Diplomats for Life

This man is a sincere, unassuming hero. He will never be forgotten. May his name be blessed for all eternity. A positive place. I personally know a family of descendants.

Very well organized. Excellent presentation of audio and visual. Set up to feel like the original consulate. Historical context provided with selectable short videos, accompanying text and maps. Very educational.

Before I start looking for places to visit during my stay in Kaunas, I have never heard anything about the story of this place. But now I am really happy that I learnt so many things about the actions of these two brilliant diplomats. I really recommend every tourist/traveller to visit this place. It is like visiting a history museum of Lithuania during ww2. You will need around 1 hour or more to watch the introductory video and tour yourself around. The 5 euro entry fee is small (you can donate more, if you like) from my point of view. Bonus: It is open on Mondays, when almost every other museum is closed.

This small museum presents the history of Japanese inter-war diplomat Sugihara and his associates, who issued "Visas for Life" for Jews and other WW II refugees, enabling them to abandon Nazi-occupied Europe, and find shelter in Japan, and ultimately USA. The exhibition is divided in three parts: "Kaunas, The Casablanca of the North, 1939-1940", giving the historical framework at the start of WW II; documents and testimonies on Sugihara and his associates actions; Sugihara's consulate office and home. When you visit the Museum, I highly recommend you have enough time to watch a 20-minutes introductory film available.

This was one of the top 2 higlights of our 4 day visit to Kaunus. It was a bit of a trek on foot from the town but definitely worth the effort. From the outside the property is unassuming, inside however is a different story. We paid 10 Euros each, which included 2 Euro to watch a 20 minute film outlining what happened. The museum appears to be run by a small team, who were very helpful and on hand to answer any questions. The presentation of information and the use of mixed media to explain the historical events that took place were exceptional. What a great way to make a topic come to life and maintain interest. It would be difficult not to be touched by the impact that Sugihara had on the lives of thousands of Jewish people. He was a hero, a beacon of humanity in a very dark period of our history. This is a must visit place in Kaunas but note - opening times are limited. Leave enough time to fully experience what the museum has to offer. Highly recommended.

Was incredible to come to visit the house and office of a giant of a man who was responsible for saving the lives of so many during the Holocaust in 1940. I was personally connected to this story, with my grandparents being saved by Mr Sugihara. Thank you for the beautiful memorial in this museum!

Superb museum, very informative with interactive exhibits,and beautiful examples of art deco style. Staff are very welcoming. The history is brought to life in an engaging way. Well worth making the effort to visit.

Wonderful museum. Visited Sunday. Delightful young lady working there. Very informative. Stayed three hours. Fascinating historical display.