German President to Visit Vilnius University Library and Open an Exhibition of Gediminas’ Letters

On 30 May (Tuesday) at 11:00 a.m., the Presidents of Germany and Lithuania, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Gitanas Nausėda, will arrive at Vilnius University (VU).

The Presidents of both countries will visit the P. Smuglevičius Hall of the Vilnius University Library, where they will open the exhibition "Curriculum Vilnae" dedicated to commemorate the 700th anniversary of Vilnius. The exhibition will showcase the most valuable documents of the city's history, including three letters of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas, brought from Germany.

"The return of Gediminas' letters to Vilnius is symbolic of the city's 700th anniversary celebrations, and at the same time demonstrates the ongoing relationship between Lithuania and Germany, the mutual goodwill and friendship between the two sides. The letters remind us that Vilnius has made a spectacular start in history, both as a "city of the ruler" (civitas regia) and as an open city, where people are invited to come and where rights and freedoms are guaranteed. It was a highly innovative diplomatic attempt by a pagan ruler to establish himself in Europe, to stop the attacks of the Teutonic Order and to stimulate the country's economic growth," says Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas, Rector of Vilnius University. 

During the opening of the exhibition, the Rector of Vilnius University, Professor R. Petrauskas, will give his congratulatory speech. Irena Krivienė, Director General of the VU Library, will present historical documents of importance to Vilnius and Lithuania.

One of the first documents of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Gediminas letters (or rather, their transcripts, as the original letters have not survived) are the most important testimony of Gediminas' time, telling the story of the ruler and the state he created, as well as the history of Vilnius. Gediminas' letter to the German cities 700 years ago was the first time the name of Vilnius was mentioned in written sources. 

With these letters, Gediminas sought to strengthen the political position of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and to promote its economic development. In his letter to the cities, Gediminas invited merchants, craftsmen, farmers and knights to come to his country to work for the benefit of themselves and the country.

Gediminas' letters were brought from Berlin, Secret State Archives Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the German Embassy, and will be exhibited in Lithuania for two weeks.