History of Lithuanian Diaspora

You will learn to:

• Understand global mobility, diasporic identity and recognize Lithuanian migration patterns.
• Recall and interpret changes in Lithuanian geo-cultural spaces, identifying historical Lithuanian traces worldwide.
• Understand major phases and causes of diaspora dispersion and recognize behavioural characteristics.
• Interpret the diaspora’s contribution to Lithuanian independence and its relations with Lithuania before 1940.
• Evaluate ideological groupings, organisational features, and civic capabilities within diaspora communities.
• Understand the role of political emigration from 1940–1990 and navigate current migration and identity dynamics.

Learning topics:

• When, where, and why did Lithuanians and other nations migrate?
• Early migration experiences during and after the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
• Major emigration wave in late 19th–early 20th c.: destinations, occupations, everyday life.
• The diaspora and Lithuanian statehood restoration; relations 1918–1940.
• Ideological groupings, organisational structures, and civic engagement.
• DP camps in Germany 1945–1951: social, cultural, and political life.
• Outcomes and influence of post-war refugees in Lithuanian political and cultural history.
• Contemporary emigration trends and modern Lithuanian–diaspora relations.

Study period:

from February 6, 2026 to May 22, 2026, Fri 15:00–16:30 (online, Lithuanian language)