© Via Hansa & Borealis
Between the two world wars, when the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, was annexed by Poland, Kaunas became the capital of Lithuania. This resulted in both a political and urban bombshell for the otherwise medium-sized reality. New public buildings were needed, a new population arrived with needs for modern architecture. Between 1919 and 1939, over 12.000 buildings in modernist style were built in Kaunas, and over 6.000 of them still exist today.
While Kaunas, the 2nd largest city in Lithuania, is European Capital of Culture 2022, Vilnius starts preparing for its 700th anniversary in 2023. The world learned about Vilnius for the first time in 1323 from the letters written by Gediminas, the Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
© Via Hansa & Borealis