Editing Kaunas (section)

===Grand Duchy of Lithuania===
{{wide image|Panorama of Kaunas by Tomasz Makowski, 1600.jpg|580px|align-cap=center|Panorama of Kaunas in 1600 by Tomasz Makowski|dir=rtl}}
[[File:Der deutsche Orden erstürmt Kauen.jpg|thumb|left|The Teutonic Order storms Kaunas in 1362 (19th century depiction)]]

A settlement was established on the site of the current Kaunas Old Town, at the confluence of two large rivers, by at latest the 10th century AD and more settlements developed in the 11th century AD.<ref name="NemunasPress">{{cite web |last1=Oniščik 
|first1=Marija 
|title=Kaunas: maža didelio miesto istorija (I) |url=https://www.nemunas.press/straipsniai/kaunas-maza-didelio-miesto-istorija-i/ |website=Nemunas.press |access-date=12 January 2023 |language=lt |date=20 January 2021}}</ref> Kaunas was first mentioned in written sources in 1361 and at the end of the 13th century the brick [[Kaunas Castle]] was constructed to defend the residents from attacks by the [[Teutonic Order]].<ref name="KaunasMunicipalityHistory">{{cite web 
|title=Miesto istorija |url=http://www.kaunas.lt/apie-kauna/miesto-istorija/ |website=Kaunas.lt 
|access-date=12 January 2023 
|language=lt
}}</ref> At the time only two brick castles stood near the Nemunas River (in Kaunas and [[Grodno]]), which was the main front line of fights between the Crusaders and [[Lithuanians]].<ref name="Vaidotas">{{cite web |last1=Baranauskas |first1=Tomas |title=Pažinkime Lietuvos kunigaikščius: Vaidotas |url=http://www.msavaite.lt/pazinkime-lietuvos-kunigaikscius-vaidotas/ |website=Msavaite.lt |access-date=12 January 2023 |language=lt |date=28 May 2021}}</ref> Consequently, Kaunas Castle had a strategic importance, as it prevented the Crusaders from intruding deeper into Lithuania and its capital, [[Vilnius]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kaunopilis.lt/istorija |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025104640/http://www.kaunopilis.lt/istorija |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 October 2009 |title=Kauno pilis: istorija |language=lt}}</ref>

In 1362, the [[Siege of Kaunas (1362)|castle was captured]] after a siege of several weeks and destroyed by the Teutonic Order.<ref name=KaunasCastleVisit>{{cite web |url=http://www.kaunas.lt/index.php?1137823477 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928105247/http://www.kaunas.lt/index.php?1137823477 |url-status=dead |archive-date=28 September 2011 |title=Places to Visit: "Kaunas Castle"}}</ref><ref name="Sapoka">{{cite web |last1=Šapoka |first1=Adolfas |title=Gediminaičiai: Algirdo ir Kęstučio laikai |url=https://istorijai.lt/gediminaiciai-algirdo-ir-kestucio-laikai/ |website=Istorijai.lt |date=29 June 2017 |access-date=12 January 2023 |language=lt}}</ref> Lithuanian rulers [[Kęstutis]] and Grand Duke [[Algirdas]] arrived to help the castle's defenders, but the castle was already surrounded by the fortifications of the Crusaders, and they could only watch the collapse of the castle.<ref name="Vaidotas"/> Most of the 400 castle's defenders were killed in action, and commander [[Vaidotas]] of the Kaunas Castle [[garrison]] tried to break through with 36 men, but was taken and made a [[Prisoner of war|prisoner]].<ref name="Vaidotas"/> It was one of the largest and most important military victory of the Teutonic Knights in the 14th century against the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]].<ref name=el>{{cite encyclopedia 
|editor=Simas Sužiedėlis 
|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Lituanica]] |title=Vaidotas 
|year=1970–1978 
|publisher=Juozas Kapočius 
|volume=VI 
|location=Boston 
|page=21
|lccn=74-114275 
}}</ref>

[[File:VytautoDidžiojoBažnyčia.jpg|thumb|150px|left|[[Church of Vytautas the Great]], the oldest church in Kaunas, funded by the [[Grand Duke of Lithuania|Grand Duke]] himself<ref name="VytautasChurch"/>]]
The Lithuanians constructed a new wooden castle on the island of Virgalė, which stood  at the confluence of the Nemunas and Nevėžio rivers; however in 1363 the Crusaders burned the castle.<ref name="Karpinskas">{{cite web |last1=Karpinskas |first1=Giedrius |title=Naujasis Kaunas ir Gotesverderis |url=https://virtualus.kaunomuziejus.lt/istorijos/naujasis-kaunas-ir-gotesverderis/ |website=Virtualus.KaunoMuziejus.lt |access-date=12 January 2023 |language=lt}}</ref> The wooden castle was rebuilt, but in 1368 the Crusaders attacked once again, destroyed the castle and, according to the chronicles, killed 600 [[Paganism|pagan]] defenders, while they themselves suffered only three casualties.<ref name="Karpinskas"/><ref name=Rukas/>

The Lithuanians attempted to rebuild the castle with masonry and higher, wider walls, four [[flanking tower]]s, and surrounded by a [[moat]], but before its completion the Crusaders attacked in the summer of 1369, expelled the Lithuanians from the island of Virgalė and with their masonry built [[Gotteswerder Castle]].<ref name="Karpinskas"/><ref name="PilisVle">
{{cite web 
|last1=Jankevičienė 
|first1=Algė 
|last2=Kiaupa 
|first2=Zigmantas |title=Kauno pilis |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/kauno-pilis/ |website=Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija |access-date=12 January 2023 
|language=lt}}</ref><ref name="KaunasCastleVisit"/><ref name=Rukas/> Gotteswerder Castle was captured after a five-week siege by the [[Lithuanian Armed Forces#Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army|Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army]], led by Algirdas and Kęstutis, and two wooden castles were built close to it.<ref name=Rukas>{{cite journal |first=Eugenijus |last=Rūkas |title=Pirmoji Kauno pilis ir kovos su Vokiečių ordinu Kauno apylinkėse iki XV a. pradžios |url=https://etalpykla.lituanistikadb.lt/object/LT-LDB-0001:J.04~2013~1407327300880/J.04~2013~1407327300880.pdf |journal=Kauno istorijos metraštis |year=2013 |volume= 13 |language=lt |pages=229–230 |issn=2335-8734}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Baranauskas |first1=Tomas |title=Gotteswerder |url=https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/gotteswerder/ |website=[[Vle.lt]] |access-date=5 February 2023 |language=lt}}</ref> Nevertheless, the fighting between the Crusaders and the Lithuanians for the area went on until the Lithuanians eventually took control in 1404; it was an important point during the 1409 [[Samogitians|Samogitian]] Rebellion and the [[Lithuanian Crusade#Battle of Grunwald and peace treaties (1410–1422)|1410 war with the Crusaders]].<ref name="PilisVle"/><ref name=Rukas/>

Grand Duke [[Vytautas the Great]] funded [[Church of Vytautas the Great|Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] in Kaunas (the construction was completed in 1400) to show his gratitude to the [[Virgin Mary]] for saving him from almost drowning in the river, during the [[Battle of the Vorskla River]], in 1399.<ref name="VytautasChurch">{{cite web |title=Vytautas the Great Church (Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) |url=https://visit.kaunas.lt/en/see-and-do/sights/shrines/vytauto-baznycia-svc-mergeles-marijos-emimo-i-dangu-baznycia/ |website=Visit.Kaunas.lt |access-date=13 January 2023}}</ref> Following the [[Battle of Grunwald]] in 1410, Kaunas Castle became a residence of the elder of Kaunas, and its military significance decreased.<ref name="PilisVle"/>
{{quote box
| width = 52em
| align = center
| quote = "After leaving [[Punia, Lithuania|Poseur]], I arrived in a large fortified city of Kaunas. It has a very beautiful large castle standing on a cliff of the Nemunas River. Kaunas is twelve miles from Poseur."
| source = —
[[Guillebert de Lannoy]] description of Kaunas during his trip between 1413–1414.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jurginis |first1=J. |last2=Šidlauskas |first2=A. |title=Dvi Žiliberto de Lanua kelionės į Lietuvą |url=https://www.ktug.lt/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/G.-de-Lannoy-keliones-aprasymas.pdf |website=Ktug.lt |page=2 |access-date=12 January 2023 |language=lt}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Vytautas the Great Monument .jpg|thumb|150px|left|[[Statue of Vytautas the Great]] in Kaunas]]
In 1408, the town was granted [[Magdeburg rights]] by Vytautas the Great and in 1413 became the centre of [[Kaunas County|Kaunas Powiat]], in [[Trakai Voivodeship]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Rimvydas |last=Laužikas |publisher=[[Lithuanian Institute of History]] |work=Aruodai |date=15 October 2004 |url=http://www.aruodai.lt/paieska/terminas.php?TeId=1756 |title=Trakų vaivadija |access-date=22 April 2011|language=lt}}</ref><ref name="datos.kvb.lt"/> Moreover, Vytautas ceded Kaunas the right to own the scales used for weighing the goods brought to the city or packed on the site, the wax processing, and woolen cloth-trimming facilities. The power of the self-governing Kaunas was shared by three interrelated major institutions: ''vaitas'' (the [[Mayor]]), the [[Magistrate]] (12 [[lay judge]]s and 4 [[burgomaster]]s), and the so-called [[Bencher]]s' Court (12 persons). Kaunas began to gain prominence, since it was at the intersection of [[trade route]]s and a [[Inland port|river port]].<ref>{{cite web |title=L.Karalius: "Europos pirkliai puikiai žinojo Kauną LDK laikais" |url=http://lzinios.lt/lzinios/trasa/l-karalius-europos-pirkliai-puikiai-zinojo-kauna-ldk-laikais-/172407/ |website=LZinios.lt |access-date=29 January 2014 |archive-date=5 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171205042145/http://lzinios.lt/lzinios/trasa/l-karalius-europos-pirkliai-puikiai-zinojo-kauna-ldk-laikais-/172407/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time, Kaunas became an important port and centre of trade with [[Western Europe]], thus rapidly growing.<ref name="KaunasMunicipalityHistory"/> In 1441, Kaunas joined the [[Hanseatic League]], and Hansa merchant office [[Kontor]] was opened – the only one in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |first=Jennifer |last=Mills |title=The Hanseatic League in the Eastern Baltic |url=http://depts.washington.edu/baltic/papers/hansa.html |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Baltic History (group research project) |publisher=[[University of Washington]] |date=May 1998 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629134048/http://depts.washington.edu/baltic/papers/hansa.html |archive-date=29 June 2011}}</ref>

By the 16th century, Kaunas also had a public school and a hospital and was one of the most firmly established towns in the whole country.<ref name="KaunasMunicipalityHistory"/><ref name="datos.kvb.lt"/> Furthermore, in the 16th century Grand Duchess [[Bona Sforza]] achieved that the Kaunas Eldership should become a property of the [[Jagiellonian dynasty]]; starting in 1533, she carried out the [[Volok Reform]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1557 11 19 mirė Lenkijos karalienė, Lietuvos dk Bona Sforca d'Aragona |url=https://www.delfi.lt/archive/1557-11-19-mire-lenkijos-karaliene-lietuvos-dk-bona-sforca-daragona.d?id=25560351 |website=[[DELFI]], [[Lithuanian Institute of History]] |access-date=4 March 2023 |language=lt}}</ref>

[[File:Kauno graviūra, 1686.jpg|thumb|Panorama of Kaunas in 1686 and one of the first descriptions of the city]]
The greatest economic boom of Kaunas was in the late 16th – early 17th century, which led to construction of many [[Masonry#Brick|brick masonry]] buildings throughout the city.<ref name="datos.kvb.lt"/> In the early 17th century, the prosperity of Kaunas led to the beginning of the construction of the [[Wall of Kaunas]], which, however, was not completed, due to later wars and economic reasons.<ref name="datos.kvb.lt"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bertašius |first1=Mindaugas |title=Kauno miesto gynybinė siena |url=http://kaunosenamiestis.autc.lt/lt/paieska/objektas/1739/kauno-miesto-gynybine-siena |website=Kaunosenamiestis.autc.lt 
|access-date=5 February 2023 
|language=lt
}}</ref> In 1665, the Russian army attacked the city several times, and in 1701 the city was occupied by the [[Swedish Army]], during the [[Great Northern War]].<ref name="datos.kvb.lt"/> The [[bubonic plague]] struck the area in 1657 and 1708, killing many residents.<ref name="datos.kvb.lt"/> Fires destroyed parts of the city in 1731 and 1732.<ref name="datos.kvb.lt"/>

In the first half of the 18th century, the northern wall and two towers of the Kaunas Castle collapsed, due to damage from river water, and this led to abandonment of the castle, and it turned into ruins.<ref name="PilisVle"/> Subsequently, a jail was established in one part of the castle, in the middle of the 18th century.<ref name="PilisVle"/> At the end of the 18th century, the castle was sometimes used to hold meetings of [[Lithuanian nobility|noble families]] of Kaunas Powiat.<ref name="PilisVle"/>