The beginning of the Museum is related
to the events of 1924, when locally educated Lithuanians and
Germans founded the Society of the Regional Museum of Klaipeda
("Memeler Landesmuseum e.V."). The 20th June 1924,
the day of the General Meeting of this Society - sometimes
named the "Constitutive Meeting" - is regarded as
the birthday of the Museum. Unfortunately, after some years
the Germans left the Society and the Museum management. The
Museum didn't have a permanent premises and the displays were
not abundant. The last record on the Museum's diary is dated
12th March 1939. The major part of the pre-war collection
was lost and merely a few dozen of the old displays (mainly
archaeological) are still kept by the Museum.
During 1948 there were calls in the local press of Klaipeda
to recreate Klaipeda's Museum. On 5th February 1949, G. Christoforova
was appointed as first Director of the Museum and in March
J. Alseika as the first researcher. The Museum was named the
Museum of Regional Ethnography of Klaipeda. On 17th June 1988,
the Executive Committee of Klaipeda decided to rename the
Museum of Regional Ethnography of Klaipeda as the Museum of
the History of Lithuania Minor. Since 1992 the Museum has
been managed by Dr. Jonas Genys.
The exposition's stands contain archaelogical
finds, old maps, coins, pfotos, postcards, scale models of
town, thank to which in an hour or an hour and half one may
get acquainted with ten-thousand-year history of this area.
The ethnographic exhibits reflect household and traditions
of native inhabitants - the Lietuvininkai - and dramtic relation
between the Lithuanians and the Germans. Many exhibits may
be called without any hesitation as unique.
As of October 2000 the museum collection includes 78,381 items.
The major part of the collection is made up of about 29,500
archaeological items. Over 10,000 exhibits present the ethnographical
collection with items such as household appliances, wooden
sculptures, furniture, textiles and blacksmithing articles.
Over 10,000 documents are also in the collection. The iconography
collection includes over 8,000 photographs and negatives as
well as 661 postcards. The numismatic collection consists
of 1,208 items including 426 coins and 720 banknotes. The
printed collection of books, calendars and periodicals consists
of over 5,200 exhibits. The small cartographic collection
includes 80 items. Exhibition of the History of Lithuania
Minor:
1. Prehistory of the region,
2. Conquests of the German order. The formation of Lithuania
Minor,
3. Cartography,
4. Numismatics,
5. Klaipeda in the first part of the XX century,
6. Traditional culture,
7. The city of Klaipeda and surrounding regions during 1939
- 1960.
The Museum organises scientific seminars and conferences and
the staff of the Museum participate in similar scientific
forums in Lithuania and abroad. In 1995 the Museum organised
two conferences, "Klaipeda and Lithuania in the Historical
Changes of the XX century" and "The Reformation
in the Lithuanian Grand Principality and Prussia". These
conferences were organised jointly with the Centre of Evangelic
Theology and the Centre of History of West Lithuania and Prussia
at Klaipeda University. In 1998 the conference "The Latest
Research into Lithuanian Castles" was arranged jointly
with the Centre of History of West Lithuania and Prussia at
Klaipeda University and the Department of the Protection of
Cultural Heritage and in 1999 the conference "The Lithuanian
Coast and its Problems of Identity" was organised jointly
with Klaipeda University and the See-coastal Regional Park.
The main partners of the History Museum of
Lithuania Minor are the Museum of the East Prussian Region
in Lueneburg, the East Prussian Centre of Culture in Ellingen,
Germany and the Varmia and Mozur Museum in Olstyn, Poland.
The closest contacts are with colleagues from Germany as both
the parties strive for the same objective - the restoration
and conservation of the historic past of the same region.
All the joint projects and exhibitions are related to Lithuania
Minor, to the people of this region, their life and creative
work.
The Museum has published a collection of articles on the history
of the region entitled "The History and Culture of the
West Balts" with volume I published in 1992 and volume
II in 1995. The process of accumulating material for the third
volume is continuing. The conclusions of scientific investigations
of the Museum are published in national and foreign scientific
journals. The most significant publication of recent years
is a monograph by Zita Geniene and Jonas Genys "Varniai
Priests' Seminary".
The History Museum of Lithuania Minor arranges lessons for
school children entitled "Living History" in a program
entitled "Old trades and ways of life of the Baltic Tribes
Kurąiai, ®emaičiai and Lietuvininkai". The program consists
of five independent topics:
1. Ancient Ceramics of the Baltic Tribes,
2. Ancient Weaving and Flax Processing in Klaipeda Region,
3. Ancient Jewellery and Brass Casting of the Baltic Tribes,
4. Blacksmithing and Metal Processing in the Settlements of
Ancient Kurąiai,
5. Daily Life and Clothing of the Inhabitants of Klaipeda
at the End of the XIX Century and the Beginning of the XX
Century.The lessons of "Living History" begin on
15 September and continue throughout the year.
The History Museum of Lithuania Minor
Didľioji Vandens St. 6, LT-91246 Klaipeda,
tel. 00370 46 41 05 24,
e-mail: info@mlimuziejus.lt,
www.mlimuziejus.lt
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