![Kauno pilis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Kauno_pilis.jpg)
Kaunas Castle is a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
castle in
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai ...
, the second-largest city in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. Archeological evidence suggests that it was originally built during the mid-14th century, in the
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
style. Its site is strategic – a rise on the banks of the
Nemunas
The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
River near its
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
with the
Neris
The river Neris () or Viliya ( be, Ві́лія, pl, Wilia ) rises in northern Belarus. It flows westward, passing through Vilnius (Lithuania's capital) and in the south-centre of that country it flows into the Nemunas (Neman), at Kaunas, as ...
River. At the beginning of the 21st century, about one-third of the castle was still standing.
History
The precise construction date of the first Kaunas Castle is unknown. Archaeological data suggests that a stone castle was built on the site during the middle of the 14th century.
Situated on an elevated bank near the river junction about from the capital city of
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, it served as a strategic outpost and guarded nearby cities as well as trade routes.
![Kaunas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Kaunas.Lietuva.Kaunas_Castle.jpg)
A written account states that in 1361, the
Grand Master of the
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
Winrich von Kniprode
Winrich von Kniprode was the 22nd Grand Master of the Teutonic Order. He was the longest serving Grand Master, holding the position for 31 years (1351–1382).
Winrich von Kniprode was born in 1310 in Monheim am Rhein near Cologne. He served a ...
issued an order to gather information about the castle, specifically the thickness of its walls, as preparation for an assault on the castle. In March–April 1362, the castle was
besieged by the Teutonic Order. During this attack, the Teutonic Knights constructed a
siege tower
A Roman siege tower or breaching tower (or in the Middle Ages, a belfry''Castle: Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections''. Dorling Kindersley Pub (T); 1st American edition (September 1994). Siege towers were invented in 300 BC. ) is a specialized siege ...
and erected wall-penetration machinery; primitive fire arms might have been used, since
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
technology was emerging in Europe. At that time, the castle walls were over high, when its firing galleries are factored in. According to
Wigand of Marburg
Wigand of Marburg (german: Wigand von Marburg)Note that ''von Marburg'' is a purely descriptive title added to his original name of Wigand by later historians, rather than a proper surname. Also the ''von'' should not be confused with a preposition ...
, the castle's garrison consisted of about 400 Lithuanians soldiers, commanded by
Vaidotas
Vaidotas ( fl. 1362) was a son of Kęstutis, Grand Duke of Lithuania. In reliable historical sources he is mentioned only twice: as defender of Kaunas Castle in 1362 and as ruler of Navahrudak. Due to very limited information, his life is subject ...
, son of Duke
Kęstutis
Kęstutis ( la, Kinstut, ; – 3 or 15 August 1382) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He was the Duke of Trakai and governed the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 1342–1382, together with his brother Algirdas (until 1377), and with his nephew Jogaila ...
. After three weeks, the Knights managed to breach the castle's walls, and soon afterwards the castle was taken. On Easter Sunday in 1362, the knights conducted a
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
at the castle to commemorate their victory.
![Vytauto priesaika](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Vytauto_priesaika.jpg)
Apparently, of the castle's defense force of 400, only 36 survived. Questions remain with regard to the castle's defenders' lack of support from outside during the siege. In any event, Kęstutis soon regained and rebuilt Kaunas Castle, but it remained a point of contention between Lithuanians and Teutonic Knights for many years. In 1384 Kaunas Castle was re-captured by the Teutonic Knights. At this time
Grand Master Konrad Zöllner von Rotenstein began reconstruction of Kaunas Castle and renamed it Marienwerder. The presence of the Knights in Kaunas meant that the entire defensive system of castles along the Nemunas was threatened. Confronting this situation, the Lithuanians launched an attack on the castle later the same year.
![Kaunas Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Kaunas_Castle.jpg)
It seems likely that the Lithuanians mustered an army near Vilnius as a strategic maneuver, since Lithuanians could use the downstream flow of the Neris River to transport artillery and military provisions from Vilnius; the Knights were forced to use overland or upstream transport. During the 1384 assault, the Lithuanians deployed cannons and
trebuchet
A trebuchet (french: trébuchet) is a type of catapult that uses a long arm to throw a projectile. It was a common powerful siege engine until the advent of gunpowder. The design of a trebuchet allows it to launch projectiles of greater weigh ...
s; the besieged Teutonic Knights had also installed cannons in the castle, which apparently destroyed the Lithuanians' trebuchet. Nevertheless, the castle was retaken by the Lithuanians.
After 1398, the Teutonic Knights were no longer able to reconquer the castle. After the
Battle of Grunwald
The Battle of Grunwald, Battle of Žalgiris or First Battle of Tannenberg was fought on 15 July 1410 during the Polish–Lithuanian–Teutonic War. The alliance of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led respec ...
, Kaunas Castle lost its strategic military importance and was used as a residence. The castle served administrative purposes after the death of
Vytautas the Great
Vytautas (c. 135027 October 1430), also known as Vytautas the Great ( Lithuanian: ', be, Вітаўт, ''Vitaŭt'', pl, Witold Kiejstutowicz, ''Witold Aleksander'' or ''Witold Wielki'' Ruthenian: ''Vitovt'', Latin: ''Alexander Vitoldus'', O ...
.
Sigismund Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus ( pl, Zygmunt II August, lt, Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first ruler ...
gave this castle to his wife
Barbara Radziwill
Barbara may refer to:
People
* Barbara (given name)
* Barbara (painter) (1915–2002), pseudonym of Olga Biglieri, Italian futurist painter
* Barbara (singer) (1930–1997), French singer
* Barbara Popović (born 2000), also known mononymously ...
in 1549. During the 16th century, the castle was strengthened and adapted to new defensive purposes by the construction of an artillery
bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
near the round tower. The diameter of the bastion was about and the height of the bastion's walls was about ; the wall worked in conjunction with a defensive trench. At the bottom of the bastion a firing gallery was installed, which was linked with the tower.
In 1601, Kaunas Castle housed courts and an archive. At some time in 1611, part of the castle was flooded by the Neris River.
![LT-2008-50litų-Kauno_pilis-b](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/LT-2008-50lit%C5%B3-Kauno_pilis-b.png)
Due to its convenient location, it was used by the
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
military during its
war with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, after which its military functions ceased. In the mid-17th century, large portions of the castle were again flooded. The castle was used as a prison in the 18th century; later the Russian administration granted permission for houses to be built in the castle's territory, which resulted in significant damage to the castle itself.
Kaunas city and this castle was mentioned in the famous Lithuanian and Polish poet
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (; 24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. A principal figure in Polish Ro ...
poem ''
Konrad Wallenrod
''Konrad Wallenrod'' is an 1828 narrative poem, in Polish, by Adam Mickiewicz, set in the 14th-century Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Mickiewicz wrote it, while living in St. Petersburg, Russia, in protest against the late-18th-century partitions o ...
'' (1828), by set in the 14th-century
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Li ...
.
For many years afterwards, Kaunas castle stood abandoned. In the 1960s the round tower was opened as a museum, but due to the tower's structural deterioration, the museum was transferred elsewhere.
Conservation of the castle
![Kauno pilis 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Kauno_pilis_2011.jpg)
Protection of the castle began in 1930; nearby houses were demolished, and the territory was examined by archeologists. Further efforts to preserve the castle were made in the 1950s. At this time the round tower underwent some repair; later the firing bastion was excavated from beneath several overlying strata. The excavated bastion was in very good condition. As part of its protection, temporary roofing was put in place there, as well as on the remaining towers and walls. The remaining portions of the round tower were not reconstructed to their original height, nor were the castle walls; the bigger part of them are only remaining foundations of the walls.
Archeological excavations continued at Kaunas Castle, interrupted by periods of inactivity. The evidence gathered from these archeological works suggests that the configuration of the castle, excluding the bastion, has remained in the form it took during its reconstruction in 1376.
Today
![Kaunas castle 20160603](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Kaunas_castle_20160603.jpg)
Major reconstruction work started in 2010 and ended in 2011.
[ In 2011, a branch of the Kaunas City Museum was established in Kaunas Castle. The castle is open to tourism, and hosts occasional festivals. A new sculpture "" (represents the ]Vytis
The coat of arms of Lithuania consists of a mounted armoured knight holding a sword and shield, known as (). Since the early 15th century, it has been Lithuania's official coat of arms and is one of the oldest European coats of arms. It is als ...
) was erected near Kaunas castle on 14 July 2018. The "Freedom Warrior" is almost seven meters high and was cast in Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
. A bronze horseman with a horse was placed at the castle of Kaunas on a granite pedestal. The authors of the sculpture are Lithuanian and Ukrainians Boris Krylov
Borys Yuriyovich Krylov ( uk, Борис Юрійович Крилов, born 6 August 1976) is a Ukrainian sculptor, a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (since 2012), and a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (sin ...
and .[The Freedom Warrior was presented in Kaunas: it turned out who had chosen his face for the rider, https://tech2.org/lithuania/the-freedom-warrior-was-presented-in-kaunas-it-turned-out-who-had-chosen-his-face-for-the-rider/] In 2019 Kaunas City museum with Kaunas Castle became a new Member of Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea.
See also
*List of castles in Lithuania
Most of Lithuania's early castles were wooden and have not survived. Those that remain are of stone and brick construction dating from the 13th century onwards.
List of castles and castle ruins in Lithuania
See also
* List of castles in Bela ...
*Gothic architecture in Lithuania
Lithuania is not the very centre of Gothic architecture, but it provides a number of examples, partly very different and some quite unique. Conditions
Lithuania, situated at the border of Greek and Roman Church had developed by the defence of i ...
*Kaunas Fortress
Kaunas Fortress ( lt, Kauno tvirtovė, russian: Кοвенская крепость, german: Festung Kowno) is the remains of a fortress complex in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was constructed and renovated between 1882 and 1915 to protect the Russian ...
References
Further reading
* Kauno istorijos metraštis. Kaunas, V tomas, 2004
* S. Thurnbull. Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights. Osprey Publishing, 2003
* R. Jasas. Vygandas Marburgietis. Naujoji Prūsijos kronika. Vilnius, 1999
External links
Kaunas Castle, Kaunas City Museum
The Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea
{{Castles in Lithuania
Brick Gothic
Castles in Lithuania
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
Gothic architecture in Lithuania
Castles of the Teutonic Knights
Tourist attractions in Kaunas
Castles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Objects listed in Lithuanian Registry of Cultural Property