The history of the university in objects

This year, the KTU Museum celebrates its 60th anniversary. On May 24, 1965, a memorial room dedicated to former rector Prof. Kazimieras Baršauskas was opened at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute. This date is considered the founding date of the KTU Museum. This date is considered the founding date of the KTU Museum. To mark the anniversary, the KTU Museum has prepared two exhibitions: “60 Years of the Kaunas University of Technology Museum” (Kaunas University of Technology Museum – 60) and “The History of the University in Objects.” The first exhibition is dedicated to the development and activities of the KTU Museum, while the second showcases exhibits that reflect the complex history of Kaunas University of Technology. The exhibitions were organized by museum director Dr. Audronė Veilentienė, with photography by Jonas Klėmanas.

Preserved relics of the University of Lithuania

Kaunas University of Technology originated from the University of Lithuania, founded on 16 February 1922. During the Soviet occupation, Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, constrained by ideological coercion and censorship, did not forget its historical roots. Due to censorship, the achievements of the University of Lithuania (renamed Vytautas Magnus University in 1930) were belittled, but thanks to the initiative of KPI Rector Prof. K. Baršauskas and later Rector Prof. M. Martynaitis, many relics were preserved, including the stamps of the University of Lithuania, the large stamp of Vytautas Magnus University, the album of senior academic staff of the University of Lithuania with their photographs and autobiographies, the albums of the Faculty of Technology and its Hydrotechnical Department at Vytautas Magnus University, documents, photographs, and personal belongings of the founders of the University of Lithuania, professors Antanas Purėnas and Kazimieras Vasiliauskas, and former students, professors K. Baršauskas and Juozas Indriūnas. Their former students continued the tradition of preserving heritage: thanks to Prof. Antanas Žiliukas, the Mechanical Material Resistance Laboratory, established at the University of Lithuania in 1923, was preserved with functioning testing machines purchased in Switzerland 100 years ago. Members of the university community also preserved ten classroom desks from the University of Lithuania, which have been beautifully restored and are now located in the Historical Classroom in the First Chamber of KTU. In this part of the exhibition, you will see photographs of some of the preserved relics.

Lecturers of advanced courses in Kaunas, 1921 (Original – KTU Museum)

Study certificate of Juozas Indriūnas, auditor of advanced courses, 1920–1921 (Original – KTU Museum)

Juozas Indriūnas' dissertation "Vilnų plaukeliai lankstomi pavargsta" (Woolen Threads Get Tired of Being Bent) was the first dissertation in technical sciences written in Lithuanian, defended in 1936. (The original is kept at the KTU Museum.)

Certificate of Kazimieras Baršauskas, a student at the University of Lithuania, 1926 (Original – KTU Museum)

Album of senior academic staff at Lithuanian universities, 1927 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original held at KTU Museum)

Senate of the University of Lithuania, 1924–1925. In the photo (from left): in the front row – M. Biržiška, P. Avižonis, Rector P. Būčys, P. Jodelė, P. Leonas. Second row: Z. Žemaitis, A. Purėnas, V. Lašas. (Original – KTU Museum)

Scientific staff of the Faculty of Technology, 1932 (Original – KTU Museum)

Study book of Kazimieras Vasiliauskas, student at Riga Polytechnic Institute, 1901–1907 (Original – KTU Museum)

K. Vasiliauskas' diploma thesis, defended at the Riga Polytechnic Institute in 1907 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Door sign of the Mechanical Material Resistance Laboratory of the Faculty of Technology at the University of Lithuania, 1923 (Original – KTU Museum)

200-ton press at the Mechanical Materials Resistance Laboratory of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Lithuania. Manufacturer: A. J. Amsler & Co (Switzerland), 1930s. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original at the KTU Museum)

Table of the Mohro-Federhaf testing machine at the Mechanical Materials Resistance Laboratory of the Faculty of Technology at the University of Lithuania, 1927 (Original – KTU Museum)

Universal 50-ton testing machine at the Mechanical Materials Resistance Laboratory of the Faculty of Technology at the University of Lithuania. Manufacturer: A. J. Amsler & Co (Switzerland), 1930s. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original at the KTU Museum)

Album of the Faculty of Technology at Vytautas Magnus University, 1940s. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Defense of diploma projects at the Faculty of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, 1931 (Original – KTU Museum)

Cap of the VDU student technical association "Plienas" (Steel), 1940s. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Prof. Steponas Kolupaila with students at the Hydrometric Laboratory in the Botanical Garden, 1933 (Original – KTU Museum)

The large seal of Vytautas Magnus University. Paris, 1939 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original held at the KTU Museum)

Uniform cap of Aleksandras Ramanauskas, a student of the VDU Physics and Mathematics Society, 1935 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Lithuanian university lecture hall benches, 1930s. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, originals – KTU Museum)

The legacy of the Soviet era

This part of the exhibition features exhibits that have survived from KPI Museum, established in 1965, including furniture from the office of Rector Prof. K. Baršauskas and a bas-relief of Prof. K. Baršauskas donated to KPI Museum by Sculptor Alfonsas Janulis. At Kaunas State Vytautas Magnus University, renamed Kaunas Polytechnic Institute since 1951, all celebrations and cultural events were filtered through the ideology, and atheism was forcibly imposed. This is reflected in the 1949–1950 university wall newspapers presented in the exhibition, which were part of the former KPI Komsomol Museum. However, books were written at KPI about the history of the institute, its faculties, departments, and library, whose roots can be traced back to the Higher Courses established in 1920 and the University of Lithuania founded in 1922, and anniversaries were celebrated solemnly. This is confirmed by the anniversary medals on display. Kaunas Polytechnic Institute was founded by professors and graduates of the University of Lithuania, who passed on their knowledge to younger generations, which is why the institute’s scientists won many awards in the Soviet Union and made numerous inventions. This section displays the photographs of the world’s first piezoelectric robots of six and nine degrees of freedom, created in 1980 by Prof. Kazimieras Ragulskis and Prof. Ramutis Bansevičius, a textile material thickness gauge called a “pukomatis”, created in 1974 by Leonas Veržbolauskas and Palmira Garunkštytė-Kunigėnienė, the first Lithuanian personal computer “Santaka”, created in 1988 by employees of KPI Departmental Electronic Computing Technology Laboratory. This part of the exhibition also features photographs of gifts from KPI leaders, athletic awards, and teaching aids.

Seal of Kaunas University, used during the first years of Soviet occupation, 1940–1941 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original in the KTU Museum)

Teaching aid used at the Faculty of Mechanics of Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas in the 1950s. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Wall newspapers of the faculties of Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, 1949–1950 (photo by J. Klėmanas, originals – KTU Museum)

Vignette of the second class of graduates of KPI Faculty of Mechanics, 1951 (the original photograph is at KTU Museum)

Transitional prize of the Student Scientific Society of Kaunas Polytechnic Institute, 6th decade of the 20th century. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

1st KPI festival, 1956. (photograph by Konstantinas Sasnauskas, KTU museum)

Kaunas Polytechnic Institute student cap, designed in 1956 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original in the KTU Museum)

KPI Spartakiada transitional gift to the winner of the basketball competition, 1956–1958 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Furniture from the office of KPI Rector Prof. Kazimieras Baršauskas – the first exhibits of the KPI Museum, 6th decade of the 20th century. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, originals – KTU Museum)

Bas-relief "Prof. Kazimieras Baršauskas" – a gift from sculptor Alfonsas Janulis to the KPI Museum, 1964 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Feliks arithmetic machine used in the teaching process at KPI. USSR, 7th decade of the 20th century. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

A gift from the staff of the KPI Department of Wood Science to the long-time head of the department, Prof. Česlovas Jakimavičius, 1967 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original in the KTU Museum)

Pukomatis – a thickness gauge for textile padding, developed in 1974 at the Department of Light Industry Machinery at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute. Authors: Leonas Veržbolauskas and Palmira Garunkštytė-Kunigėnienė. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

The Lithuanian SSR Council of Inventors and Rationalizers' Eureka transitional prize, won by KPI scientists in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

A gift from the students of the 14th class of KPI SB4 on the occasion of the Last Bell celebration, 1978 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Eureka 1984 – prize for the best Lithuanian invention of 1984 – a microorganism growth rate meter. Authors: Prof. J. Staniškis (leader), engineers D. Berulis, V. Žalkauskas, M. Kondratavičius. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Bas-relief of KPI Rector Prof. Marijonas Martynas, 1983 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original in the KTU Museum)

The world's first six- and nine-degree-of-freedom piezoelectric robots, developed at Kaunas Polytechnic Institute in 1980. Authors: Prof. Ramutis Bansevičius and Prof. Kazimieras Ragulskis. (Photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

The first Lithuanian personal computer, Santaka, developed by employees of the KPI Departmental Electronic Computing Technology Laboratory in 1988 (photo by J. Klėmanas, original – KTU Museum)

Medal "70 Years of Higher Education in Kaunas. Higher Education Courses 1920.1.27," 1990 (Original – KTU Museum)

KTU gifts and symbols

After Lithuania regained its independence and Kaunas Polytechnic Institute became Kaunas University of Technology, opportunities for cooperation with various foreign countries opened up. This is also reflected in the exhibits at KTU Museum, which present gifts and souvenirs from foreign guests and universities, including candlesticks with monograms donated by King Albert II of Belgium and a vase from Czech President Vaclav Klaus, photographs of which are on display at the exhibition. KTU continues to celebrate the anniversaries of the establishment of the Higher Courses, linking its founding to the establishment of the University of Lithuania on 16 February 1922, as evidenced by the 1997 greeting from Riga Technical University. This date is inscribed on KTU coat of arms, flag, and logo. The exhibition features a KTU flag design created by Artist Arvydas Každailis in 2014.