Interwar period in Kaunas | True Lithuania
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History of Kaunas, Lithuania

Medieval merchant city (before 1795)

Thanks to its location on the confluence of two major rivers Kaunas was important for trade since its establishment in the Medieval era. By this time most of the trade went by rivers as there were no roads in Lithuania and everything was surrounded by lush forests. Unfortunately, rivers were also used by enemy forces and the main enemy of Lithuania in those days were the Teutonic Order. Kaunas Castle was built in the 14th century to deter them from this strategic location.

Kaunas of the 1300s had German merchants of the Hanseatic League among its inhabitants. In this era, the first churches were built. After Lithuania's Christianisation, they were soon joined by more magnificent Gothic religious buildings in the early 1400s as the city expanded still centered around the City Hall square.

Despite its mercantile importance, Kaunas was not a capital of any voivodship at the time. It was part of Trakai voivodship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had a peak population of 10 000.

Kaunas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania historical era. At the time, just the area between Nemunas and Neris rivers was built up

Fortress city of the Russian Empire (1795-1918)

The first time Kaunas came to political prominence was only after the demise of the Grand Duchy. In 1843, the Russian Empire (which has captured Kaunas in 1795) chose it as the capital of newly formed Kaunas Governorate that included approximately half of today's Lithuania. Moreover, Kaunas was made the seat of a Catholic diocese. Political and religious importance was followed by military one as the Imperial government chosen the city as a site for a new class I fortress.

Napoleon's 500 000-strong Grande Armee crosses Nemunas from Aleksotas to Kaunas in 1812. With Nemunas then forming Russia's western boundary this was where the doomed invasion began. After Napoleon was defeated Russia annexed the southern bank of Nemunas in 1815 (modern boroughs of Aleksotas, Freda, and Birutė).

The city was transformed by massive construction. Nine forts sprung up around the city (in years 1882 - 1915), with redoubts, batteries to support them and the Central Fortification as the inner ring of defense. To the east of the Old Town, the New Town was built with all the administration and housing for officers as well as the impressive Sobor and what is now known as the Freedom Avenue. Soldiers lived in yet other new or heavily expanded districts: Freda, Panemunė, Šančiai. Many of them continue to lay there in cemeteries. By the year 1896 military personnel made up 28% of the entire Kaunas population of 68 000.

In the fortress years, the entire city of Kaunas was surrounded by such barbed wire fence.

The fortress was never completed with a new fort erected every few years. After the first outer circle of defense was completed (seven forts by 1891) the government ordered the construction of a new one further from the city center. However, the advent of modern warfare changed everything and when the war against Germany finally started (the fortress was built mainly having such conflict in mind) in 1914 the mighty Kaunas fortress fell after a siege that lasted only a couple of weeks (1915). No new fortresses of this size have been constructed in the world ever since.

Provisional capital of the interwar Lithuania (1918-1939)

In 1918 Lithuania became independent, but with the Polish occupation of Vilnius city (1920) Kaunas was declared "Provisional capital" and therefore the seat of government, parliament, and president. This was the golden age of Kaunas. In 20 years the city was transformed from a provincial outpost into a modern city, "swallowing" suburbs of Vilijampolė and Aleksotas while the number of people increased by 66% (92 000 to 153 000) as urbanization drive reached the agricultural Lithuania. New stately buildings sprung up in Naujamiestis and the district of Žaliakalnis was laid for the elite of the day. Almost entire high society of Lithuania resided in Kaunas - the country's top politicians and army officers, artists and sportsmen, local and foreign diplomats. It was a place of Lithuania's only international airport with flights to Koenigsberg, Riga, Smolensk and beyond; the home to Lithuania's sole opera theater, publishing houses, political intrigues and so on.

Faculty of Physics and Chemistry of the Vytautas Magnus university, constructed in 1939. Sadly, this building was destroyed in World War 2.

Cultural heart of the occupied Baltics (1940-1990)

After the Soviet occupation of Kaunas (1940-1941 and again after 1944), the city's high society and the middle class faced heavy repressions. Tens of thousands were killed or exiled to Siberia, many to their deaths, others were murdered outright. The majority of Kaunas Jews, mostly residing in Vilijampolė district, were killed by the Nazi Germany (its occupation lasted from 1941 to 1944). By 1945 the city population went down to 80 000.

Despite heavy losses, Kaunas remained a center of Lithuanian culture it became between the World Wars. Unlike in Vilnius or Klaipėda where Russians made a third of the population by 1959, in Kaunas, their share never exceeded 10%. This was very important because in the Soviet Union Lithuanians had to learn the Russian language while Russians were not taught Lithuanian at schools thus making Russian the lingua franca for interethnic communication. In Vilnius and Klaipėda, therefore, Lithuanian language became less commonly heard in streets while in Kaunas it remained prevalent. Even in sheer numbers, there lived more Lithuanians in Kaunas (~375 000) than either Lithuanians in Vilnius (~340 000), Latvians in Riga (~330 000) or Estonians in Tallinn (~225 000) by 1989, this making Kaunas a kind of the cultural heart of the occupied Baltics.

A Soviet parade in the Unity Square shows the Soviet force to the people of Kaunas in the 1950s. By this time, all the Lithuanian monuments in the Unity square, including the Freedom Statue, were destroyed by the Soviets. ©Augustinas Žemaitis.

In some 1950s, Kaunas was often regarded by Lithuanians to be more of a city than Vilnius as in Kaunas the lifestyle was urban, whereas, in Vilnius, not a true capital of the independent state for centuries, a more rural lifestyle prevailed with some of its residents herding chickens and pigs.

Other Lithuanians regarded people of Kaunas to be good entrepreneurs, something that was illegal in the Soviet Union. In the 1970s it was in Kaunas where student Romas Kalanta self-immolated in protest against the Soviet rule triggering further student demonstrations. It was the Kauno Žalgiris basketball team that battled CSKA Moscow in what effectively became political battles on the basketball court.

A protest in Kaunas after the self-immolation of Romas Kalanta. Similar protests took place in the Lithuanian communities abroad.

Under the Soviet rule, the city had been expanding northwards and was connected to Vilnius and Klaipėda by four-lane highways. Continuing urbanization increased its population to 214 000 in 1959 and 376 000 in 1980.

Second city of the modern Lithuania (1990-)

In 1990 Lithuania was re-established with the capital in Vilnius. The importance of Kaunas somewhat declined since and its population numbers were hit hard, decreasing from 418 000 in 1989 to a mere 321 000 in 2011. A large share of the Kaunas elite moved to Vilnius and many emigrated abroad.

Never-completed and abandoned Soviet hotels, that were an eyesore of 1990s and 2010s Kaunas. The economic growth warranted their demolition and replacement by modern buildings only in the 2010s.

While the post-independence economic growth started in Vilnius by ~1995 and then went to the seaport of Klaipėda it reached Kaunas by around 2003 with new office buildings and two major shopping centers (Akropolis and Mega) constructed. After Lithuania joined the European Union Ryanair started flying to Kaunas and brought in more tourists.

In 2011 the 17 000 seat Kaunas Arena was opened and it was the place of the final matches of the 2011 European Basketball Championship. As Lithuania's largest arena, it has hosted its largest concerts and international basketball events. In 2022, Kaunas also rebuilt the Lithuania's largest stadium, entrenching its status as an entertainment and sports capital of Lithuania.

~2015 Kaunas finally shed the remnants of the self-conscious image of the "second-and-far-behind" city as it has attracted foreign investment while its interwar heritage became increasingly recognized as unique in both Lithuania and abroad, getting UNESCO World Heritage recognition in 2023.

While the "New Kaunas" is still seen as more patriotic and genuinely Lithuanian than Vilnius (as epitomized in the construction of a large Lithuanian Coat of Arms monument that Vilnius refused to build as too "old-fashioned"), the city has also rapidly globalized mainly through the huge numbers of foreign students attracted by its universities. Unlike Vilnius and Klaipėda, where the key minorities tend to be Russian-speaking, the students of Kaunas are largely hailing from the Middle East, South Asia and beyond.

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  1. Hello,

    Kaunas was a temporary capital of Lithuania between World War 1 and World War 2.
    When Kaunas was a capital city, I think Lithuanian goverment built many public buildings such as Historical Presidential Palace, Kaunas (Vilnius gatve 33), Kaunas State Musical Theatre (Laiseves aleja 91), etc..

    I am looking for a Parliament Building in Kaunas between 1920 and 1940 but I’m not able to find it.

    Do you have any information about Parliament Building in Kaunas during the First Republic of Lithuania (1920-1940) time?

    I will appreciate if you post any photo or information about Parliament Building in Kaunas during the First Republic of Lithuania (1920-1940) time.

    Also, I think Faculty of Physics and Chemistry Building of the Vytautas Magnus University which was constracted in 1939 was a jewel of Kaunas.
    It’s very sad that such a beautiful building was destoroyed during the World War 2.
    I hope Lithuanian government will restore it.

    Your ‘TRUE LITHUANIA’ is a very informative and practical Home page.
    I like very much.
    Keep doing good work.

    Thank you for your time.

    • Thank you. The last interwar parliament (1936-1940) convened in the building where Kaunas Philharmonie is now located (constructed in 1925-1928, Neoclassical style with Art Deco elements). Address is L. Sapiegos g. 5. Images may be found by typing “Kauno filharmonija” in Google.

      Kaunas of 1920s-1930s underwent a boom and many new buildings have been built, however some famous buildings, such as the Musical Theater, are in fact pre-1920.

      Indeed the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry building was beautiful, unfortunately reconstruction is unlikely as today the buildings are built simpler; very few WW2-destroyed buildings have been rebuilt. Under the Soviet occupation the attitude was vice-versa in fact: many little-damaged buildings were condemned to demolition. Today conservation is more important but it mostly cares about what still remains.

    • Wednesday on Facebook, I found out from one of my biological cousins that our grandmother from my birth father’s side was born in Kaunas, Lithuania. I was adopted from Poland.

  2. Hello Ms. Augustinas,

    Thank you for your information about Lithuania’s inter-war Parliament building in Kaunas.
    I finally find out that the former Lithuanian Parliament building (L. Sapiegos gatve 5, Kaunas) is a current Kaunas Philharmonic Hall.
    The Palace of Justice and Parliament was built between 1925-1929, Neoclassical style by architect Edmundas Alfonsas Frykas .

    I also find out that there is a former Bank of Lithuania building in Kaunas (Maironio gatve 25, Kaunas). This building is also Neoclassical style, built between 1924-1927 by architect Mykolas Songaila.

    There is one building I couldn’t find out the information. That is a University of Lithuania Commerce School building, built in 1928 by architect Mykolas Songaila. University of Lithuania is currently known as Vytautas Magnus University.

    I found this building’s picture from Skyscrapercity.com ~Architecture of Lithuania in 1918-1940~ Aug,12th, 2013, 05:39PM, posted by Prosp #8.

    If you know about this building’s information, I will be very happy.

    Thank you very much.

    • That building (Commerce School) has never been built, same as other buildings shown in the same Skyscrapercity.com forum post (alternative projects were chosen). M. Songaila by the way was also the author of the destroyed faculty of Physics and Chemistry; he pursued Neoclassical style at the time many others were moving towards Art Deco.

      • Thank you for your information about University of Lithuania Commerce School building.
        I didn’t know that Commerce School building has never been built, but just projected in 1928. That is why I couldn’t find any Commerce school building photo from the internet.

        Also, it is interesting that architect of Vytautas Magnus University Faculty of Physics and Chemistry building and University of Lithuania Commerce School building is Mykolas Songaila.
        I think he was a prominent Lithuanian architect between the World Wars.

        I have learned a lot of Lithuanian architectural history from you.
        Thank you very much. (^~^)

  3. My grandparents use to live in Kaunas before the war (1933) . Their address was LUKSIO ……….1471 g-vé 13,bt 2. Any idea if the buildings in that street are still standing? Are the buildings I see when I google the same as before the war? Have you got any idea? Thanks.

    • Street names (and house numbering) in Lithuanian cities have been shuffled by the Soviet occupation. The street names were generally returned afterwards, but not the numbers. Some street names also remained changed or returned to another name. The current Lukšio street in Kaunas is not the same street as Lukšio street in the interwar period.

      That street is now known as Šv. Gertrūdos street. Its location can be seen in our map of Kaunas Old Town (click here and scroll down). You can also check in Google Street View.

      As for whether the particular building still stands, I don‘t know, as I don‘t know which house was numbered 13 in 1933. In general some 30%-50% of the houses in Šv. Gertrūdos street survive from pre-WW2 era, while others mostly date to Soviet occupation (and may have replaced older houses).

  4. what time did Kaunas get established

    • Like with many historic cities in strategic locations, this is not clear. The location of the confluence of the two major rivers of Lithuania (Neris and Nemunas) was presumably guarded by a castle since prehistory and likely a town existed on the flanks of the castle. It is possible that it was already so in the 4th-5th centuries AD or earlier. There was no writing and no historiography in the area at the time, however, to confirm this.

      In written history, Kaunas has been first mentioned in 1361 and the city has received Magdeburg law in 1408. While these dates are sometimes written as the dates of the establishment of Kaunas, this is not true. These dates are more like the dates of the recognition of Kaunas by the Western Christian civilization.

      • Dear Mr. Zemaitis, I’m searching for the roots of Borisas Cimbleris, who was my professor of physics in the mid 1960s, at the engineering school Ouro Preto, in Brazil. Please advise how can I search more.
        Thanks. Milton Nogueira. Belo Horizonte, Brazil

        • Do you search for information of his forefathers in Lithuania? We offer searches in Lithuanian archives but not Brazilian.

  5. Was adolf Peter the mayor of Kaunas before the outbreak of WW2?

  6. Ola….Moro no Brasil ,sou filho de Lituano. Meu Pai veio para o Brasil entre 1927/1929 com meus avos e tres irmao . Sei que nasceu em Kaunas e foi batizado na Igreja de Santa Cruz , tem como saber onde moraram e se existe familiares ainda vivo . Meu nome e Luiz Carlos Linkevieius , meu Pai Alexandre linkevicius (1922) meus avos Juozas Linkevicius(1883) e Pranes Kreivytes(1885) , sempre falavam que tinham muitos irmaos , mas nao sei ao certo o motivo de ter vindo somente 4 filhos para o Brasil

  7. My sister in law’s ancestors are from Lithuania. The family story is that the ancestor was “the mayor of the capital of Lithuania when the Russians attacked and captured the city.” He was able to get the family out before the attack, but he stayed and was killed in the battle. We think the last name was Kavalhuna and we think the attack is the one about 1918, but reading the history, I am not sure whether it was Russia or Germany and I don’t know if it is about 1918 or closer to WWII. I know this is not much to go on, but any help in directing me to resources would be helpful. Thanks for any guidance. .

    • I’d just note that the original Lithuanian surname was likely “Kovaliūnas” or “Kavaliūnas”. Kaunas fell to Germany in 1915 and to the Soviet Union in 1940, then Germany again in 1941 (but by the time most of its elite were already murdered or exiled, often to their deaths, by the Soviets). Kaunas was the temporary capital ~1920-1939 (after Vilnius was occupied by Poland and before it was regained). A list of mayors of Kaunas since 1921 here does not includes anyone with a similar surname: http://www.kaunas.lt/apie-kauna/miesto-istorija/kauno-miesto-savivaldybes-burmistrai-ir-merai/

  8. is kaunas the same before and after the war…also i can’t believe the russian empire used it as a fortress…so cool except the war….

  9. Hi Augustinas,
    Thank you for this site and all the work you do!
    I was hoping I could secure your services to help me find out information about my Great-Grandfather and Great Grandmother in the archives you have access to. Though I am not sure of what last name they were using. They came over to the U.S. sometime between 1900-1920 and they were using the surnames Wanagas/Vonigas (it changed in the census records around the 1940’s) and also Duzinskas or Duzinsky (my great grandmother’s maiden name). There is also a family rumor that we are descended from Gediminas (the 14th century Grand Duke) though I get the feeling that half of Lithuania can claim some genetic connection to him. Any help would be great! Thanks Derek

    • Oh! And my great-grandfather claimed he was born in Kandrind (or Kandrina) Lithuania – but I can’t seem to find it! Thanks!

      • Vanagas and Dužinskas (for an unmarried lady, Dužinskaitė) are the likely original names. We will send you the information and prices of our services by e-mail.

        Unfortunately, it will most likely be not possible to confirm the descent from Gediminas. While hundreds of thousands or millions of people in the world today has Gediminas among their ancestors (as he lived so many generations ago), the archives in Lithuania back then as well as people registration were not as they are today.

        It should be possible to know more about the people who lived in the 19th century, however, in some cases also earlier centuries (if they were nobles, which is quite likely if they claim descent from Gediminas).

  10. why did they name the towns new and old?

    • District names “New Town” (Lithuanian: “Naujamiestis”), “Old Town” (Lithuanian: “Senamiestis”) are very common in Lithuania, they exist in many Lithuanian cities (including Vilnius, Klaipėda, etc.).

      Lithuanian cities expanded very slowly until the 19th century. By the mid-19th century, no Lithuanian city had a population over 100 000 and likely no Lithuanian city even had a population of 50 000. At the time, nearly all Lithuanian population lived in the countryside, while only a certain contingent of craftsmen lived in the cities and they were small in numbers.

      In the late 19th century, however, industrialization came to Lithuania and the cities began to expand rapidly, doubling or even quadrupling in population during (approximately) the 1880s-1910s decades.

      This expansion meant many new districts were built, often doubling the downtown in area. At that time, it became common to call the pre-1880s downtown to be “Old Town”, while the 1880-1910s extension of the downtown would be called “New Town”.

      Of course now, over a century later, the name “New Town” does not seem to be logical as it is typically the second-oldest area of each city (after the Old Town), but the naming conventions remained. Post-New-Town districts (i.e. built in 1920s-2010s) typically each has their individual name, e.g. Žaliakalnis, Šilainiai, Kalniečiai in Kaunas.

  11. Hello, Thanks for a great site. I have just found out my great grandfather is from Kaunas. His surname was Yutsus in Siberia ( i am assuming he was banished there at some stage). A friend has told me the Lithuanian name was probably Jucewicz. Do you think this is correct?

    • His likely Lithuanian surname was Jucius or Jucevičius.

      Jucewicz is a Polish surname. At the time (before WW1), Polish, Russian and Lithuanian versions of the same surname may have been used interchangeably, as Lithuanian was the native language of the majority, Polish was seen as the language of culture and Russian as the language of the ruling Russian Imperial regime. See the article on the Poles of Lithuania about the Polish-Lithuanian language relations.

      • Thank you. What records do you think are available for family research?

        • The key sources are church (or synagogue, mosque) records which doubled at the time as state records as there was no secular registration. In those records one may find births, marriages, deaths, in some cases more information such as occupation of a person.

          There is also passport data especially for 1918-1940 time.

          There are more sources, depending on the situation. E.g. if a person was a landowner, there is land data and so on. If a person left the country during particular times, there can be his ship ticket copy and so on.

        • The key sources are church (or synagogue, mosque) records which doubled at the time as state records as there was no secular registration. In those records one may find births, marriages, deaths, in some cases more information such as occupation of a person.

          There are also passport data, especially for 1918-1940 time.

          There are more sources, depending on the situation. E.g. if a person was a landowner, there is land data and so on. If a person left the country during particular times, there can be his ship ticket copy and so on.

          • Excellent. Thank you. My ancestor was born in 1844 but apparently the Catholic Church records are missing for this year 🙁 . Are there land ownership records from 1860 available and if so where can they be accessed?

          • There may be, however, just like the church records, not everything survives. Besides, unless he was of noble heritage, it is not likely he owned land in 1860. Most documents that survive are in the Lithuanian archives (inaccessible online but accessible for anybody who visits the archives).

    • Paul,

      I am a descendant of Yutzuss. I am the oldest son, of five generations.

      You can email me at marshall.cameron12@gmail.com

  12. Your website is so fascinating and I enjoy learning about the history. Although I knew my paternal family immigrated from Lithuanian, I recently found out my great grandfather , Frank William Yanulavich Sr., born 1891, was from Kaunas and I would very much like any assistance with tracing back my heritage, and I hope to someday visit Kaunas and visit the possible place of my family roots.

  13. I love the website and all the information. It is very informative. Thank You. I reently discovered that my grandfather, Lawrence Karpowicz was born around Kaunas in 1868. How can I find out what churches existed in that time period and still exist today.

  14. Hello Augustinas,

    This is a very interesting site. Thank you! I just found out yesterday that my great grandfather was born in Kaunas (Kovno on his citizenship papers) in 1860 and lived there until he emigrated in 1892 to the U.S. He never spoke of what he left behind and I am trying to find out more about his life in Lithuania. His name was Jozef Vitort (Witort) and have been told it might have been Vytautas in Lithuania. What is the best approach to take to find out more until I can make a trip to the country? Is this a service that you provide and if so, what is the cost?
    Thank you

  15. I’m researching my family from Kaunas. In reviewing voter registration lists, I’m seeing a street address for January 1941 on Raudonosios Armija. I’m guessing that the Soviets renamed some street after the 1940 invasion. I’m not finding this street name on any current or historical maps. Any thoughts on which street this was? Thanks!

    • Previously Ukmerges Prospektas. Currently, Savanoriu Prospektas.

      • Indeed, you seem to have answered your question 🙂

        Until 1915 it was Petersburg street [after Saint Petersburg, the capital of Russian Empire that until 1915 ruled Lithuania].
        1915-1919 Vilniaus street [after Vilnius city].
        1919-1938 Ukmergės road [after Ukmergė city].
        1938-1940(?) Savanorių avenue [meaning “Volunteers” and renamed for the 20th anniversary of 1918 independence of Lithuania].
        1940(?)-1990 Raudonosios Armijos avenue [meaning “Red Army”].
        1990-.. Savanorių avenue again

        • Yes! Thanks for your more detailed chronology. I’ve traced the family having lived prior (1922-1930) to there on Laisves Aleja (“Freedom Blvd.”) on the main avenue. We had other family who lived on a side street at the intersection with Kestucio also called Laisves Aleja – but that one dead ends after a short distance. What’s the difference between the two streets that seem to have the same name?

          • I am not sure about which street exactly are you talking (if you know it, you may write the coordinates of it based on the Google Maps), however it is likely that various short alleys and courtyards had no name of their own and so, if they attached to Laisvės Alėja, they were considered part of it for the addressing purposes even though the buildings themselves are not directly built next to the street itself.

          • Augustinas, Please refer to this map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Laisv%C4%97s+al.+%26+K%C4%99stu%C4%8Dio+g.,+Kaunas+44334,+Lithuania/@54.8959773,23.9068265,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x46e72273362ffd8f:0x58dce0040d200157?hl=en-us

          • I think it is just a Google Maps glitch. The alley has no name and is more or less considered a courtyard. See the top Lithuanian online map / GIS: http://www.maps.lt/map/ . Buildings around the alley have Laisvės Alėja addresses if they are closer to Alėja and Kęstučio if they are closer to it (although the Musical theater has Laisvės Alėja address even if it is closer to Kęstučio, probably based on the side of its entrance).

          • Thanks. Let’s take some comfort knowing that google doesn’t know everything . . .

  16. My grandfather was born in Kaunas Lithuania in 1888 . And came to America about 1890 his name was joseph shaulis and his father was joseph shaulis I’m looking for my great grandfathers grave he died in Kaunas

    • It may be possible to find it but the likelihood is probably under 50%. Many graves were destroyed by the Soviets, others simply crumbled away. Only a minority of the late 19th century graves survive in Lithuania.

  17. I was born in Panemunje/Kaunas on the 1. 1. 1938. My father Alberta’s Janki, my mother Antanina Minelgaite. Father was a member of the National Guard. If I wanted to explore a bit more, would you be able to help me? My Name was Irena Elena Jenkyte. I still got my Lithuanian Birth Certificate. I have been living in Australia since 1963.

    • If you would like to research the Lithuanian archives, we offer such services. We will contact you by e-mail regarding this.

  18. In what year was a decree issued that required all buildings in Kaunas to be constructed from non-flammable materials such as bricks, stone, and later concrete. This is due to the city of Kaunas being burned down so frequently.

    • Dear Alf,

      I am afraid you are mixing two decrees into one. The first one, established in 1923 after architects Antanas Jokimas and Peter Marus Frandsen (from Denmark) drafted the new Kaunas city plan, stated that no new wooden buildings can be built in so called “Brick Quarter” that encompassed most of the central part of the city (Centras / Naujamiestis). In 1929 it was expanded and later included the quarter around the Railway Station, and first row of villas e.g. in the Green hill (Žaliakalnis) suburb.

      I have myself witnessed the enormous amount of work Jokimas had made as an official to convert central part of Kaunas from wooden into brick / concrete one. Only minor repairs to the older wooden houses were allowed, the requests to build the wooden fence or pantry or lumber room were all refuted. Also, if the wooden house needed serious repairs, there was a pressure to have them demolished. Talented architect Jokimas actually designed only a couple of modernist buildings himself, as he seems to have been writing all these officials refusals, resolutions and giving fines for violations all these years.

      Now about the fight with frequent fires, there was another resolution, that required all the wooden houses (they were built in large numbers in the districts further away from the center, like Žaliakalnis, Šančiai, Vilijampolė, Aleksotas, Freda, Panemunė etc) to have one brick wall – looking from street, on the right as “ugniasienė” (literally, the “firewall”). This decree was issued in the 20s of the 20th century, too.

      Jonas, Kaunas city guide

  19. Hi, My name is Georgia Polaske and I am from the United States of America. I have recently found out about my heritage. My great grandfather was born in kaunas in 1886,Feb 25. His name was Josef Pawlauskis. I am his 1 born great grandaughter. I never got to meet him but I can feel him everyday. Please tell me what to do to get my citizenship. My number is 1-702-771-7108. I have so many questions.

  20. my ancesters come from an area about 80k sw of kaunas. originally protestant refugees from austria in the 1760s. they were farmers, a late relative remembers the place names of:vilkaviskis, kybartai, sudakgas, marijampole.
    they emigrated to scotland and america around 1900 but I cannot find them on any cencus to try and trace them back.
    because they were classed as european befor WW1 they were not classed as aliens so no passenger lists seem to exist.
    any suggestion if where to look would be appreciated

    • As you know the approximate location where they lived, as well as their religion, then it may be possible to search for information about them in the archival books of local Lutheran churches. We can send you an offer by e-mail.

  21. Dear Mr. Zemaitis, great work; thanks.


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