Ninth Fort of Kaunas and Holocaust Memorial – prison, Jewish camp and something more

Hello, Hivers! Today I’ve decided to show you the Ninth fort of Kaunas, is the second biggest city in Lithuania. Kaunas 9th Fort is a part of the collection of 9 fortresses scattered across Kaunas. The 9th Fort was constructed in the late 19th Century and started being built by Russians in 1903. It was completed in 1913.

The primary purpose of the built was for defense. In 1940 during the occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union, the fort was used as a prison and waste station for prisoners, being transported to the labor camps.

After the start of World War II, NAZY’s took over the 9th Fort in 1941. On the same day of the occupation NAZY commander instigated a concentration camp here in Kaunas. During the years of NAZY’s occupation this Fort was used as a site for mass murder for Jewish people, capture soviets and others.

At least 10, 000 Jewish people were transported to the 9th Fort and killed by NAZY’s. This became known as the Kaunas massacre.

From 1941 until 1944 there were continuous killing of people that took place at the 9th Fort. Victims were various age men, women, elderly people and even children.

Prisoners were brought from Austria, Poland, France, Soviet Russia and Germany. It has been confirmed that during World War II over 50, 000 have been killed in the 9th Fort.

With the falling of the NAZY’s army, they attempted to cover up massacres that had occurred. NAZY ordered special Jewish squads to dig mass graves and burn any evidence.

On December 25th 1943 there were 64 prisoners who escaped from the camp and 11 prisoners who were recaptured. These 64 survivors went on to tell the world about the tragic crimes that NAZY’s undertook at the Ninth Fort.

In 1944, Lithuania was reoccupied by the Soviet Union. The same year the NAZY’s closed the 9th Fort by then come to be known as the Forth of death. The prisoners were moved to other camps. After the World War II, the Soviets again used the 9th Fort as a prison for several years.

15 years after that a museum was opened for public to show its visitors what awful crimes were completed here.

The building was transformed into a memorial museum. In 1970, work started on building a memorial ground at 9th Fort. 14 years were needed to build the museum and the 32 meter
high statue, which nowadays is known as the Holocaust Memorial.