Vilnius has a very long history.
In the year 1323 Grand Duke Gediminas
was choosing Vilnius as the capital
of the principality of Lithuania.
In 1387 it was granted city rights.
In 1579 the Vilnius University was founded.

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The Russians captured the city in 1654.
The city became a part
of the Russian Empire in 1796.
In 1812 it was captured by Napoleon.
As a result of the uprising of 1831
the Vilnius University was closed.

As the first world war went on
the city was captured
by German forces in 1915.
In 1920 Poland occupied Vilnius.

After the Russians captured it in 1939
the city became in 1940 the capital
of the new Soviet Socialist Republic.
It would last for almost half a decade.

The Russian occupation of the city
was interrupted in 1941 for 3 years
when nazi Germany occupied the city
as the second world war went on.
Under German rule the Jewish community
was almost entirely exterminated.

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In 1991 Vilnius became at last
( In the first Republic it was Kaunas )
the capital of an independent state.
The second Republic of Lithuania.
In the year 2009 Vilnius became
the European capital of culture.

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