L ike so many of Europe's great buildings, the origins of this one have been lost to the sands of time. Vilnius was granted the ability to rule itself in 1387, so it makes sense that a town hall was erected not too long after. There are documents from 1432 that have survived, mentioning a city hall on this spot, but the old city halls were much different than the building we see today. Chief among the differences is a large tower, which the current structure lacks. That tower is depicted in a 1572 book, and in the 1600's a clock was added with bells. The reason we don't see a tower today dates back to the mid-18th century. In 1748 a great fire chewed its way across the city, and burned the city hall. Jonas Kristupas Gliaubicius rebuilt the structure, including the clock tower. But shortly after it was finished, the tower proved unstable. L. Stuoka-Gucevius was commissioned to save the tower, but before he could it collapsed into the city hall. He submitted several proposals for rebuilding the city hall, and one was finally chosen that did not include a tower. Almost 150 years later, it was decided that the building was inadequate for the needs of city government, and the politicians and bureaucrats moved elsewhere. The building became a theater for about 50 years, then underwent renovations so it could be used as a ceremonial pavilion. Just months after those renovations were completed, the Soviet government moved the city politicians and bureaucrats back into the building. They eventually had to move out again, and it became an art museum. After the Soviet Empire dissolved, the museum found better digs, and today the building is finally fulfilling its role as the focal point of important ceremonies.
