World Heritage Identification Number: 1661
World Heritage since: 2023
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇱🇹 Lithuania
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939
The city of Kaunas, Lithuania, experienced a significant transformation during the interwar period, resulting in the emergence of a unique architectural style known as Modernist Kaunas or Kaunas modernism. This architectural movement, which lasted from 1919 to 1939, played a crucial role in shaping the urban landscape of Kaunas, making it a prominent example of modernist architecture in Eastern Europe.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
This property testifies to the rapid urbanization that transformed the provincial town of Kaunas into a modern city that became Lithuania’s provisional capital between the First and Second World Wars. Its community-driven transformation of an urban landscape was adapted from an earlier town layout. The quality of modern Kaunas was manifested through the spatial organization of the Naujamiestis (New Town) and Žaliakalnis (Green Hill) areas, and in public buildings, urban spaces and residences constructed during the interwar period that demonstrate a variety of styles in which the Modern Movement found architectural expression in the city.Encyclopedia Record: Modernist architecture of Kaunas
Modernist architecture of Kaunas, also known as interwar architecture of Kaunas or Kaunas modernism, is an architectural style that emerged in the interwar period of the Republic of Lithuania. It represents a Lithuanian branch of modernist architecture, which was widespread in many Western countries during the interwar era. The style was formed in Kaunas, the temporary capital of Lithuania at the time, and later spread to other cities of the First Republic of Lithuania. Buildings in this style can also be found in Klaipėda, Palanga, Šiauliai, Birštonas, Jonava, Pasvalys, and Ukmergė, where Kaunas architectural projects were often copied in full. Between 1919 and 1940, approximately 12,000 buildings in this style were constructed in Kaunas.Additional Site Details
Area: 455.3 hectares
Coordinates: 54.8969444444 , 23.9291666667
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© Vilensija, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
