After the occupation of Lithuania by Nazi Germany, the fort was used as a place of execution for Jews, captured Soviets, and others. ==History== At the end of the 19th century the city of Kaunas was fortified and by 1890 was encircled by eight forts and nine gun batteries.
Construction of the Ninth Fort (its numerical designation having become its name) began in 1902 and was completed on the eve of World War I.
From 1924 on, the Ninth Fort was used as the Kaunas City prison. During the years of Soviet occupation, 1940–1941, the Ninth Fort was used by the NKVD to house political prisoners pending transfer to Gulag forced labor camps. During the years of Nazi occupation, the Ninth Fort was put to use as a place of mass murder.
From 1924 on, the Ninth Fort was used as the Kaunas City prison. During the years of Soviet occupation, 1940–1941, the Ninth Fort was used by the NKVD to house political prisoners pending transfer to Gulag forced labor camps. During the years of Nazi occupation, the Ninth Fort was put to use as a place of mass murder.
In 1943, the Germans operated special Jewish squads to dig mass graves and burn the remaining corpses.
One squad of 62 people managed to escape the fortress on the eve of 1944.
From 1948 to 1958, farm organizations were managed from the Ninth Fort. In 1958, a museum was established in the Ninth Fort.
From 1948 to 1958, farm organizations were managed from the Ninth Fort. In 1958, a museum was established in the Ninth Fort.
In 1959, an exhibition was prepared in four cells, telling of the Nazi war crimes carried out in Lithuania.
In 1960, the discovery, cataloging, and forensic investigation of local mass murder sites began in an effort to gain knowledge regarding the scope of these crimes. ==Museum== The Ninth Fort museum contains collections of historical artifacts related both to Soviet atrocities and the Nazi genocide, as well as materials related to the earlier history of Kaunas and Ninth Fort.
Erected in 1984, the monument is 105 feet (32 m) high.
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Page generated on 2021-08-05