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Kaunas

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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.
Coat of arms of Kaunas
Nickname: 
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
Area
 • City municipality157 km2 (61 sq mi)
Population
 (2008)
 • City municipality355,550
 • Metro
673,706 (Kaunas County)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Websitekaunas.lt

Kaunas (/ˈkaʊnəs/; Lithuanian pronunciation: [kɐˈunɐs] , see also other names, is the second largest city in Lithuania and a former temporary capital. 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. An earlier Russian name was 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

An old legend claims that Kaunas was established by the Romans in ancient times. These Romans were supposedly led by a patrician named Palemon, who had three sons - Barcus, Kunas and Sperus. Palemon fled from Rome because he feared the mad Emperor Nero. Palemon, his sons and other relatives travelled all the way to Lithuania. After Palemon's death, his sons divided his land. Kunas got the land where Kaunas now stands. He build a fortress near confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, and city that grew up there was named after him.

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

A settlement had been established on the site of the current Kaunas old town at the confluence of two large rivers, at least by the tenth century AD. It is believed 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 and a hospital 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 Imperial Germany was built, 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.

Prior to the Second World War, Kaunas, like many other cities in eastern Europe, had a significant Jewish population. According to the Russian census of 1897, Jews numbered 25,500, about 36% percent of the total of 70,900.[2]

Inter-war 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 the capital Vilnius was forcibly annexed by Poland, Kaunas became the temporary capital of Lithuania, a position it held until October 28, 1939, when the Red Army handed Vilnius back to Lithuania.

Between the World Wars industry prospered in Kaunas; it was then the largest city in Lithuania. Under direction of the mayor Jonas Vileišis (1921–1931) Kaunas grew rapidly and was extensively modernised. A water and waste water system, costing more than 15 million Lithuanian litas, was put in place, the city expanded from 18 square kilometers to 40, more than 2,500 buildings were built, plus three modern bridges over the Neris and Nemunas rivers. All the city's streets were paved, horse-drawn transportation was replaced with modern bus lines, new suburbs were planned and built (Žaliakalnis neighborhood in particular), and 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. J. 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 made up much of the city's commercial, artisan, and professional sectors. Kaunas was a center of Jewish learning, and the yeshiva in Slobodka (Vilijampolė) was one of Europe's most prestigious institutes of higher Jewish learning. Kaunas had a rich and varied Jewish culture. There were 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 Lithuania was invaded by the Soviet Union and was annexed as the Lithuanian SSR. 14 June 1941 marked the beginning of mass Soviet arrests, executions and deportations of Lithuanians to Siberia and other parts of Russia. After the outbreak of German invasion into USSR on 22 June, the June Uprising against the retreating Red Army began in Kaunas and a short-lived period of independence was proclaimed in Kaunas on 23 June 1941. During the battles with the Red Army, Lithuanian rebels secured government offices, police stations, shops, warehouses, and attempted to re-establish order in the city. On June 25, the main German forces marched into the city without opposition and almost in parade fashion. The Nazi Germans did not recognize the new government, but they did not take any actions to dissolve it until the establishment of a German civil administration on 17 July. The government's powers were then slowly taken over by the new occpiers. Beginning in 1944, the Red Army Soviet began offensives which eventually took back all three of the Baltic states.

Kaunas' Jews

Jewish life in Kaunas was first disrupted when the Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in June 1940. The unwelcomed 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 claims, the propaganda blamed Jews for the Soviet occupation.

Following Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Soviet forces fled from Kaunas. Both before and after the German occupation of the city on June 25, the anti-Communist Nazi organized insurgents began to attack Jews, blaming them for the Soviet repressions, especially along Jurbarko and Kriščiukaičio streets.[3] They murdered more than 3,800 Jews and took hundreds more to the Lietūkis garage and killed them there.

The Nazis eventually established the Kaunas Ghetto, the Jews of which by the end of the war would have been almost completely murdered.[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.[4] They were defended by the citizenry of Kaunas.[5]

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):[6]

  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:[7]

  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

  • 1921-1931 - Jonas Vileišis
  • 1931 - Juozas Vokietaitis
  • 1932–1933 - Antanas Gravrogkas
  • 1933–1939 - Antanas Merkys
  • 1940 - Antanas Garmus
  • 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
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −2.6
(27.3)
−1.4
(29.5)
3.5
(38.3)
10.7
(51.3)
17.9
(64.2)
21
(70)
22.2
(72.0)
21.9
(71.4)
16.7
(62.1)
10.8
(51.4)
4.4
(39.9)
0
(32)
10.4
(50.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −8.5
(16.7)
−7.6
(18.3)
−3.6
(25.5)
1.8
(35.2)
7.4
(45.3)
10.9
(51.6)
12.4
(54.3)
11.8
(53.2)
8.1
(46.6)
4
(39)
−0.5
(31.1)
−4.9
(23.2)
2.6
(36.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 39
(1.5)
31
(1.2)
35
(1.4)
42
(1.7)
55
(2.2)
69
(2.7)
80
(3.1)
78
(3.1)
56
(2.2)
45
(1.8)
53
(2.1)
47
(1.9)
630
(24.8)
Average precipitation days 18 14 14 13 13 13 14 13 15 15 17 19 178
Source: World Weather Information Service [8]

Geography

Kaunas' elderates

The city covers 15,700 hectares. Parks, groves, gardens, nature reserves, and agricultural areas occupy 8,329 hectares.[9]

Administrative divisions

Kaunas is divided into 12 elderates:

Neighborhoods

Panorama over Kaunas Old Town from Aleksotas

The oldest part of Kaunas city is the Old Town located to the east of the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers. The formation of the new rectangular structure of the New Town started in Kaunas since 1847. The construction of the Kaunas Railway Tunnel and Railway Bridge across the Nemunas river helped move goods from the eastern part of Russian Empire west to the German Empire and Kaunas grew rapidly in the second part of 19th century. The oldest part of Kaunas was connected with Žaliakalnis neighborhood in 1889. The city have increased once more when it was connected by bridges with Aleksotas and Vilijampolė districts in the 1920s.

Cityscape

Points of interest

The interior of Kaunas Cathedral Basilica
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 - Old Town 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 professional theatres, lots of amateur theatres, ensembles, abundant groups of art and sports. Some of the best examples of culture life in Kaunas are theatres of various styles:

Public art

File:Vytautas 2006 07 09.jpg
Vytautas the Great statue near city municipality

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

Economy

Kaunas is a large center of industry and services in Lithuania. The most developed industries in Kaunas are: food and beverage industry, textile and light industry, chemical industry, publishing and processing, pharmaceuticals, metal industry, wood processing and furniture industry. Information technology and electronics have become an important area of business activities in Kaunas. Primary investors in Kaunas are companies from the USA, Finland, and Estonia. Head offices of several major International and Lithuanian companies are located in Kaunas, including "Kraft Foods Lietuva", largest Generic Pharmaceutical producer in Lithuania "Sanitas group", producer of sportsweare AB "Audimas", one of the largest construction companies "YIT Kausta", JSC "Senukai", largest producer in Lithuania of strong alcoholic drinks JSC "Stumbras", Finnish capital brewery JSC "Ragutis", JSC "Fazer Gardesis", largest wholesale, distribution and logistics company in Lithuania and Latvia JSC "Sanitex", JSC "Stora Enso Packaging", "UBIG group" - a management company of diversified holdings which operates in the property development, banking, aluminium, mining, logistics, textiles, sports, financial intermediary and other sectors; producer of pharmaceuticals, and the only producer of homoeopathic medicines in Lithuania JSC "Aconitum". There are also some innovative companies located in Kaunas, such as leading wholesaler of computer components, data storage media "ACME group", internet and TV provider, communications JSC "Mikrovisata group", developer and producer original products for TV and embedded technologies JSC "Selteka". Joint Lithuanian-German company "Net Frequency", based in Kaunas, is a multimedia and technology service provider. Kaunas is also home to JSC "Baltijos Programinė Įranga", a subsidiary of No Magic, Inc., producing world-leading software modeling tools. Kaunas Free Economic Zone established in 1996 has also attracted some investors from abroad. Before its disestablishment, Air Lithuania had its head office in Kaunas.[10] Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant is the largest one in Lithuania.

Some notable changes are under construction and in the stage of disputes. The construction of a new landmark of Kaunas - the Žalgiris Arena - began in the autumn of 2008 and is due to be completed by December 2010.[11] Currently discussions are underway about the further development of the Vilijampolė district on the right bank of the Neris river and the Nemunas River, near their confluence.[12]

Infrastructure

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

Airports

Kaunas International Airport (KUN) is one of the biggest airports in the Baltic states. In 2009 it handled 456,698 passengers and 2,119 tonnes of cargo. In 2010 Ryanair announced Kaunas Airport as their 40th base and first in the region. In 2011 they believe that the airport will handle up to one million passengers. The smaller S. Darius and S. Girėnas Airport, established in 1915, is located about three kilometers south of the city center. It is one the oldest still functioning airports in Europe used for tourism and air sports purposes.

Highways

Kaunas is served by a number of major motorways. European route E67 is a highway running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Helsinki in Finland by way of Poland, Kaunas Lithuania, Riga (Latvia), and Tallinn (Estonia). It is known as the Via Baltica between Warsaw and Tallinn, a distance of 670 kilometres (420 mi). It is the most important road connection between the Baltic states. Kaunas also is linked to Vilnius to its east and Klaipėda, on the Baltic Sea, via the A1 motorway and Daugavpils (Latvia), via E262(A6) highway.

Other national status roads passing through Kaunas include:

Bridges

Vytautas the Great Bridge

Since Kaunas is located at the confluence of two rivers, there were 34 bridges and viaducts built in the city at the end of 2007, including:

Railways

Kaunas Railway Tunnel

Kaunas is an important railway hub in Lithuania. First railway connection passing through Kaunas was constructed in 1859-1961 and opened in 1962. It consisted of Kaunas Railway Tunnel and the Railway bridge across the Nemunas river. There are many trains from Vilnius and Kybartai. Some trains run from Vilnius to Šeštokai, and, Poland, through Kaunas. International route connecting Kaliningrad, Russia and Kharkiv, Ukraine, also crosses Kaunas. The first phase of the Standard gauge Rail Baltica railway section from Šeštokai to Kaunas is under construction, and it is expected to be completed by 2013.

Public transportation

Kaunas has well developed public transportation system. There are 16 trolleybus routes, 49 bus routes ([1]), a wide shared taxi carrier network - see Kaunas Public Transport. In 2007 new electronic monthly tickets began to be introduced for public transport in Kaunas. Until 2010 regular paper tickets, which are valid for single journeys on Kaunas public buses and trolleybuses, can be purchased from newspaper kiosks and bus/trolleybus drivers. It is available to purchase Kaunas electronic card in shops and newspaper stands and have it credited with an appropriate amount of money. The monthly e-ticket cards may be bought once and might be credited with an appropriate amount of money in various ways including the Internet. Previous paper monthly tickets were in use until August 2009.[13] Kaunas is also one of the major river ports in the Baltic States and has two piers designated for tourism purposes and located on the banks of Nemunas river and Kaunas Reservoir - the largest Lithuanian artificial lake, created in 1959 by damming the Neman River near Kaunas and Rumšiškės.

Sports

Kaunas S.Dariaus ir S.Girėno Sporto Centras

Sports in Kaunas has a long and distinguished history. The city is home to a few historic clubs such as: LFLS Kaunas football club (est.1920), LFLS Kaunas baseball club (est.1922), Žalgiris basketball club (est.1944). Žalgiris basketball club, one of Europe's strongest now plays in the Euroleague. Kaunas is home to some of historic venues such as: the main stadium of the city - 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 established in 1923, and, Kaunas Sports Hall, completed in 1939 for the Third European Basketball Championship. Kaunas will host the European Basketball Championship of 2011. 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. It is also used as the only large athletics stadium in Lithuania. The largest indoor arena in the Baltics is under construction in Kaunas. The arena will be used to host sports games as well as concerts. Granitas Kaunas is a strongest men team handball club in Lithuania. First golf club "Elnias" in Lithuania was opened in Kaunas in 2000. Nemuno žiedas is the only in Lithuania motor racing circuit, situated in Kačerginė, a small town near Kaunas.

Education

Kaunas University of Medicine

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

Annual events

Kaunas is best known for the Kaunas Jazz Festival, International Operetta Festival, Photo Art Festival "Kaunas photo" or Pažaislis music festival, which usually run from early June until late August each year. The open-air concerts of the historical 49-bell Carillon of Kaunas are held on weekends. Probably the longest established festival is the International Modern Dance Festival, which first ran in 1989.

Notable residents

Adam Mickiewicz
L. L. Zamenhof
Chiune Sugihara

International relations

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 0-299-19464-7, Google Print, p.16
  3. ^ a b c d "Kovno". Ushmm.org. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
  4. ^ http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/inter/w5_show?p_r=4111&p_d=62825&p_k=2 Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. A Chronicle of the Events of January 1991 and Later Months which were a critical part of the remaining free media.
  5. ^ http://www.toptravel.lt/lithuania/kaunas-facts-history/ Kaunas. Facts&History.
  6. ^ Первая Всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Таблица XIII. Распределение населения по родному языку. Т.Т.1-50. С.-Петербург: 1903-1905
  7. ^ 2001 Census - Lithuanian Government Department of Statistics
  8. ^ "Weather Information for Kaunas". World Weather Information Service. Retrieved 2008-12-01.
  9. ^ "[[Baltic University Programme]] Urban Forum City Status Report V". Baltic University Programme. Retrieved 2009-01-25. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  10. ^ Home page. Air Lithuania. 6 August 2002. Retrieved on 15 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Kamanė; Blessing to Open Kaunas Arena Facades". Retrieved 2010-05-17.
  12. ^ "Kamanė; Exam of New Architecture in Vilijampolė and near Kalniečiai Park". Retrieved 2009-12-15.
  13. ^ http://transportas.kaunas.lt/index_en.php?page=160 Kaunas city public transport. General information
  14. ^ Official website of the President of Lithuania
  15. ^ Martin, Douglas. "Joseph Gurwin, Textile Manufacturer and Philanthropist, Dies at 89", The New York Times, September 26, 2009. Accessed September 29, 2009.
  16. ^ "Brno - Partnerská města" (in Czech). © 2006-2009 City of Brno. Retrieved 2009-07-17. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  17. ^ "Wrocław Official Website - Partnership Cities of Wrocław". (in English, German, French and Polish) © 2007 Wrocław Municipality. Retrieved 2008-10-23.
  18. ^ Jérôme Steffenino, Marguerite Masson. "Ville de Grenoble - Coopérations et villes jumelles". Grenoble.fr. Retrieved 2009-10-29. [dead link]

Notes

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