Welcome to Sugihara House Museum
More than a museum, the Sugihara House is a living story of a time when a single signature could determine life or death. The exhibition, created by talented artist Jenny Kagan, brings history to life through sensitive visual interpretations and engaging storytelling.
The Japanese Consulate in Lithuania was located in this house from November 1939 to August 1940. Here, Chiune Sugihara issued more than 2,000 transit visas through Japan without explicit government authorisation.
In doing so, he saved the lives of countless people who were fleeing Soviet oppression and impending Nazi atrocities. To commemorate this feat, the Sugihara Foundation, a non-profit private organisation, established the Sugihara House Museum here in 1999.
Experience the living history
Housed in an authentically restored inter-war home, the museum opens the door to the Kaunas of 1918-1940 - a period when the city was full of creativity, diplomacy and optimism. Through historical photographs and stories, get a glimpse of life during a time of great change.
Make yourself at home
Cozy up in the living room and immerse yourself in the story of the Sugihara family. Listen to the piano and discover the stories behind the photos.
Time travel in the war room
Enter an interactive space where the dramatic events of the 1940s come to life. Refugees seeking escape from the threat of war found hope in a single document - the "Visa for Life".
Names of the rescued
Meet the people who sought refuge from the Nazi and Soviet threats. See their faces, hear their voices and feel their experiences, their hope and their unwavering determination.
Diplomats of courage
Alongside Sugihara, Jan Zwartendijk, T. H. Preston, and others provided salvation in Kaunas. Their courage and dedication shaped the fate of many people. Discover their stories through authentic exhibits and phone calls.
The Room of Life-Changing Choices
Visit the room where Sugihara tirelessly issued visas, giving people a path to safety.
Crystal of Kindness
In the centre of the exposition is a postcard of 19 March 1941, addressed to Vytautas Žakavičius, one of the Lithuanian Righteous Among the Nations, who, together with his fellow prisoners Bronius Jocevičius, Jonas Petrauskas, and Pranas Simokaitis, was shot in July 1944 for hiding the Jews in Kaunas Fort IX, along with the Jews they had saved, while Jonas Janulaitis, a member of the same group, managed to escape from death.
The exhibition also presents more tragic fates of the Jewish rescuers in Nazi-occupied Lithuania - the rescuers themselves were executed for showing humanity and sheltering Jews who sought refuge.
Visas for Life
At the end of the exhibition, be part of the "Visa of Life", which will allow you to reflect on the meaning of choices, risks and courage in history.
This exhibition is not only a journey through time, but also an invitation to take courage from the past. Visit us and discover how one person's actions can change the world.
Introductory photo by Andrius Aleksandravičius. Other photos courtesy of Teodoras Biliūnas and Sugihara House Museum.