Gallows Hill

The executions were made public to deter people from criminal behaviour. The practice of public punishment was well alive until the late 18th century, when the punishments and the details of their enactment were announced in the local newspapers.

Just like other larger cities, Vilnius was a place where all kinds of criminal activity occurred. Individual lawbreakers, local criminal gangs, and, occasionally, travelling thieves, burglars, crooks, and other felons paved its streets.

Just like in many other European cities, the gallows stood beyond the city wall. The area next to the Gate of Dawn, known as the gallows or the Franciscan hill, was owned by the Franciscan monks who collected annual fees from the city for the use of their land.

Learn more about crimes and punishments in old Vilnius by clicking on this link.

Address: V. Šopeno St.