Question: The Order of th elithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas features one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania, that was used by the Lithuanian Republic as a minor state symbol during what period?

Passages:
The Columns of Gediminas or Pillars of Gediminas are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania and one of its historical coats of arms.  They were used in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, initially as a rulers' personal insignia, a state symbol, and later as a part of heraldic signs of leading aristocracy.  During the period between World War I and World War II they were used by the Lithuanian Republic as a minor state symbol, e. g. on Litas coins and military equipment. Erdmonas Simonaitis (October 30, 1888 in Juschka-Spötzen (Spiečiai), Province of East Prussia – February 24, 1969 in Weinheim, West Germany) was a Prussian Lithuanian activist particularly active in the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory) and advocating its union with Lithuania.  During the staged Klaipėda Revolt of 1923, he headed the pro-Lithuanian government of the region.  For his anti-German activities, he was persecuted by the Nazis during World War II.  He survived the Mauthausen-Gusen and Dachau concentration camps.  After the war he remained in Germany and rejoined various Lithuanian organizations.  He was awarded the Order of Vytautas the Great and Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. <P2-S0> Bayernburg (German for "Bavarian Castle"; Lithuanian: "Bajenburgas" ) is the name of three separate wooden castles of the Teutonic Order in different locations along the Neman River in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the Lithuanian Crusade. <P2-S1>  Their exact locations are not known and historians provide conflicting versions. <P2-S2>  The first fortress was built in 1337 by guest crusaders, including Henry XIV, Duke of Bavaria, in whose honor it was named after Bavaria. <P2-S3>  Emperor Louis IV declared it the capital of the to-be-conquered Lithuania. <P2-S4>  The newly built castle withstood a 22-day siege by Grand Duke Gediminas, but was abandoned by the Order in 1344. <P2-S5>  The Teutons burned down the first Bayernburg and built a brand new fortress a little closer to Prussia. <P2-S6>  The second Bayernburg withstood a six-day Lithuanian attack in 1381 but was burned down in July 1384 by Vytautas when he betrayed the Order at the conclusion of the Lithuanian Civil War (1381–84). <P2-S7>  The third Bayernburg was built in spring 1387 where Georgenburg stood but the new name did not gain acceptance and the fortress continued to be known as Georgenburg. <P2-S8>  This fortress was captured and burned down by Vytautas in April 1403 during the first Samogitian uprising. The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas is the Lithuanian Presidential Award which was re-instituted to honour the citizens of Lithuania for outstanding performance in civil and public offices.  Foreign nationals may also be awarded this Order.  The Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas was instituted in 1928.  It features the Columns of Gediminas, one of the national symbols of Lithuania. <P0-S0> The family of Gediminas is a group of family members of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania (ca. 1275–1341), who interacted in the 14th century. <P0-S1>  The family included the siblings, children, and grandchildren of the Grand Duke and played the pivotal role in the history of Lithuania for the period as the Lithuanian nobility had not yet acquired its influence. <P0-S2>  Gediminas was also the forefather of the Gediminid dynasty, which ruled the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1310s or 1280s to 1572. Jonas Asevicius-Acus-Acukas (July 29, 1885 in Jieznas – July 11, 1976 in Kaunas) was a Lithuanian army officer and chemist.  From 1909 to 1918, he served in the Imperial Russian Army at Kaunas Fortress.  He fought in the First World War and the Russian Civil War.  In 1921 he returned to Lithuania and was mobilized into the Lithuanian Armed Forces, where he attained the rank of colonel (1927) and served until 1940.  Acus graduated from Vytautas Magnus University in 1930.  He lectured on chemistry and commodity science at Vytautas Magnus University (1934–1940), Vilnius University (1940–1950), and Lithuanian University of Agriculture (1951–1957).  He wrote textbooks on foundations of commodity science (1949) and a short course in physical chemistry (1957).  Acus was awarded the Commander's Crosses of the Order of Vytautas the Great (1938) and the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (1928). Petras Kunca (born 1942) is a Lithuanian violinist, awarded the National Prize of Lithuania (1979) and the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.  For 31 years he performed with the Vilnius Quartet. Arvydas Stanislavas Každailis (born 4 April 1939, in Baisogala) is a Lithuanian artist, best known as the creator of many coat of arms for cities and towns of Lithuania.  For his achievements in Lithuanian art, he was awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas in 1999. Mūza Rubackytė (born May 19, 1959) is a Lithuanian pianist, currently residing in Vilnius and Paris.  Rubackytė has been awarded the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas, Lithuanian Muzes, and has been named as the National Artist of Lithuania. Antanas Sutkus (born 27 June 1939) is a Lithuanian photographer.  He is a recipient of the Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts and Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas.  Sutkus was one of the co-founders and a president of the Lithuanian Association of Art Photographers (Lithuanian: "Lietuvos fotografijos meno draugija" ).

Supporting sentences:
The Columns of Gediminas or Pillars of Gediminas are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania and one of its historical coats of arms.  During the period between World War I and World War II they were used by the Lithuanian Republic as a minor state symbol, e. g. on Litas coins and military equipment.