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The first one Town Hall was built at the beginning of XV century was destroyed by fire before 1463 and rebuilt until 1483. Current Town Hall started to be built in 1542 (in centrum of Market place). It was gothic style and one floor only with the tower. Until end of XVI century it was rebuilt and second floor added with the eight floor tower.
City magistrate, court decisions were announced on the floors of City Hall. There were in it guns stock, shops, city scales and jail (in the basement of the Hall). After war in the XVII century there were reconstruction works done in baroque style . Third part of western side was demolished and two buildings added to the northern part. New rebuildings were done in 1771-1780 when western part was rebuilt, City hall was made higher with new decorations. After 1795 when Russian Empire conquered Grand Duchy of Lithuania, administrative role of City Hall reduced and it's mission changed: 1830-1850 there was russian army artillery warehouse, the same time it was temporary residence house of Russian tsar, russian Orthodox church. In 1865 russian generalgubernator of Vilnius Muravjov ordered for Russian theatre establishment in the City Hall to promote russsian culture among Lithuanians. The idea was not realised and City Hall quickly returned to Kaunas and municipality started to work there from 1869. 1897-1910 first Kaunas city museum was opened in the Hall. After Lithuania returned the independence (beginning if XX century) - there worked city administration and mayor. In 1965 there was started resonstructions works and in 1973 works finished. New marriage palace started to work there. Also in the basement was opened Ceramics museum. From 2015 Kaunas city museum started to work here. |