Vytautas Magnus University

Museum of S. and S. Lozoraičiai, VMU History Hall

Museum of S. and S. Lozoraičiai

  • K. Donelaičio g. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas
  • Phone+370 37 327 839

The memories of Kazys Lozoraitis, the son of the diplomat Stasys Lozoraitis, Sr., about the service flat where the Lozoraitis family lived during the interwar period.

VMU History Hall

  • K. Donelaičio g. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas
  • Phone+370 37 327 960

For the VMU community, one of the top priorities has always been the preservation of historical memory. Highly regarded, honourable individuals of the past remain a great source of inspiration for the society. VMU art spaces bring their noble intentions and values into focus, thus passing on their cultural and intellectual heritage to the audience, which gets wider and wider as the museums and public spaces at VMU keep expanding.

The rectorate building, located at K. Donelaičio g. 58, has a long, rich history. Built in 1889-1890, it first served as a residence for the chairman of the Kaunas Fortress Engineer Board. After the World War I, the building housed the Ministry of Education and the Cabinet of the Ministers, which remained active here until 1940. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stasys Lozoraitis, lived here in 1935–1939  together with his family. During the years of Soviet occupation, the building served the purposes of education; functioning here were the committee of Science and Technology, a faculty of Polytechnic Institute, School of Trade and Cookery.

In 1997, the building became property of Vytautas Magnus University and underwent major reconstructions. Today, this is the location of the VMU rectorate and the Museum of S. and S. Lozoraičiai, the father and the son – the former was a diplomat and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, while the latter a diplomat and VMU Honorary Doctor. The museum exhibits personal belongings of the Lozoraičiai family, as well as the collected and maintained archives: video and audio tapes, documents, photos. Authenticity of the exposition allows to reconstruct the environment and spirit of the past times, highlighting the universal historical values through the presentation of these highly respectable people. The museum opened in 2000.

In 2010, the building of VMU rectorate became an even greater attraction to tourists, city visitors and culture-conscious inhabitants of Kaunas. Vytautas Magnus University History Hall and other spaces offer an exposition illustrating the history of the university and the building itself – archived documents, photos, their reproductions, historical artefacts, possessions and gifted exhibits. The portrait gallery of VMU rectors is located on the second floor.

In an effort to provide even more opportunities to explore and admire the exhibits of the Museum of S. and S. Lozoraičiai, lectures for the higher-level students and various cultural events also take place in the building.

It is not an overestimation to claim that the VMU rectorate building and its museum contribute to the birth and continuation of cultural traditions in Kaunas, the academic capital of Lithuania. Thoroughly reconstructed architecture of the building is impressive enough to be one of the highlights in downtown Kaunas. In 2003, the architects who worked on the restoration of the building, Asta Prikockienė, Gintaras Prikockis, Almantas Dumčius and Kęstutis Mikšys, have been awarded the European “Europa Nostra” prize for the contribution to European architectural heritage. The building is included on the list of the objects of cultural heritage protected by the government.