History-1900+

The Liberation of Klaipėda

By Henry L. Gaidis An ingenious plot returns Lithuania’s only seaport after centuries of separation, and opens up its gateway to the world THIS YEAR MARKS THE NINE- tieth anniversary of the Liberation of Klaipėda, one of the most significant events in Lithuanian history in the modern era. Although most …

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Adolfas Ramanauskas the Hawk vs. the USSR

By Alvydas (Al) Karasa One of the last and best known commanders of Lithuanian armed resistance to Russian occupation was born in Connecticut HE STORY OF LITHUANIA’S ARMED RESISTANCE to Russian occupation during and after World War Two is a long and tragic one More than 50,000 died in the …

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The Lithuanian Chapel in St. Peter S Basilica

By K. Paul Žygas A TRIP TO ROME WITHOUT VISITING ST. Peter’s Basilica would be like going to a birthday party but missing out on the cake. This great church, one of the Eternal City’s principal monuments, is continuously open, even during repairs and restorations, and admission is free. But …

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Mindaugas – the Roots of Lithuania’s First King

by Al (Alvydas) Karaša July 6, 2009 marks the 756th anniversary of the coronation of Mindaugas as the first king of Lithuania. This date, known as Statehood Day, is an official national holiday in Lithuania. But who was Mindaugas, where did he come from, and in particular, what do we …

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British Aristocracy in Lithuania, Lithuanian Aristocracy in Britain – What Connects Them Both?

by Prof. Alfredas Bumblauskas The first answer is, they are all connected with the great Shakespeare, The second answer is, I reveal the secret: they all are connected by their links with Lithuania. GREAT BRITAIN–LITHUANIA: DIFFERENT HISTORICAL CONTEXTS? When I was offered to make a speech on the occasion of …

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Another View: How Students of Diverse Ethnic Backgrounds See Lithuanian Culture

  After the Chair for Lithuanian Studies was endowed in the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 1984, UIC launched a new course under the title “Lithuanian Culture.” Prof. Violeta Kelertas taught the course until 1994. Then I was hired to teach it. During two decades over 700 students …

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On the Trail of Our Lietuvininkai Ancestors in Texas

By Liuda Žiaugra On the Trail of Our Lietuvininkai Ancestors in Texas IT IS ALMOST A DECADE SINCE WE FIRST BEGAN TO find items in the Lithuanian American press about Lithuanians emigrating from Lithuania Minor to Texas some 150 years ago. At that time and in subsequent articles in the …

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‘Lituanica’ – the Unsolved Mystery

BY ALGIS GINTAUTAS Lituanica’ – the Unsolved Mystery 75 years after a still-unexplained crash killed the two Lithuanian flyers who were trying to establish a new record in aviation history, the cause of the crash and their death continues to be a mystery. JULY 15-17, 2008 MARKS THE 75TH ANNI- …

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Untangling the Jungle – Part One

by Randy Richards Untangling angling anglingThe Jungle   ONE OF THE MAIN PURPOSES of our trip to Lithuania was to continue the research begun by Dr. Giedrius Subačius on the people and places behind the writing of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle. Giedrius’ book, Upton Sinclair: The Lithuanian Jungle, has triggered …

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