Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939 World Heritage Site

Official name

Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919-1939 | UNESCO

Country

Lithuania | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

54.8969° Lat, 23.9291° Lon | Map

Code

1661

Time Zone

Europe/Vilnius (EET, +0200)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2023. 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.