Lithuania: History

• 1253: Mindaugas was crowned king; the year is considered an important milestone in the formation of the medieval state.
• 1569: The Union of Lublin established a federation of Poland and Lithuania; both parts retained significant symbols and features of their political identities.
• 1795: The third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian state brought the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to an end; much of the former Lithuanian territory came under Russian rule.
• 16 February 1918: The Council of Lithuania signed the declaration of independence.
• 1940–1944: The Soviet occupation was followed by the German Nazi occupation; the vast majority of Lithuania’s Jewish population was murdered in the Holocaust.
• 11 March 1990: Lithuania restored its independence by a resolution of the Supreme Council.
• 1 May 2004: Lithuania joined the European Union.

In the Middle Ages, a Lithuanian state took shape in the Baltic lands. Mindaugas’s coronation in 1253 is a commonly used landmark in this development; it does not mean that the country’s history began with a single event. Over the following centuries, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania grew into a multilingual and multi-ethnic polity whose political and cultural ties extended far beyond today’s national borders.

Vilnius became an important seat of power and a centre of political decision-making. Today, visitors can find traces of this period in the city’s history at the Lower Castle and the Palace of the Grand Dukes. The biographies of Mindaugas and the early formation of the state and Gediminas, Vilnius and the Grand Duchy explore two important chapters. For a walking tour of the historic districts, see the guide to Vilnius.

On 1 July 1569, the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania agreed to form a joint federation through the Union of Lublin, which became known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The union changed the relationship between the two states and brought closer political ties. However, it did not simply dissolve the Grand Duchy: Lithuania retained important state symbols and features of its political identity. A separate overview of the Union of Lublin and the Polish-Lithuanian state explains this shared framework.

In the late 18th century, Russia, Prussia and Austria divided the remaining territories of the Commonwealth among themselves in several stages. The third partition in 1795 brought the Grand Duchy to an end; much of the former Lithuanian state territory was incorporated into the Russian Empire. This began a long period without Lithuanian statehood. The article on Lithuania in the Russian Empire describes how this period of rule changed the political landscape.

During the First World War, Lithuania was under German occupation. As new political opportunities opened up after the war, the Council of Lithuania signed a declaration restoring an independent state on 16 February 1918. The interwar republic lasted until the Soviet occupation in 1940. Its history encompasses the creation of its own state institutions and the difficult position of a new state between powerful neighbours.

The overview of the Republic of Lithuania from 1918 to 1940 explores these years in more detail. Historic sites in Vilnius and other cities can be combined with museum visits and city walks during a trip; the guide to things to see in Vilnius can help you choose.

The Soviet Union occupied Lithuania in June 1940 and incorporated the country into the Soviet Union in August. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union, German Nazi troops occupied Lithuania in 1941. During the occupation, German units and local collaborators murdered the vast majority of Lithuania’s Jewish population. Jewish life had shaped the cities, communities, culture and everyday life for generations; the Holocaust destroyed these communities on an almost unimaginable scale.

Soviet troops reoccupied Lithuania in 1944. The return of Soviet rule did not restore the independent republic of 1918. Repression, resistance and the preservation of national memory became defining experiences of the decades that followed. The article on occupation, resistance and independence provides further context for these periods.

In the 1980s, the independence movement Sąjūdis gained momentum. On 23 August 1989, the Baltic Way formed a human chain linking Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia; this peaceful action brought the desire for freedom to international attention. On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council adopted a resolution restoring the independent Republic of Lithuania. The Soviet leadership initially resisted, but the resolution became a turning point on the path back to the community of nations.

The Lithuanian Parliament documents the resolution restoring independence on 11 March 1990 and the political developments of the time. Lithuania joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. Today, visitors can explore many different periods in museums, archives and historic cityscapes; a visit to Vilnius, for example, can include the Palace of the Grand Dukes.

When did the Lithuanian state emerge?

The development of Lithuanian statehood reaches far back into the Middle Ages. Mindaugas’s coronation in 1253 is considered an important milestone, while over the following centuries the Grand Duchy of Lithuania grew into a large and diverse political community.

What changed with the Union of Lublin in 1569?

Poland and Lithuania established a joint federation and drew their political ties closer. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania did not disappear at once; it retained important symbols and features of its own political identity.

What happened to Lithuania during the Second World War?

The Soviet Union occupied and annexed Lithuania in 1940. The German Nazi occupation followed in 1941; German units and local collaborators murdered the vast majority of the Jewish population. Soviet rule returned in 1944.

When did Lithuania regain its independence?

The Supreme Council adopted a resolution restoring independence on 11 March 1990. The resolution built on the declaration of independence of 16 February 1918 and declared that Lithuania was once again a sovereign state.

Which places help visitors understand Lithuania’s history?

Vilnius offers traces of medieval rule and the Grand Duchy, while museums and memorials bring other periods to life. Choose places based on the period that interests you, and check visitor information in advance, as opening hours and access may change.