Work Room and Living Room of Jonas Sliupas

The interior design typical of the homes of interwar Lithuanian intellectuals has been restored in these rooms. The photographs reflecting the main moments from the political activities of Jonas Sliupas are displayed in his work room.

Lithuanian National Revival Movement, History of Lithuanian Press

One room is dedicated to the Lithuanian National Movement as well as the history of the Lithuanian press at the end of the 19^th – the beginning of the 20^th centuries. The oppression of the Russian Empire and the ban of the press and schools encouraged the unification of a new generation of intellectuals from Lithuanian villages. In April 1883, the first newspaper Ausra (Eng. Dawn) published in the Lithuanian language emerged in Ragaine, Lithuania Minor. The editors of the newspaper were such prominent figures as Jonas Basanavicius, Jurgis Miksas, Jonas Sliupas, Martynas Jankus, and Juozas Andziulaitis-Kalnenas. Although forced to emigrate to the USA, Jonas Sliupas continued the work he had undertaken. He edited the following newspapers: Unija (Eng. Union, 1884–1885), Lietuviskas balsas (Eng. The Lithuanian Voice, 1885–1889), Apsvieta (Eng. Enlightenment, 1892–1893), Nauja gadyne (Eng. The New Era, 1894–1896), and Laisvoji mintis (Eng. The Free Thought, 1910–1915), and was also one of the first organisers of the congresses of the American Lithuanians.

In 1899, the first public Lithuanian performance, i.e., the comedy Amerika pirtyje (Eng. America in Bathhouse) by Antanas Vilkutaitis-Keturakis, was played in Palanga, which at that time belonged to the Guberniya of Courland.

History of Palanga Town

The iconographic material of Palanga exhibited in two other rooms reveals the fragments of the history of the town. In the 19^th century, when Count Tyszkiewicz purchased Palanga (1824), the town started developing as a seaside resort. The Kurhaus constructed in 1877 soon became the entertainment centre of the resort, in the nearby park there was a summer theatre, new blocks of summerhouses, health resorts, bathing-places, patisseries, and a gym emerged. At the end of the 19^th century, a modern manor was erected, and the park designed by famous landscape designer Edouard Francois Andre was created.

During the period of Independent Lithuania, Palanga was developing rapidly and was becoming more and more contemporary. The resort was a favourite place for recreation, excursions and congresses. In the 1930s, the scope of construction works increased as various private individuals as well as different organisations were building their own summerhouses. The fire on May 10, 1938, destroyed nearly the entire centre of the town and during the summer of the same year reconstruction works were commenced. In 1938-1939, the bus station, post office, primary school, and cinema were built in the centre of Palanga.

Palanga in Maps

The exposition displays the 16^th -18^th century Lithuanian maps with Palanga, Nemirseta, and Sventoji marked as administrative units. The 19^th century layout of the Tyszkiewicz Manor in Palanga and the 1936 plan of Palanga are also exhibited.

Ethnographic Heritage of Palanga

The exposition dedicated to the ethnographic heritage of Palanga displays the images of the surroundings of the resort photographed by Ignas Koncius in 1935-1936. During the ethnographic expeditions in Samogitia in the 1930s, professor of physics, ethnographer, and Lithuanian public figure Ignas Koncius (1886–1975) collected and photographed various objects of ethnographic heritage. The following virtual exhibitions, films and shows are also displayed in this room: Palanga in Postcards and Photographs. Beginning of 20^th century – 1930s, Jonas Sliupas (1861-1944), the documentary Jonas Sliupas, and the series of TV shows dedicated to the maritime heritage Burlaiviu pedsakais (Eng. Following Track of Sails, by authors Inga Beruliene and Justinas Lingys).