Kaunas (Lithuania), 1939 -- EuroBasket

The Kaunas Sports Hall (Kauno sporto halė), above, was completed before the 3rd European Basketball Championship in 1939 (Eurobasket 1939). A prominent Lithuanian construction engineer of Jewish origin, Anatolijus Rozenbliumas, has designed the Sports Hall. My Dad was among the spectators in the hall. Below is a sample of a championship game ticket.

The Lithuanian national basketball team won the European Basketball Championship in 1937 (in Riga, Latvia) and in 1939 (when Lithuania was the host country). My Dad told me a lot about Pranas Lubinas (Frank John Lubin), an American-Lithuanian basketball player. Lithuania won the European Basketball Championship in 1937, using American-born players of Lithuanian heritage. When Lithuania hosted the EuroBasket in 1939, it again won the title, this time with Lubin playing and coaching. He is often called the "Grandfather or Godfather of Lithuanian basketball" (Lietuvos krepšinio Krikštatėvis). Also, Lubin had played for the gold medal United States national basketball team at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.

Please see below Youtube Video: Europos Krepšinio Čempionatas/EuroBasket 1939 (Kaunas, Lietuva) (In Lithuanian)

   

Kaunas (Lithuania), the 1930s -- Jabotinsky's visit

Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the founder of the Revisionist Movement and Betar, visited Kaunas in the 1930s. My Dad was fortunate to see him in Kaunas (a large crowd of Jews had gathered to watch the event, according to my Dad). 



Kaunas region in the 1930s

A picture taken in Lampėdžiai or Panemuniai. My Dad, Aaron Rachowitz, is the second from the left. His brother/my uncle Nathan Rachowitz is next to him.