Šančiai is an
elderate in the Lithuanian city of
Kaunas
Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...
. It is located on the meandering right bank of the
Nemunas River. Šančiai itself are divided into Žemieji Šančiai (or Lower Šančiai) and Aukštieji Šančiai (or Upper Šančiai) neighborhoods. Names come from their adjacent locations. Žemieji Šančiai is located in the Nemunas River valley, while Aukštieji Šančiai is located on the hill above the valley. Its entire elderate population of 2007 was 23,237.
Remains of transatlantic pilots of ''
Lituanica''
Steponas Darius
Steponas Darius (known as Stephen Darius in the US; born Steponas Jucevičius-Darašius; January 8, 1896 – July 17, 1933) was a Lithuanian American aviator, pilot, who died in a non-stop flight attempt in the ''Lituanica'' from New York City t ...
and
Stasys Girėnas were reburied in the cemetery of Šančiai, after
Kaunas Old Cemetery (also known as Kaunas Carmelite Cemetery) was liquidated by soviet authorities.
From November 1943, until July 8, 1944, there was a German
Forced labour camp in Šančiai. which was a subcamp of the SS-run KZ Kauen, located at the site of the former
Kovno Ghetto
Etymology
Before the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
( 1812 ), there were two villages between Panemune and Kaunas, on the site of the current Šančiai: Pašilė and Baibokai. They both belonged to the Jesuits. In the summer of 1812, the French crossed the
Nemunas at the present-day Šančiai: they built fortifications here, and the term for them was in French ''chantiers'' - "structures", German ''Schanze'' - "earthworks"). In the 1870s, there was a small settlement called Šancais, whose name was further Lithuanized to Šančiai.
Notable people
*
Zoma Baitler (1908-1994), Uruguayan artist and diplomat, was born in Šančiai
References
External links
Official Elderate WebsiteHistory of Šančiai*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanciai
Neighbourhoods of Kaunas