Temporary capital of Lithuania Temporary capital of Lithuania The temporary capital of Lithuania () was the official designation of the city of Kaunas in Lithuania during the interwar period. It was in contrast to the declared capital in Vilnius, which was under Polish control from 1920 until 1939. Currently, the term "temporary capital", despite having lost its meaning, is still frequently used as a nickname for Kaunas, the second largest city in Lithuania. During World War I, Lithuania declared independence on February 16, 1918. The declaration stated that Lithuania would be a democratic republic with Vilnius as its capital. This claim was based on
History of the Jews in Lithuania his funeral as at the fall of Jerusalem, or when being led into the Babylonian captivity." This sympathy and the record thereof would seem to indicate that long before the event in question the Jews had enjoyed considerable prosperity and influence, and this gave them a certain standing under the new "régime". They took an active part in the development of the new cities under the tolerant rule of Gediminas. Little is known of the fortunes of the Jews of Lithuania during the troubled times that followed the death of Gediminas and the accession of his grandson Vytautas (1341). To