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Kaunas

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 74.178.246.47 (talk) at 08:12, 9 November 2009 (→Notable residents: Added Sidney Shachnow). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article is about the city. For the county (Kauno apskritis), see Kaunas County.
Kaunas
City municipality
Top: Kaunas Castle Middle left: House of Perkūnas, right: Kaunas city hall The 3rd row: Kaunas lagoon Bottom left: Vytautas the Great War Museum, right: Church of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Top: Kaunas Castle

Middle left: House of Perkūnas, right: Kaunas city hall
The 3rd row: Kaunas lagoon

Bottom left: Vytautas the Great War Museum, right: Church of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Coat of arms of Kaunas
Coat of arms
Nickname: 
Laikinoji sostinė
Location of Kaunas
Location of Kaunas
Country Lithuania
Ethnographic regionAukštaitija
CountyKaunas County
MunicipalityKaunas city municipality
Capital ofKaunas County
Kaunas city municipality
Kaunas district municipality
First mentioned1361
Granted city rights1408
Boroughs
List
Area
 • Total
157 km2 (61 sq mi)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total
355,550
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Websitekaunas.lt

Kaunas (/ˈkaʊnəs/, Lithuanian: [kɐˈunɐs] ⓘ, also known by several other names, is the second largest city in Lithuania and a former temporary capital. It is served by the freeways Via Baltica (E67) and Vilnius-Klaipėda (A1). Kaunas is located at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, and near the Kaunas Reservoir, the largest body of water entirely in Lithuania.

Etymology and other names

The city's name is of Lithuanian origins and most likely derives from a personal name.[1]

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 Belarusian name is Koўнa. 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. The city and its elderates also have names in other languages (see Names of Kaunas in other languages and names of Kaunas elderates in other languages).

Legend

One of the legends tells us, that Kaunas was established by Romans in ancient times. The head of this Romans group was the patrician Palemon, who had three sons: Barcus, Kunas and Sperus. Palemon went away form Rome, because he feared emperor Neron. So, he with his sons and other relatives came to Lithuania. After his death three sons shared out all Lithuania's lands. Kunas got lands, which now is standing city of Kaunas. Kunas build a castle near confluence of Nemunas ir Neris rivers and city was call - Kaunas from his name.

Coat of arms

In June 30, 1993 the historical coat of arms of Kaunas city was established by a special presidential decree. The coat of arms features a white aurochs 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 current emblem was the result of much study and discussion on the part of the Lithuanian Heraldry Commission, and realized by the artist Raimondas Miknevičius. An aurochs has replaced a wisent, depicted in the Soviet era emblem, used since 1969.

History

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Remains of Kaunas Castle
Kaunas' view in 19th century
Napoleon's Hill
Church and Monastery of Pažaislis
House of Perkūnas
Litas commemorative coin dedicated to Kaunas city

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 the Teutonic Knights. In 1362, the town was captured by the Teutonic Knights, who destroyed the Kaunas Castle. The castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century.

In 1408 the town was granted Magdeburg Rights by Vytautas the Great and became a center of Kaunas Powiat in Trakai Voivodeship in 1413. Kaunas then began to gain prominence, since it was at an intersection of trade routes and a river port. In 1441 Kaunas joined the Hanseatic 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 the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

In 1665, the Russian army attacked the city several times, and in 1701 the city was occupied by the Swedish army. The Black 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 taken over by the Russian Empire and became a part of Vilna Governorate. During the French invasion of Russia in 1812, the Grand Army of Napoleon 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 the January 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 the Russian Empire and Germany was constructed, making Kaunas a significant railway hub with one of the first railway tunnels in the Empire, completed in 1861. In 1898 the first power plant started operating.

Up to the Second World War, like many other cities in Europe, Kaunas had a significant Jewish population: according to Russian census of 1897, out of the total population of 70,900, Jews constituted 25,500 (so around 36% percent).[2]

Inter-war Lithuania

Main article: Temporary capital of Lithuania

After Vilnius was occupied by the Russian Bolsheviks in 1919, the government of the Republic of Lithuania established its main base here. Later, when capital Vilnius was annexed to Poland, Kaunas became the Temporary capital of Lithuania, a position it held until October 28, 1939, when the Red Army handed Vilnius to Lithuania.

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 the Vincas Kudirka library, were established. Vileišis maintained many contacts in other European 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.[3] 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 important Zionist center.

Soviet period

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 to Siberia and other parts of Russia. After the outbreak of German invasion into USSR on 23 June an uprising began in Kaunas and short-lived period of independence was proclaimed in Kaunas on June 23, 1941.

The Tragedy of Kaunas' Jews

Main article: Kaunas Ghetto

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, the Lithuanian Activist Front, founded by Lithuanian nationalist émigrés in Berlin, disseminated anti-semitic literature in Lithuania.[3] 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 on June 25, the anti-Communist German organized insurgents began to attack Jews, blaming them for Soviet repressions, especially along Jurbarko and Kriščiukaičio streets.[3] They murdered over three thousand eight hundred Jews and took hundreds 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.[3]

Modern times

Aquarium in shopping mall "Mega"

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,[citation needed] which were a critical part of the remaining free media.[citation needed] They were defended by the citizenry of Kaunas.[citation needed]

Demography

Historical population

Year Inhabitants
1796 8,500
1813 3,000
1825 5,000
1840 8,500
1860 23,300
1897 71,000
1923 92,000
1940 154,000
1959 214,000
1966 275,000
1989 418,087
2001 378,943
2004 366,652
2005 361,274

Ethnic composition

File:LibertyStreet.JPG
Laisvės alėja is one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe

1897 Russian census revealed the following ethnic composition in the city (by mother tongue, out of 70,920):[4]

  1. Jews 25,052 - 35%
  2. Russians 18,308 - 26%
  3. Poles 16,112 - 23%
  4. Lithuanians 4,092 - 6%
  5. Germans 3,340 - 4.5%
  6. Tatar 1,084 - 1.5%
  7. Other 2932 - 4%

Today, 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 than Vilnius, and more ethnic Lithuanians than Riga has ethnic Latvians or Tallinn has ethnic Estonians.

Kaunas' mosque
File:Kaunas-City Council.jpg
Kaunas city municipality main building

Ethnic composition in 2001, out of a total of 378,943:[5]

  1. Lithuanians 352,051
  2. Russians 16,622
  3. Ukrainians 1,906
  4. Poles 1,600
  5. Other 6,764

Municipality 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

Climate

Climate data for Kaunas
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: World Weather Information Service [6]

Geography

The city covers 15,700 hectares. Parks, groves, gardens, nature reserves, and agricultural areas occupy 8,329 hectares.[7]

File:670px-KaunoSen.png
Kaunas' elderates

Administrative divisions

Kaunas is divided into 11 elderates:

Neighborhoods

Main article: Neighborhoods of Kaunas

Cityscape

Points of interest

St. Michael the Archangel (garrison) Church
File:Prisikelimo baznycia 2007-04-28.jpg
Christ’s Resurrection Church, Kaunas

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:

Museums

Kaunas is often called a city of museums, because of the abundance and variety of them. The museums in Kaunas include:

Vytautas the Great War Museum
Kaunas State Musical Theatre

Theatres

Kaunas is notable for the diverse culture life. Kaunas Symphony Orchestra is the main venue for classical music concerts. Kaunas theatres has played an important role in Lithuanian society. There are at least 7 professionlas theatres, lots of amateur theatres, ensembles, abundant groups of art and sports. Kaunas is best known for the Kaunas Jazz Festival, Pažaislis music festival, which usually run from early June until late August each year. Probably the longest established festival is the International Modern Dance Festival, which first ran in 1989. Some of the best examples of culture life in Kaunas are:

Public art

A great deal of sculptuary is on display in the public areas of Kaunas.

Infrastructure

The city is located in the centre of Lithuania, making it highly significant from a logistical point of view.

Highways

Kaunas is linked to Vilnius to its east and Klaipėda, on the Baltic Sea, via the A1 highway.

Public transportation

Kaunas has 16 trolleybus routes, 49 bus routes (Map), a wide shared taxi carrier network - see Kaunas Public Transport -, and it is also one of the major river ports in the Baltic States.

Airports

Kaunas International Airport (KUN) is one of the biggest airports in the Baltic states. In 2008 it handled 410,000 passengers and 100,000 tonnes of cargo. The smaller S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport, established in 1915, is located about three kilometers south of the city center.

Bridges

Vytautas the Great Bridge

Since Kaunas is located at the confluence of two rivers, there are 34 bridges in the city, including:

Sports

Kaunas is home to the Žalgiris basketball club, one of Europe's strongest, which plays home matches in Kaunas Sports Hall. The city is also the birthplace or childhood home of many of the country's top basketball stars, among them Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Linas Kleiza and Šarūnas Jasikevičius. The main stadium of the city is S.Dariaus ir S.Girėno Sporto Centras (total capacity 9,000), which is also the Lithuanian soccer club FBK Kaunas's and Lithuanian national football team home stadium. Granitas Kaunas is a strongest men team handball club in Lithuania.

Education

Kaunas University of Medicine

Kaunas is often called a city of students; there are about 50,000 students enrolled in its universities.

Annual events

Notable residents

Adam Mickiewicz
L. L. Zamenhof
Chiune Sugihara

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Lithuania

Twin towns — Sister cities

Kaunas is twinned with:

Footnotes and references

  1. ^ Zinkevičius, Zigmas (2007). Senosios Lietuvos valstybės vardynas. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas. p. 42. ISBN 5420016060. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ Joshua D. Zimmerman, Poles, Jews, and the politics of nationality, Univ of Wisconsin Press, 2004, ISBN 0299194647, Google Print, p.16
  3. ^ a b c d "Kovno". Ushmm.org. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  4. ^ Первая Всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Таблица XIII. Распределение населения по родному языку. Т.Т.1-50. С.-Петербург: 1903-1905
  5. ^ 2001 Census - Lithuanian Government Department of Statistics
  6. ^ "Weather Information for Kaunas". World Weather Information Service. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  7. ^ "[[Baltic University Programme]] Urban Forum City Status Report V". Baltic University Programme. Retrieved 2009-01-25. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  8. ^ Official website of the President of Lithuania
  9. ^ Martin, Douglas. "Joseph Gurwin, Textile Manufacturer and Philanthropist, Dies at 89", The New York Times, September 26, 2009. Accessed September 29, 2009.
  10. ^ "Brno - Partnerská města" (in Czech). © 2006-2009 City of Brno. Retrieved 2009-07-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "Wrocław Official Website - Partnership Cities of Wrocław". File:Uk flag.gif (in English, German, French and Polish) © 2007 Wrocław Municipality. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  12. ^ Jérôme Steffenino, Marguerite Masson. "Ville de Grenoble - Coopérations et villes jumelles". Grenoble.fr. Retrieved 2009-10-29.

Notes

This article incorporates text from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and has been released under the GFDL.
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