Another invasion by the Teutonic Knights took place in 1383, and once again the order burned the city down. A breakthrough year for Vilnius was 1387, when the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Władysław Jagiełło, as a consequence of the concluded “Polish-Lithuanian Union“, organized the ceremony of the Baptism of Lithuania in Vilnius.
First Settlers
Settlers began to be brought here, and above all, the Diocese of Vilnius was established, subordinated to the Polish city of Gniezno and headed by Bishop Andrzej Jastrzębiec. Vilnius developed very dynamically. In 1413, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiełło established the Vilnius Voivodeship in Vilnius, which until 1793 was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Reconstruction under Duke Vytautas
After the fire that took place in 1419, Duke Vytautas began the construction of the first brick castle on the so-called Castle Hill. Then, right next to the cathedral, a brick castle known as the “Lower Castle” was built. In January 1429, at the congress of rulers of Eastern and Central Europe held in Lutsk, Sigismund of Luxembourg, Elector of Brandenburg since 1378, proposed crowning Vytautas as King of Lithuania. The coronation ceremonies of Vytautas in Vilnius, planned for September 29, 1430, did not take place because Vytautas died on October 27, 1430. Naturally, he was buried in the Vilnius Cathedral.
Seat of the Grand Dukes
After the death of Vytautas, Vilnius remained the seat of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Following a period of internal struggles during the rule of Duke Švitrigaila and Žygimantas Kęstutaitis, Casimir Jagiellon, the son of Jagiełło, became the Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1440. He granted the city further rights and privileges. A long period of peace then began for Vilnius. Between 1503 and 1522, defensive walls were built around Vilnius. At that time, a mint, an arsenal, mills, a bridge over the Vilnia River, hospitals, and palaces were established. Famous architects and sculptors brought from places such as Italy worked here.
The Sixteenth Century
In 1579 by virtue of the privilege of Polish King Sigismund Augustus, Vilnius obtained equality of rights with Kraków, the then capital of Poland. All city officials holding office—bailiffs, mayors, and even councilors—were equaled in status to the knightly class and the nobility. Around 1551, Vilnius obtained relevant privileges such as de non tolerandis Judaeis, which meant the ban on Jews settling there.
The Era of the King from Transylvania
King Stefan Batory founded an academy in Vilnius, which was run by the Jesuits. The city then became open to Jews and was customarily called the “Jerusalem of the North.” One of the most prominent Talmudic schools in the world also operated here. The development of the city was severely hampered by another great fire that took place in 1610. On August 7, 1655, during the Polish-Russian War, the Russians slaughtered about 25 thousand people. Fires in the capital of Lithuania lasted for 17 days.
During the Kościuszko Uprising
During the Kościuszko Uprising, on the night of April 22 to 23, 1794, regular fighting took place in Vilnius, during which the Russians were driven out of the city. After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, Vilnius was under Russian partition. During the Napoleonic Wars, despite the looting of the city’s valuables by the French army, it was a time of brief freedom for the city. As early as December 10, 1812, Vilnius was recaptured by the Russians.
The Nineteenth Century
In the 19th century, Vilnius was a place of development for many patriotic Polish student organizations, such as the Philomaths and Philaretes. However, after the November Uprising in 1830, the Russians closed the Polish university. From 1861 onwards, the situation in the city became increasingly tense. Here, following numerous patriotic demonstrations, the so-called “Vilnius Massacre” took place, perpetrated by the Russians.
The Railway
In December 1862, the Warsaw-Vilnius-Saint Petersburg railway was launched here. This railway made Vilnius an important transport hub. Between 1915 and 1918, Vilnius was occupied by the Germans. On July 12, 1922, the Soviet government concluded an agreement with the Lithuanian government, under which Vilnius was handed over to Lithuania.
