- Kaunas
Infobox Settlement
name = Kaunas
nickname = Laikinoji sostinė
settlement_type = City municipality
map_caption = Location of Kaunas
image_shield = Kaunas city COA.png
image_caption = Kaunas City Hall
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = LTU
subdivision_type1 = Ethnographic region
subdivision_name1 =Aukštaitija
subdivision_name2 =Kaunas County
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name3 = Kaunas city municipality
subdivision_type3 = Municipality
subdivision_type6 = Capital of
subdivision_name6 =Kaunas County
Kaunas city municipalityKaunas district municipality
part_type = Elderships
p1 =Aleksotas
p2 = Centras
p3 = Dainava
p4 =Eiguliai
p5 =Gričiupis
p6 = Panemunė
p7 =Petrašiūnai
p8 =Šančiai
p9 =Šilainiai
p10=Vilijampolė
p11=Žaliakalnis
established_date = 1361
established_title = First mentioned
established_date2 = 1408
established_title2 = Granted city rights
population_total = 355,550
population_as_of = 2008
population_footnotes =
area_total_km2 = 157
timezone = EET
utc_offset = +2
timezone_DST = EEST
utc_offset_DST = +3
latd = 54 |latm = 54 |lats = |latNS = N
longd = 23 |longm = 56 |longs = |longEW = E
coordinates_display= inline,title
coordinates_type =region:LT_type:city(355000)
website = http://www.kaunas.lt/3Kaunas (pronunciation|Kaunas.ogg, pronEng|ˈkoʊnəs) is the second largest
city inLithuania and a former temporary capital. It is served by thefreeway s Via Baltica (E67) and Vilnius-Klaipėda (A1). Kaunas is located at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and theNeris , and near theKaunas Reservoir , the largest body of water entirely in Lithuania.Name
The city's name is of Lithuanian origins and most likely derives from a personal name. [cite book | last = Zinkevičius | first = Zigmas | authorlink = Zigmas Zinkevičius | coauthors = | title = Senosios Lietuvos valstybės vardynas | publisher =
Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas | date = 2007 | location = Vilnius | pages = p.42 | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = 5420016060 ]Before Lithuania regained independence, the city was generally known in English as "Kovno", the traditional Slavicized form of its name; the Polish name is "Kowno". The traditional Russian name is "Ковно", although "Каунас" has been used since 1940. The Yiddish name is "Kovne" (קאָװנע), while its names in German include "Kaunas" and "Kauen".
Coat of arms
In
June 30 ,1993 the historicalcoat of arms of Kaunas city was established by a special presidential decree. The coat of arms features a whiteaurochs with a golden cross between his horns, set against a deep red background. The aurochs is the original heraldic symbol of the city since 1400. The currentemblem was the result of much study and discussion on the part of the LithuanianHeraldry Commission, and realized by the artistRaimondas Miknevičius . An aurochs has replaced awisent , depicted in theSoviet era emblem, used since 1969.History
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
On the site of the current Kaunas
old town at the confluence of two large rivers, a settlement had been established by the tenth century AD. It is believed that the town was founded in 1030, but it is first mentioned in written sources in 1361. In the thirteenth century, a stone wall was built as protection from constant raids by theTeutonic Knights . In 1362, the town was captured by the Teutonic Knights, who destroyed theKaunas Castle . The castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century.In 1408 the town was granted
Magdeburg Rights byVytautas the Great and became a center of Kaunas Powiat inTrakai Voivodeship in 1413. Kaunas then began to gain prominence, since it was at an intersection oftrade route s and ariver port . In 1441 Kaunas joined theHanseatic League , and Hansa merchant offices were opened. By the 16th century, Kaunas had a public school, a hospital, and a drugstore, and was one of the best-formed towns in theGrand Duchy of Lithuania .In 1665, the
Russia n army attacked the city several times, and in 1701 the city was occupied by the Swedish army. TheBlack Death struck the area in 1657 and 1708, and fires destroyed parts of the city in 1731 and 1732.Russian Empire
After the final partition of the Polish-Lithuanian state in 1795, the city was occupied by the Russian Empire and became a part of
Vilna Governorate . During the French invasion of Russia in 1812, the Grand Army ofNapoleon passed through Kaunas twice, devastating the city both times.After the Partitions, Kaunas was one of the centres of the
November Uprising (1830-1831) and theJanuary Uprising (1863-1864). To suppress the local population, the Russian authorities subsequently placed a huge military garrison in the town. The Russian military fortifications from that time still survive throughout the town.Kovno Governorate with a center in Kovno (Kaunas) was formed in 1843. In 1862 a railway connecting theRussian Empire andGermany was constructed, making Kaunas a significant railway hub with one of the firstrailway tunnel s in the Empire, completed in 1861. In 1898 the firstpower plant started operating.Inter-war Lithuania
After
Vilnius was occupied by the RussianBolshevik s in 1919, the government of the Republic of Lithuania established its main base here. Later, when Vilnius was seized by Poland, Kaunas became the interim capital of the Lithuaniangovernment , a position it held until 1939, when Poland was partitioned between Nazi Germany and the USSR.Stalin returned Vilnius to Lithuania, and the process of moving the capital was initiated. Before it was complete, however, the whole country was occupied by theSoviet Union .Between the World Wars industry prospered in Kaunas; it was at the time the largest city in Lithuania. Under direction of the mayor
Jonas Vileišis (1921-1931) Kaunas grew rapidly and was extensively modernised. A water and wastewater system, costing over 15 million Lithuanian litas, was put in place; the city expanded from 18 square kilometers to 40; more than 2,500 buildings were built, including three modern bridges over the Neris and Nemunas rivers. All the city streets were paved, horse-drawn transportation was replaced with modern bus lines, new suburbs were planned and built (Žaliakalnis neighborhood in particular), new parks and squares were established. The foundations for a social security system were laid, three new schools were built, and new public libraries, including theVincas Kudirka library, were established. Vileišis maintained many contacts in otherEuropean cities , and as a result Kaunas was an active participant in European urban life.During the inter-war period Kaunas had a Jewish population of 35,000-40,000, about one-fourth of the city's total population [ [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005174 Kovno ] ] . Jews were concentrated in the city's commercial, artisan, and professional sectors. Kaunas was also a center of Jewish learning. The yeshiva in Slobodka (
Vilijampolė ) was one of Europe's most prestigious institutions of higher Jewish learning. Kaunas had a rich and varied Jewish culture. The city had almost 100 Jewish organizations, 40 synagogues, many Yiddish schools, 4 Hebrew high schools, a Jewish hospital, and scores of Jewish-owned businesses. It was also an importantZionist center.oviet occupation
In 1940 Kaunas was annexed by the Soviet Union as part of the
Lithuanian SSR .14 June 1941 marked the beginning of mass arrests, executions and deportations of citizens toSiberia and other parts of Russia. After the outbreak of German invasion into USSR on23 June an uprising began in Kaunas and short-lived period of independence was proclaimed in Kaunas onJune 23 ,1941 .The Tragedy of Kaunas' Jews
Jewish life in Kaunas was first disrupted when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in June 1940. The occupation was accompanied by arrests, confiscations, and the elimination of all free institutions. Jewish community organizations disappeared almost overnight. Soviet authorities confiscated the property of many Jews while hundreds were exiled to
Siberia . Meanwhile, theLithuanian Activist Front , founded by Lithuanian nationalistémigrés inBerlin , disseminated anti-semitic literature in Lithuania. [ [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005174 Kovno ] ] Among other themes, the literature blamed Jews for the Soviet occupation.Following Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union on
June 22 ,1941 , Soviet forces fled Kaunas. Immediately before and following the German occupation of the city onJune 25 , the anti-Communist German organized insurgents began to attack Jews, blaming them for Soviet repressions, especially along Jurbarko and Kriščiukaičio streets. [ [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005174 Kovno ] ] They murdered hundreds of Jews and took dozens more Jews to the Lietūkis garage, in the city center, and killed them there.The Nazis eventually established the
Kaunas Ghetto , which by the end of the war would be nearly completely liquidated. [ [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005174 Kovno ] ]Modern times
After World War II Kaunas became the main industrial city of Lithuania – it produced about a quarter of Lithuania's industrial output.
After the proclamation of Lithuanian independence in 1991, Soviet attempts to suppress the rebellion focused on the
Sitkūnai Radio Station ,Fact|date=October 2007 which were a critical part of the remaining free media.Fact|date=October 2007 They were defended by the citizenry of Kaunas.Fact|date=October 2007Demography
Historical population
Ethnic composition
With almost 93 percent of its citizens being ethnic
Lithuanians , Kaunas is one of the most Lithuanian cities in the country. Kaunas has a higher proportion of ethnic Lithuanians thanVilnius , and more ethnic Lithuanians thanRiga has ethnicLatvians orTallinn has ethnicEstonians .Ethnic composition in 2001, out of a total of 378,943: [ [http://www.stat.gov.lt/en/pages/view/?id=1351 2001 Census - Lithuanian Government Department of Statistics] ]
#Lithuanians 352,051
#Russians 16,622
#Ukrainians 1,906
#Poles 1,600
#Other 6,764Municipality council
Kaunas city municipality council is the governing body of the Kaunas city municipality. It is responsible for municipality laws. The council is composed of 41 member elected for four-year terms.
The council is the member of The
Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania .Mayors
*1990–1991 – Vidmantas Adomonis
*1991–1992 – Vilimas Čiurinskas
*1992–1995 – Arimantas Račkauskas
*1995 – Rimantas Tumosa
*1995–1997 – Vladas Katkevičius
*1997 –Alfonsas Andriuškevičius
*1997–2000 – Henrikas Tamulis
*2000 –Vytautas Šustauskas
*2000 – Gediminas Budnikas
*2001–2002 – Erikas Tamašauskas
*2002–2003 – Giedrius Donatas Ašmys
*2003–2007 – Arvydas Garbaravičius
*since 2007 –Andrius Kupčinskas Geography
Administrative divisions
Kaunas is divided into 11 elderates
Neighborhoods
Cityscape
Points of interest
Central Kaunas is defined by two pedestrian streets: the 2-km-long
Laisvės alėja (Liberty Avenue), a central street of the city, lined by linden trees, and its continuation, Vilnius Street, leading to the oldest part of Kaunas. Some of the most prominent features in Kaunas include:*the
Kaunas Castle , a 14th century fortification;
*the Vytautas' Church, one of the oldest churches in Lithuania and the oldest in Kaunas;
*theKaunas Cathedral Basilica , the largest Gothic building in Lithuania, with a lateBaroque interior;
*the St. George's Church, which was rumoured to have been turned into a dance studio during the Soviet Occupation;
*the Pažaislis abbey, an impressive complex in Baroque style;
*the massiveNeo-Byzantine church of St. Michael the Archangel;
*theChrist’s Resurrection Church with an unfolding panoramic view of the city;
*Kaunas Zoo , the only state-operatedzoo inLithuania ;
*Kaunas Fortress , a 19-20th century military fortress, which includes aHolocaust site of theNinth Fort ;
*Kaunas Botanical Garden ;
*Napoleon's Hill ;
*House of Perkūnas ;
*Town Hall and the square;
*Interbellum functionalism architecture complexes;
*TheŽaliakalnis Funicular Railway ;
*Ąžuolynas Park and the valley ofGirstupis River named afterAdam Mickiewicz .Museums
Kaunas is often called a city of museums, because of the abundance and variety of them. The museums in Kaunas include:
*theWar Museum of Vytautas the Great ;
*theM. K. Čiurlionis State Art Museum, commemorating the work of the early 20th centuryavant-garde artist who sought to combine painting and music into a single artistic medium;
*a gallery of works collected by Mykolas Žilinskas at the Kaunas Art Gallery;
*theŽmuidzinavičius Museum (best known as the "Devils' Museum"), which houses a collection of more than two thousand sculptures and carvings ofdevil s from all over the world, most of them of folk provenance. Of particular interest are theHitler andStalin devils, together doing the dance of death over a playground littered with human bones;
*Aviation Museum;
*Ceramics Museum in the Town Hall of Kaunas;
*Communications History Museum;
*Kaunas Picture Gallery, with a little exhibition aboutGeorge Maciunas , founding member of theFluxus -movement, born in Kaunas;
*Lithuanian Sports Museum;
*Medicine and Pharmacy Museum;
*Historical Presidential Palace, displaying exhibits from theinterwar period
*Museum For The Blind;
*Museum of Exiles and Political Prisoners;
*Museum of Folk Music and Instruments;
*Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum.Theatres
*
Kaunas State Drama Theatre
*Kaunas State Musical Theatre
*Kaunas Youth Chamber Theatre
*Kaunas State Puppet Theatre
*Kaunas Little Teatre Public art
A great deal of sculptuary is on display in the public areas of Kaunas.
Transportation
Kaunas has 16
trolleybus routes, 49bus routes ( [http://transportas.kaunas.lt/downloads/Kauno_VT_schema.jpgMap] ), a wideshared taxi carrier network - see [http://transportas.kaunas.lt/en/ Kaunas Public Transport] -, and it is also one of the major river ports in theBaltic States . The city is located in the centre of Lithuania, making it highly significant from a logistical point of view. Kaunas International Airport (KUN) is capable of handling 300,000 passengers and 100,000 tonnes of cargo per year. There is also the smallerS. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport south of town.Bridges
Since Kaunas is located on confluence of two rivers in the city are 34 bridges.
*Vytautas the Great Bridge connecting Old Town withAleksotas across Nemunas,
*M. K. Čiurlionis Bridge for car transport across Nemunas,
*Vilijampolė Bridge connecting Old Town withVilijampolė acrossNeris River ,
*The Green railway bridge.ports
Kaunas is home to the Žalgiris
basketball club, one of Europe's strongest, which plays home matches inKaunas Sports Hall . The city is also the birthplace or childhood home of many of the country's topbasketball stars, among themArvydas Sabonis ,Šarūnas Marčiulionis ,Žydrūnas Ilgauskas ,Linas Kleiza andŠarūnas Jasikevičius . The main stadium of the city is S.Dariaus ir S.Girėno Sporto Centras (total capacity 9,000), which is also the Lithuaniansoccer clubFBK Kaunas 's andLithuanian national football team home stadium.Education
Kaunas is often called a city of students; there are about 50,000 students enrolled in its universities.
*
ISM University of Management and Economics
*Vytautas Magnus University
* [http://www.kvk.lt/?set_lang=en Kaunas Business College]
* [http://www.kauko.lt/english/college.php?page=college&main=college Kaunas College]
*Kaunas University of Medicine
*Kaunas University of Technology
*Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education
*Lithuanian University of Agriculture
*Lithuanian Veterinary Academy
*Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty of Humanities
* [http://www.kdi.lt/english/ Kaunas Art Institute]Annual events
*Kaziukas Fair Kaunas fork (beginning of March)
*International open-air "Kaunas Jazz Festival" (April-May)
*International dancecompetition "Amber Couple" (beginning of May)
*Day of Kaunas city (middle of May)
*International poetry festival "Spring of poetry" (end of May)
*Pažaislis music festival (June-August)
*Traditionalfolk music competition "Play, Jurgelis" (November)
*Christmas tree lighting (end of November)
*Kaunas Textile Art Biennial (next from November 2007 until March 2008)Notable residents
*
Valdas Adamkus [ [http://www.president.lt/family/ Official website of the President of Lithuania] ]
*Aharon Amir
*Donatas Banionis
*Aharon Barak
*Antanas Baranauskas
*Marija Gimbutas
*Emma Goldman
*Juozas Grušas
*Žydrūnas Ilgauskas
*Tadas Ivanauskas
*Valdas Ivanauskas
*Šarūnas Jasikevičius
*Romas Kalanta
*Linas Kleiza
*Vytautas Landsbergis
*Emmanuel Levinas (philosopher)
*George Maciunas
*Maironis
*Abraham Mapu
*Šarūnas Marčiulionis
*Adam Mickiewicz
*Hermann Minkowski
*Oskar Minkowski
*Vlado Perlemuter (pianist)
*Michał Pius Römer (lawyer, judge)
*Arvydas Sabonis
*Mykolas Sleževičius
*Jonas Vileišis
*Vytautas Šliumba (Former Soaring Champion)
*Vytautas Žalakevičius
*L. L. Zamenhof (inventor of theEsperanto language)Trivia
*Two of the country's three
funicular s are located in Kaunas.
*The mainpedestrian street in the city,Laisvės alėja (Liberty Avenue), is one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe.
*National hero Romas Kalanta committedself-immolation in Kaunas in protest against theSoviet occupation of Lithuania.
*Emma Goldman , the celebrated proponent ofanarchism , was born in Kaunas.
*It is asister city ofLos Angeles .
*Sugihara Street commemorates theJapan ese consul who issued thousands of exit visas to Lithuanian and Polish Jews during his World War II service in Kaunas. His home in Kaunas is now a museum.Footnotes and references
Notes
:"This article incorporates text from the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum , and has been released under theGFDL ."External links
* [http://www.kaunas.lt/ Website of Kaunas city]
* [http://www.gutstein.net/kaunas/kaunas-home.htm Kaunas Web Page] by Jose Gutstein
* [http://www.nwi.ru/id=5/city_id=8/lang=1/city.cgi Kaunas tour overview]
* [http://www.inyourpocket.com/lithuania/kaunas/en/ Kaunas In Your Pocket] City Guide (also a [http://www.inyourpocket.com/instant/kaunas-instant-guide.pdf downloadable PDF guide] )
* [http://www.randburg.com/li/kaunasci.html The city of Kaunas]
* [http://www.balticroads.lt/en/cities/kaunas.asp A short description of Kaunas]
* [http://www.bfcollection.net/cities/lithuania/kaunas/kaunas_01.html Historic images of Kaunas]
* [http://www.kaunasair.lt/index.php?lang=2&m=1&p=110 Kaunas International Airport]
* [http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kovno/kovno.html Kovno site] and [http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kovno/kovno_pages/kovno_stories_links.html Kovno stories links] by Eilat Gordin Levitan
* [http://muziejai.mch.mii.lt/Kaunas/kauno_rajonas.en.htm Museums in Kaunas]
* [http://www.kaunasjazz.lt/ The Kaunas Jazz festival]
* [http://www.bienale.lt Kaunas Textile Art Biennial]
* [http://www.kaunomozaika.lt Kauno mozaika - the project of urban photography]
* [http://www.kaunas.lt/transportas/ Public transportation in Kaunas (omnibuses, trolleybuses)]
* [http://visit.kaunas.lt/ Tourist Information Centre of Kaunas region]
* [http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Lithuania/Kauno_Apskritis/Kaunas-448588/TravelGuide-Kaunas.html Kaunas Travel Guide (tips about Kaunas)]
*United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - [http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005174 Kovno]
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