Kaunas (Byelorussian: , Polish: Kowno, not common German: Washrooms) is center of the district Kaunas. With approximately 360,000 inhabitants it is the second largest city of Lithuania. It is because of the confluence of Memel (litauisch: Nemunas) and Neris in the center of the country - 100 km west the capital Wilna (litauisch: Vilnius).

Meaning

Kaunas, that of 1920 - 1940 the provisional capital of Lithuania (to Laikinoji Sostine, see section "modern times") was, is today primarily industrie, education and science location. Due to its situation it is the most important traffic junction of Lithuania. Kaunas possesses an attractive city centre with one over 2 km is enough for pedestrian precinct, those, from galleries and fashion shops, the medieval old part of town with the new city 19. Century connects.

Kaunas is considered as the "litauischere" city in the comparison with Wilna, where due to completely different urban history many Poland and Russians live. After a phase of the cultural and economic meaning loss after independence 1990 already before the European Union entry of Lithuania an upswing began in Kaunas.

Beside an extensive economy Kaunas possesses several universities, enormous consumer possibilities and an amazing art offer with many galleries. In particular textile art, whose roots lie in the traditionally strong textile industry, is strongly represented in the city, which settles also in a large, meanwhile Textilkunst Biennale internationally of high repute.

History

The Middle Ages

For the first time 1361 a castle at the delta of the Neris were mentioned into the Memel. This castle was conquered repeated by knights of the German medal and/or however always developed destroyed, by the Litauern immediately again. Principal reason for the continued attacks of the German medal on Kaunas was the attempt of the medal to interconnect its territories in East Prussia and in live country in order to establish so a uniform and compact rule range of Estonia by live country until to East Prussia. On this North-South axis the castle in Kaunas represented an important obstacle for the ambitions of the German medal. With the destroying defeat of the German medal in the battle with fir mountain against the united Litauer and Poland in July 1410 this conflict was decided in favor of the Litauer.

After the settlement the Magdeburger of municipal rights had already received 1408, the meaning of the city grew as commercial centre after 1410 rapidly, which expressed itself also in the opening of a Hansekontors 1440. To the trade the handicraft came and from the before times strategically important and hard contested castle settlement became, a rich and large city in the Polish litauischen state, lain traffic-favorably.

Modern times

1732 destroyed a fire the city. After Kaunas was fallen in the course of the third Polish division (1795) at Russia, the city became 1831 Russian Gouvernementshauptstadt (on Russian Kowno). After the regaining of litauischen independence 1918 Polish troops conquered the traditional litauische capital Wilna and integrated them into the Polish national territory. Therefore Kaunas between the world wars from 1920 to 1940 was the provisional capital of Lithuania (Laikinoji Sostine). With it a considerable development thrust accompanied: new boroughs were put on, to industry and infrastructure profited from the new capital function and 1922 the Vytautas that large university were opened.

1940 occupied Soviet troops Kaunas.1941 the armed forces invaded, which remained until 1944 as crew power in the city. In this time the Jewish population became into the again-created Ghetto Slobodka on the other side of the Neris (today: Quarter Vilijampole) gepfercht and gradually in that close convenient IX. away (from the napoleonischen time, today memorial place) murdered or into other concentration camps deportiert. The regaining renewed from 1944 to to litauischen independence Kaunas belonged to the Litaui Soviet republic, whose capital became again Wilna.

Objects of interest

Kaunas is very pictorial because of the delta of the Neris into the Memel, which flows through the city in numerous turns. The old part of town is worth seeing (lit. senamiestis ) with various catering trade and many well received buildings. At the main place, for which, are appropriate for town hall square the cathedral, which Jesuitenkirche and the historical city hall, which because of its high, white shape in the colloquial language "white swan" is called and each Saturday by pairs of weddings one besieges, since it is extremely more popular due to its beautiful situation a "wedding palace".

At the north side of the town hall square is the gallery "Meno parka" of the Litaui artist combination, in which regularly exhibitions with contemporary art are presented.

Nearby the town hall square are to George church, which is quite worth seeing also in unrenoviertem condition because of the Neris the ruin of the castle of Kaunas and the pc. In a side lane of the town hall square to the Memel the Perkunas house, a lategothical community centre lies, in which the pupils of the nearby Jesuiten High School organize kurzweilige guidance during the summer.

On the high terraces above the Memeltales drive to today two endless rope haulage systems from intermediate wartime.

Kaunas' most well-known museum is dedicated the Ciurlionis - to museum, the large composer and painter of the country. Here one can regard not only the paintings of the artist, but hear in an extra for it furnished area also its music.

Few steps of the Ciurlionis - museum far away on the other roadside lies the singular devil museum with a world-wide unique collection of devil figures. In the Zilinskas gallery nearby the "Sobor", the neobyzantinischen church at the eastern end of the pedestrian precinct, among other things Western European painting is issued like e.g. pictures of max dear man and Franz Marc.

Because of the eastern outskirts of a town of Kaunas, near artificial lake chew-wet seas (Kauno marios), is the monastery Pa"žaislis, which belongs after its renovation to the most beautiful and most unusual Sakralbauten Lithuania.

Of a dark chapter of litauischen history the memorial place in IX. reminds away at the northern outskirts of a town, where during the German crew numerous Jewish humans were murdered out completely Europe (see section "modern times").

Universities and universities

Kaunas is seat of several universities and Hochschulen.Die largest of it is the technical University of Kaunas KTU Kauno technologijos universitetas. The moreover one there is the generally aligned VDU Vytauto Did"žiojo universitetas, the medical University of Kauno medicinos universitetas, the Litaui agriculture university Lietuvos "žemes ukio universitetas and the veterinarian academy Lietuvos veterinarijos akademija. In addition some professional schools come.

Sport

Kaunas may limp economically and culturally also behind the capital, in the sport is equal the city. Kaunas has the only larger stadium of the country (capacity: 20,000 visitors) and beside the best football crew is in Kaunas also the BC "ÂŽalgiris at home, which could become in the national kind of sport basketball in the 80's three times Soviet master, in the 90's of litauischer series masters was and also internationally large successes obtained. It belongs today to the national Sportidol Arvydas Sabonis.

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