Address
M. Valančiaus g. 6,
LT-44275, Kaunas.
Tel.: (370 37) 20 82 20, (370 37) 32 25 84.
El. paštas:
miestomuziejus@kaunas.sav.lt
Information for
visitors
Opening times:
Tuesday to Friday – 9–17
Saturday 10–16
Exposition
Exposition 'Kaunas in the flow of time'
This exposition
presents the history of Kaunas covering the period from ancient times to
1940.
The first historical record of Kaunas dates back to 1361, when it was
mentioned in the chronicles of Wigand of Marburg, which depicted the
attack of Kaunas Castle. However, the remains of settlements that were
discovered by archaeologists prove that people resided at the confluence
of the rivers Nemunas and Neris even in the Stone Age.
In 1408 the Lithuanian duke Vytautas Magnus bestowed a privilege upon
Kaunas to establish a free and economically independent society of
merchants and craftsmen, which was amenable to the sovereign.
The city suffered tremendous/serious loss during the 17th century wars
and plague.
In 1795 Kaunas became a part of the Russian Empire.
During the Tsar times, Kaunas was not only the administrative centre of
Kaunas guberny and a military Bastille of the Russian empire, but also a
city that was rapidly transforming and becoming a centre of the revived
Lithuanian citizenship with the most prominent figure of the century
ahead – bishop Motiejus Valančius.
In 1915–1918 Kaunas was occupied by the Kaiser army.
In 1919 when Kaunas became the provisional capital of Lithuania, it was
transformed from a centre of the tsarist guberny into a European city.
For over 20 years Kaunas acted as a political, cultural and economic
centre of Lithuania. The Lithuanian culture and education flourished at
that time.
Exposition of Ecclesiastical Art
This exposition features
numerous valuable works of art, related to Kaunas and the heritage of
the ecclesiastic art of Kaunas archbishopric.
Exposition
of the History of Resistance and Free Thinking
This exposition presents the
history of the publishing and distribution of the Catholic Church
Chronicle and the press of the Lithuanian partisans and the resistance
underground.
A
memorial museum-flat of Cardinal Vincentas Sladkevičius
The memorial museum-flat of Cardinal V. Sladkevičius (1920–2000)
was founded in 2001. The reconstructed rooms of the flat reflect V.
Sladkevičius’ work and spiritual life. Among the displayed relics are:
the bulls of the pope John Paul II,
a cross and breviary presented by the pope, the Cardinal’s ring and gala
dresses, various awards, letters, notes, prayer-books, photographs and
other personal items.
Branch Museum
Exposition 'Exile and Resistance'
Vytauto g. 46, LT-44322, Kaunas.
Tel. (370 37) 32 31 79.
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10–17.
This exposition reflects the period of 1940–1990 during which the
Lithuanians were fighting for freedom. The material presented in this
exposition reveals facts about the partisan war, people’s sufferings in
exile, prisons, concentration camps and etc. The exposition is being
renewed on a regular basis.
Fragments of the
History of the Museum
The museum was renewed on October 20 in 2005. It pursues the
activities of the first Kaunas City Museum, which functioned during the
period of 1897–1936. The first exhibition at the renewed museum was
called “From the Museum Collections…”. It featured a collection of
paintings from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and the 19th c periods.
