The House of Perkūnas is one of the most valuable buildings of the late Gothic period in Lithuania. It is likely that the house itself was built at the end of the 15th century. In 1818, a statue of a crowned man believed to be Perkūnas (Baltic god of thunder) was found here during repairs. According to one popular legend, the house supposedly belonged to the Hanza merchants’ organization. However, it is believed that the house was actually built by a wealthy resident of the city. The first mentioned owner of the house was Steponas Dulkė who sold it in 1546 to the city’s burgomaster Bernardas Bitneris. It was the home of three brothers Kojalavičius (Kojałowicz) who later became Jesuits. One of the brothers – Albert – is the author of the first history of Lithuania written in Latin language.

In the 17th century, the house was acquired by the Jesuits where they built a chapel. When the monastery was closed down by the Tsarist government, the House of Perkūnas was used for various purposes. The first drama theatre in Kaunas was established here in 1844. Over time, the condition of the building significantly deteriorated. During the Soviet era, it was restored and belonged to Kaunas History Museum. In 1991, it was returned back to the Province of Lithuania and Latvia of the Society of Jesus and used for educational activities.

The House of Perkūnas is located in the Old Town of Kaunas, next to Vytautas Church, at Aleksoto str. 6. It is an old, original monument of Gothic architecture built in the second half of the 15th century. The building is made of bricks, with an ornate pediment and spacious basements. The main facade of the building is decorated with rectangular decorative niches and the Sun symbol formed of glazed stones.

At first, the House of Perkūnas was a dual building. One part of it was the current building, while the other part was a warehouse of the same size (demolished in the 18th century). The remaining part of the house was separated from the warehouse by a chief internal wall. This is the only such double building in the Gothic architecture of Lithuania.

The House of Perkūnas was studied by a number of scientists, however the true purpose of the house remains unknown. Jesuit painter Gizevičius (1825) was one of the people that studied this house. According to his data, the house previously had a square plan, with a chimney on one side of the interior. The roof had a statue of the god Perkūnas holding lights in his hands. The courtyard on the south side of the house was surrounded by a 3 meter high brick wall.

The House of Perkūnas accommodates an exhibit of Adomas Mickevičius’s life and works. Exhibitions, theatrical tours and traditional craft workshops are organized here.

Sources:

1. http://www.perkunonamas.lt