Definition

Proper noun: * A city in Lithuania: Memel is the historical German name for a city in western Lithuania, located on the Baltic Sea. It was historically a significant trading port within the Hanseatic League. The city is now known as Klaipėda.

Usage Notes

• "Memel" is primarily a historical and geographical term. In modern contexts, the city is almost exclusively referred to by its Lithuanian name, Klaipėda.
• The term may appear in historical texts, documents, or discussions about the Hanseatic League, the interwar period, or the history of the Baltic region.

Examples

• Historical Reference:
  • The Treaty of Memel was signed in 1924, regulating the status of the Memel Territory.
  • During the Middle Ages, Memel was a prosperous member of the Hanseatic League.

Advanced Usage

• "Memel Territory" (Memelland): Refers to the region surrounding the city, which had a complex political status in the early 20th century.
  • The Memel Territory was placed under Allied administration after World War I.

Variants and Related Words

• Klaipėda (Proper noun): The modern Lithuanian name for the city of Memel. This is the standard name used today.
• Memelland (Proper noun): The historical German name for the region surrounding the city of Memel.

Noun

1. a city in western Lithuania on the Baltic Sea; formerly an important trading town of the Hanseatic League