Vaidas Petrulis - History and Theory of Art and Architecture, Kaunas University of Technology, Institute of Architecture and Construction, Kaunas, Lithuania
Huriye Armağan Doğan - History and Theory of Art and Architecture, Kaunas University of Technology, Institute of Architecture and Construction, Kaunas, Lithuania

After the end of the WWI, Lithuania was one of the newly restored states which gained its independence in the Baltic Sea region. However, due to the historical capital Vilnius being invaded and occupied at this period, Lithuanian authorities temporarily transferred the government to Kaunas in 1919. Change of its political situation made a colossal impact on the city, and its new status as capital resulted in the construction of all the new governmental buildings as well as the residential ones. In this newly emerged era, Kaunas managed to establish its own interpretation of the Modern Movement with a national and regional character. Today, being on the tentative list of UNESCO inspires a wide recognition of this legacy within the society. Such instruments as cultural program Modernism for the Future within the framework of European Capital of Culture gives an impulse to discuss the issues of spatial identity based on cultural legacy and needs of the contemporary city. This paper provides an introduction to the phenomenon of the Modernism in Kaunas and presents the current initiatives on preserving and promoting this architectural legacy. The method adopted includes a literature review and analysis of the contemporary conditions by discussing the issues of spatial identity based on cultural legacy. The assessment process follows the Integrated Cultural Heritage Management Approach to identify the needs of the contemporary city. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to analyse the impact of cultural memory when it is expressed through the language of architecture and how it is affecting the sense of place of today. It is hoped that this research which has been implemented to Kaunas Modernism can lead and guide, and furthermore be adopted in other similar case studies

Modernism, Kaunas, Interwar, Cultural Memory, National Identity.