The 90-year long route of Kaunas botanical garden

Abstract

Kaunas Botanical Garden was founded in 1923 as the centre of botanical sciences of Lithua­ nian (later Vytautas Magnus) University. The stimulating initiative for its establishment was shown by two outstanding leaders in the contemporary biology science – botanist prof. Liudas Vailionis and zoologist prof. tadas Ivanauskas. They claimed that botanical garden is the pre­ requisity for the development of very recently established Lithuanian University if it aims at achieving the best standards of european universities. A spacious green area with the old park, picturesque ponds and several buildings of the former estate of Auk toji freda were provided for establishing the Botanical Garden at that time and it preserved a strong historical spirit and beauty until nowadays. Professor Konstantin regel from tartu University was invited to direct Kaunas Botanical Garden. His dedication and great enthusiasm combined with high profes­ sional skills provided very strong impetus for the development of the garden. The Botanical Garden was granted the area of 74 hectares in the former estate of Joseph Godlewski on 15 february, 1923. On 8 July of the same year, the Botanical Garden was sancti­ fied and President Aleksandras stulginskis placed the cornerstone for the Greenhouse. A fa­ mous garden architect Karol rauth from Hanover was invited to create a detailed project for the Botanical Garden. Kaunas Botanical Garden built up very rapidly with the help of other Botanical gardens, especially those of Berlin Dahlem, Konigsberg and st. Petersburg. Over a few years, the Botanical Garden has become an educational base of biological, medical and pharmaceutical students – an important plant science centre. Much attention was paid to plan introduction, heredity, diseases, systematics. The first catalogue for the seed exchange was pub­ lished in 1924. The same year prof. Kazys Grybauskas founded the Department of Medicinal Plants.