Between myth and reality: defensive walls of Kaunas city 5

Rytis Mekiša
www.kamane.lt, 2014-06-05

In brief: The construction of city walls became popular in the 12th-15th century. Defensive walls became an inseparable sign of an autonomic and flourishing city.

After the baptism of Lithuania in 1387, some of the cities received the right of autonomy; still, stonework walls of cities were not built due to some internal and external reasons. Castles and their complexes were used for defence. At the beginning of the 14th century, when the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Kingdom of Poland stopped the main aggressor from the West (the Teutonic Order), the Grand Duchy of Lithuania lived quite a peaceful life until the end of the 15th century and there was no need to construct reinforcements that required much time and money.

Two cities which had or still have defensive walls may be found in the present territory of Lithuania – it is Kaunas and Vilnius. The main theme of this article is the defensive walls of Kaunas city; therefore, reinforcements of Vilnius city are not be analysed more extensively here.

First defensive wall of Kaunas city. A. Raulinaitis.

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