Recovering Memory

While looking ahead to the future, realising the expectations of today’s society, and reflecting on the past, it is our responsibility to remember the tragic events that took place in 20th-century pre-war and post-war Lithuania, particularly at Vilnius University. Therefore, we have launched a historical research-based initiative, Grįžtanti atmintis – Recovering Memory, aiming to commemorate and honour the Vilnius University community members, both students and staff, who were dismissed or expelled and, thus, deprived of the opportunity to continue their studies or academic careers due to Lithuania’s turbulent history, the actions of totalitarian regimes, and their local collaborators.

The objectives of the Recovering Memory initiative are to:

1. assess the impact of totalitarian regimes on the Vilnius University community, identify the victims, and pay tribute to them in accordance with the principle of historical justice and respect;

2. preserve the historical memory of the Vilnius University community by recalling not only the bright and honourable pages of its history but also gloomy and painful events; and

3. contribute to developing a society that is open to the world and history.

The impetus for rethinking the University’s relationship with its past was a short yet crucial email received from Israel in the summer of 2016. It was sent by Moshe Lapidoth, Professor of Medicine, requesting that the memory of his uncle Chlaunė Meištovskis, who had studied at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of Vilnius University during the pre-war years, be symbolically honoured. Having successfully completed eight semesters of physics and chemistry studies, Meištovskis was deprived of the scholarship and expelled from the University on 1 July 1941 solely on the grounds of being Jewish. A few days earlier, the Order of 27 June 1941 issued by Justinas Vaičaitis, Head of the Department of Higher Education subordinate to the National Socialists, was implemented at the University. Following this Order, on 22 June of that same year, i.e. retroactively, Jewish employees and the University community members who had taken an active part in the University’s Sovietisation and supported the regime during the months of the Soviet occupation were dismissed or expelled from Vilnius University.

Memory Diploma

In September 2016, by the decision of the Rector of Vilnius University, a commission was established to carry out historical research, formulate criteria for nomination, identify the names of those ousted from the University, assess their biographical facts, and bring them back into the fold, ensuring that they remain symbolically within the University’s historical memory. A closer look into the destiny of the academic community members has revealed that multiple events scattered them in different directions or even took their lives: the first Soviet occupation on 15 June 1940, followed by the Nazi occupation during World War II and the Holocaust, and then the second Soviet occupation, lasting more than five decades. These events changed Lithuania and the University community beyond recognition. Assessing the impact of the totalitarian regimes on Vilnius University and paying tribute to the victims are the key objectives of the Recovering Memory initiative.

This long-term project provides a robust incentive to learn more about the history of Lithuania’s most famous University, fill in some of its blank pages or even rewrite other ones, and it provides the opportunity for today’s academic community to look back at the painful periods that affected so many lives. Understanding and recognising our history, with all its blemishes and difficulties, creates a solid foundation for a strong, open, and progressive University. The symbolic Vilnius University Memory

Diploma has been established in order to commemorate those who were forcibly denied the opportunity to belong to the University academic community. We hope that the Memory Diploma award ceremony becomes a traditional event at Vilnius University.

Today, after some rather preliminary research, it can be stated that there are around 1,000 nominees for the Memory Diploma. At the beginning of the Nazi occupation alone, approximately 650 Jews, 80 Poles, and one German professor whose wife was Jewish were forced to flee or were expelled from Vilnius University. Several hundred Lithuanians were also deprived of the opportunity to work or study at the University during both Soviet occupations. Therefore, all of these people are deserving of the Memory Diploma. This symbolic diploma will not be awarded to those who were dismissed or expelled for reasons unrelated to the activities of the totalitarian regimes, who collaborated with their political or police organisations, or who were themselves the perpetrators of crimes against humanity.