimen-Zarechye, in the tiny village of Lautkaim (Botenen — now Trostniki), stand the sad ruins of a 14th-century church. Nearby is a German-Russian cemetery with a large stone cross dedicated to the victims of World War I.

Sources:

https://kenigo.ru/galereya/zamok-kajmen/