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Origin of the Name of Kaunas
The origin of the name of Kaunas has more than one legend. The oldest legend is Roman. It tells of the Roman Grand Duke Palemon, who in the 5th century A.D. while escaping from the warships of the Huns, landed in this country and established himself near the Nemunas, Dubysa and Jūra Rivers. Grand Duke Palemon had three sons – Bork, Kunos and Spera. Bork established Jurbarkas near the Jūra River, and Kunos moved near the mouth of the Nevėžis River and established a city, named Kaunas, like his name. Actually almost nobody believes this story because Kaunas is not located near the Nevėžis River.
There is also an Arabian version. The story says that in historical sources of 1140, it was first mentioned by Arab travellers, which means that Kaunas was mentioned earlier than Vilnius?
Almost unilaterally it is agreed that the Teutonic Order historian, Vygand Marburg mentioned the name Kaunas (Kawen, Cawen) in his chronicles. In the chronicles is mentioned the news that spies were sent to clarify the defences of the Kaunas Castle. Kaunas is also mentioned in other chronicles of the Crusaders. Kaunas, according to linguists, is most likely associated with the word “kautis” (to fight) because in these places many battles took place. Another version states that the origin of the name comes from the personal name Kaunas, which was popular in those areas in ancient times. The guess is that an individual named Kaunas could have been the owner of an estate, which had his name. Another hypothesize, which Kaunas residents object to, states that the name Kaunas comes from a word having a negative meaning. The adjective kaunas, or kaunus had an earlier meaning of one of a lowly status, deep (this could be about the earlier residence in the river valley or castle?), and in other Indo-European languages it means shame, degradation, ridicule, bad etc. Today “Kaunas is simply Kaunas” and this frequent phrase about the city says it all.
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History of Kaunas
In the current place of Kaunas Old Town, in the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris Rivers, people lived in the ancient past. Their residences, from which the city of Kaunas grew, are mentioned for the first time in historical documents of 1361.
As a defence against the attacks of the Crusaders at the end of the 13th century, a brick castle was built, becoming an important part of the city’s defence system. In 1408, the Magdeburg Rights were awarded to the city of Kaunas. From then on, Kaunas began to grow at a rapid rate, and along with it grew the volume of trade with Western Europe. Joining the Hanseatic League in 1441, the merchants of the city of Hansa opened an office, which worked until 1532. Already in the 16th century the first school was built, as well as a public hospital and a pharmacy. Soon after, Kaunas became one of the best formed cities in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The 17th and 18th centuries were especially unlucky for the city. The Russian Army made frequent attacks, the plague ravaged the residents, and the city experienced two raging fires.
At the end of the 18th century, the Kaunas economy improved somewhat, but the city was soon overtaken by war at which time it was devastated twice. In spite of everything, the city of Kaunas was developing. The Oginsky canal was built joining the Nemunas with the Dnepr, in 1862 a railroad was laid connecting the Russian Empire with Germany, and in 1989 the first electric power station began to operate. All this helped the city develop its industry and trade. Further development of Kaunas was halted by World War I. Until 1919, various nations and government representatives were in control of Kaunas (Lithuanian communists, Pilsudtsky Poles, Germans).
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Kaunas – the temporary capital
In 1919, when the Russians took over Vilnius, the nation’s council, the cabinet of ministers, and other institutions established themselves in Kaunas. When a year later Poland occupied Vilnius, Kaunas became the temporary capital. In 1920, the constitutional parliament met in Kaunas, laying down the foundations for laws of the renewed nation.
During the years of independence, Kaunas spread out in area, the population increased, industry flourished, and many of the most important industrial branches of Lithuania were being developed. Construction was on the rise, many buildings were redone, completely new and very significant architectural landmarks were built, and bridges over the Nemunas and Neris joined the Centre with Aleksotas and Vilijampolė. City busses began their routes and a city water-supply system was operational. This time period when the city was flourishing, was halted by the Soviet occupation.
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Kaunas – “second” city
After World War II, the status of capital was returned to Vilnius, and Kaunas became the second city of Lithuania according to size and population. Attempts were made to rebuild the ravaged city, but the Soviets on the other hand, began to actively destroy everything that was a reminder of life in independent Lithuania. Various means were taken to battle with anti-Soviet cogitation.
With the independence movement (Sąjūdis) of 1988, many values were revived: original street, square and museum names were returned and many of the monuments of independence were rebuilt. Having chased out the occupying army from Lithuania, opportunities for expansion and collaboration with cities of foreign nations opened up.
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