Graži vieta, Kauno apskritis
Žiežmariai is first documented in the 14th century, tied to the Battle of Strėva (February 2, 1348) against the Teutonic Knights. Its location between Vilnius and Kaunas made it the region's largest trade and crafts center, with Jewish merchants forming the majority of tradespeople; weekly Thursday markets and four annual trade fairs drew merchants from nearby towns. A 1928 Independence Decade obelisk on the town square was left unfinished; in 1932 a new monument was approved instead, designed by sculptor Adomas Jakševičius, one of the artists who decorated Kaišiadorys Cathedral. It stood on a stepped concrete base with a cross-shaped 6.65-meter pedestal topped by a plaster angel statue, its front bearing the Vytis coat of arms above the Žiežmariai town arms. Demolished in the Soviet 1940s-50s, the Freedom statue was rebuilt in 1991, though the rebuilt version omits the original shields and dates.