Kaunas - Šv. Gertrūdos bažnyčia

A settlement existed at the confluence of two large rivers, for many centuries, before Kaunas was first mentioned in written sources in 1361. At that time a brick castle was constructed. Only a year later the castle was captured after a siege and destroyed by the Teutonic Order. It was one of the most important victories of the Teutonic Knights in the 14th in Lithuania. The castle was rebuilt at the beginning of the 15th century.

In 1408 Kaunas was granted city rights by Vytautas the Great. Kaunas began to gain prominence since it was at an intersection of trade routes and a river port. In 1441 Kaunas joined the Hanseatic League. By the 16th century, Kaunas had a public school and a hospital and was one of the best-formed towns in Lithuania.

In 1665, the Russian army attacked the city, and in 1701 the city was occupied by the Swedish Army. Fires destroyed parts of the city in 1731 and 1732. After the final partition of the Polish–Lithuanian state in 1795, the city was taken over by the Russian Empire. During the French invasion of Russia in 1812, Napoleon´s armee passed through twice, devastating the city both times.

When In 1862, a railway connecting the Russian Empire and Imperial Germany was built, Kaunas was a significant railway hub.

As WWII began, about 30,000 Jews were living in Kaunas, comprising about 25% of the city's population. Only very few survived the war.

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It is believed that the Church of St. Gertrude is one of the oldest Gothic churches in Lithuania was built in the second half of the 15th century.

It was built as a churchyard chapel in the location of the former burial ground near the road leading to Vilnius. In 1503 Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander designated the church as a parish church of Kaunas. In the middle of the 16th century, a bell tower was attached. The church was damaged in 1655 during the Russo-Polish War. It was rebuilt around 1680.

In 1812 Kaunas suffered from a major fire, which also damaged the church. The monastery was closed in 1864 after the January Uprising. In 1921 the church was assigned to the Congregation of Marian Fathers and a monastery was built nearby. In 1948 the monastery and the church were closed. The church was converted into a warehouse for medical equipment.

In 1992 a renovation of the church took place. Since 1991 the Mass is held in the church again, and the Marianites monastery has been returned to the monks.