Gabalėliai Lietuvos Lietuvių rajonai ir paveldas užsienyje

Šiandien užsienyje gyvena per milijoną lietuvių. Svetur lietuviai išsikelia šimtmečius. Kaip vos 3 milijonus gyventojų turinčiai tautai su Lietuva susijusių dalykų užsienyje - tikrai daug.

Lenkų, vokiečių, žydų ar rusų tarpe yra populiaru lankyti su jų istorija susijusias vietas, tarp jų ir esančias Lietuvoje. Tačiau lietuviai dar nėra atradę savojo paveldo užjūriuose, net internete informacijos labai mažai.

Štai Amerikoje gausu nuostabių lietuviškų šimtamečių bažnyčių ištapytų lietuviškais užrašais, tautinėmis freskomis kaip "Mindaugo karūnavimas"; lietuvių kapinių (JAV palaidotas ne vienas žymus žmogus, pvz. prezidentas Smetona ar Lietuvos krepšinio tėvas Lubinas), Kanadoje yra du Vilniaus garbei pavadinti miesteliai, o Pietų Afrikoje - Klaipėdos. Baltarusijoje ir Ukrainoje pilna LDK pilių, Rusijoje ir Kazachijoje - tremties vietų, Lenkijoje - bendrą Lietuvos-Lenkijos istoriją atmenančio paveldo.

Tai - vos keli pavyzdžiai. Lietuviško paveldo yra bent keliasdešimtyje valstybių.

Gabalėliai Lietuvos renka šią informaciją į vieną vietą.

Tinklapio ir visų jo tekstų autorius - Augustinas Žemaitis.

Taip pat kviečiame patyrinėti "Tikslas - Amerika lietuviškų vietų užsienyje žemėlapį.

Jei turite pasiūlymų arba pataisymų, prašome rašyti į komentarus ir straipsniai bus pakoreguoti.

Rytų Europos lietuviškos vietos

Viduramžiais Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė buvo didžiausia Europos šalis (10 kartų didesnė, nei yra dabar). Po savęs vidurio rytų Europoje ji paliko daugybę didingų pilių, rūmų, paminklų ir vienuolynų. Dabar šie romantiški LDK pastatai - vieni mėgstamiausių turistinių objektų regione. Tačiau po to, kai LDK smuko ir Lietuvą okupavo Rusija, ryčiausioji Europos dalis prisipildė kur kas liūdnesnių "lietuviškų" vietų: masinių sovietinio genocido aukų kapų.

Baltarusije, turinti daugiau LDK pilių nei pati Lietuva
Baltarusija
Ukraina kadaise beveik visa buvo valdoma iš Lietuvos, lietuviai čia statė daug pilių, nes tai buvo Lietuvos pasienis su islamo pasauliu
Ukraina
Lenkija ir Lietuva du amžius (1569-1795) praleido susijungusios į vieną valstybę, ir buvusios tos valstybės sostinės, esančios Lenkijoje, kupinos bendro lenkų-lietuvių paveldo
Lenkija
Latvija vadinama broliška lietuviams šalimi; kai Lietuvoje buvo sunkūs laiaki, lietuviai Latvijoje siekė darbų ir mokslo bei po savęs daug ką paliko
Latvija
Rusija buvo okupavusi Lietuvą kelis šimtmečius, nužudė šimtus tūkstaničų lietuvių. Jų kapai iki šiol dūla Sibiro platybėse, o Rusijos didmiesčiuose yra vietų, primenančių, jog iš ten šitaip ilgai valdyta Lietuva
Rusija
Gruzija sukūrė lietuviškas vietas atsidėkodama už paramą per 2008 m. Gruzijos-Rusijos karą
Gruzija
Lengviausiai pasiekiamos sovietinės tremties vietos yra Kazachstane
Kazachstanas

Kitos Rytų Europos šalys, turinčios lietuviškų vietų: Bulgarija, Tadžikija, Vengrija.


Vakarų Europos lietuviškos vietos

Per amžius Vakarų Europa buvo vienu politinio pasaulio centrų. Taigi, didžiausiuose jos miestuose liko daug ženklų, primenančių Lietuvos mėginimus geraisiais savo laikais dalyvauti kuriant Europos ir pasauliio istoriją, o blogaisiais - ieškoti didžiųjų Vakarų Europos šalių užtarimo. Be to, nuo ~2004 m. Vakarų Europa - mėgstamiausia lietuvių emigracijos kryptis, tad joje gausu gyvų lietuvių bendruomenių (tačiau kol kas ne lietuviškų vietų).

Italy, where Rome is teeming with histroic Lithuanian sites as it is the capital of Lithuania's Catholic religion and thus the shadow capital of Medieval Europe
Italija
Belgium, where Brussels, the capital of the European Union, symbolically hosts shards of all the member states, including Lithuania
Belgija
United Kingdom, the main destination of modern-day Lithuanian emigrants and also the only Western European country where pre-WW2 emigration from Lithuania was also significant, thus hosting numerous historic Lithuanian sites
Jungtinė Karalystė

Kitos Vakarų Europos šalys, turinčios lietuviškų vietų: Airija, Danija, Islandija, Prancūzija, Šveicarija, Vatikanas, Vokietija.


JAV lietuviškos vietos

Dar nuo ~1865 m. JAV buvo lietuvių svajonių kraštas. Ten emigravo milijonas mūsiškių. Nors dauguma įsimylėjo Amerikos laisvę ir turtus, dauguma šeimų liko lietuviškos keletą kartų, o už savo sunkiai uždirbtus pinigus statė didingas patriotiškai dekoruotas lietuvių sales, bažnyčias, vienuolynus, mokyklas, parkus, kapines ir kitus pastatus, tapusius unikaliomis "Lietuvomis už Lietuvos ribų", tiesiai pramoninių JAV didmiesičų viduryje. Daugybė šių vietų gali priblokšti ne vien lietuvius.

Ilinojus, kuriame - Čikaga, Amerikos lietuvių sostinė
Ilinojus
Pensilvanija - seniausia Amerikos lietuvių kolonija su ~150 lietuviško paveldo objektų
Pensilvanija
Masačusetsas ir jo daugybė 'lietuviškų' miestų (Bostonas, Vusteris, Broktonas, Lorensas, Lovelas, Atolas) su 50+ lietuviškų vietų
Masačusetsas
Konektikutas, lietuviškiausia JAV valstija (0,9%) su kai kuriomis iš svarbiausių Amerikjos lietuvių vietų
Konektikutas
Niujorko miestas (lietuvybės tvirtovė 100+ metų) ir aukštutinio Niujorko pramoniniai miesteliai, kadaise traukę lietuvių darbininkus
Niujorkas
Mičiganas, su šimtamečiu lietuvišku paveldu savo pramoniniuose miestuose ir lietuviškomis stovyklomis savo laukinėje gamtoje
Mičiganas
Merilandas, su aukščiausia lietuvių bažnyčia ir vienais didingiausių JAV lietuvių namų (Baltimorėje)
Merilandas
Vašingtonas gal ir stokoja stiprios istorinės lietuvių bendruomenės, bet jo turimas JAV sostinės statusas čionai pritraukė daug labai simbolinių lietuviškų vietų
Vašingtonas (JAV sostinė)
Ohajas ir jo lietuviškas sodas, klubas, daug bažnyčių Klivlando ir Deitono miestuose
Ohajas
Meinas ir jo Kenebunkporto lietuvių vienuolynas bei didis parkas - viena geriausiai išlaikytų lietuviškų vietų JAV
Meinas
Naujasis Džersis su gausybe lietuviškų bažnyčių Niujorko priemiesčiuose
Naujasis Džersis
Viskonsinas, kur kone kiekvienas paežerės miestas turi lietuvių bendruomenę ir bažnyčią
Viskonsinas
Naujasis Hampšyras, kur Našujos fabrikuose dirbo tūkstančiai lietuvių bei paliko ten aibę savo pėdsakų
Naujasis Hampšyras
Indiana apima Čikagos priemiesčius kuriuose - vieni didžiausių lietuvių procentų visame žemyne (ypač Beverli Šoro kurorte)
Indiana
Kalifornija ir Los Andželas, vienas svarbiausių pokario Amerikos lietuvių miestų
Kalifornija
Vermontas, kurio miškuose - didžiulė lietuviška Neringos stovykla
Vermontas
Rod Ailandas, kur Lietuvos nepriklausomybės diena - oficiali šventė
Rod Ailandas
Nebraska su jos gyvu lietuvių telkiniu Omahoje - tai vakariausia istorinė lietuvių 'kolonija'
Nebraska

Kitos JAV valstijos, kuriose yra lietuviškų vietų: Aliaska, Arizona, Ajova, Džordžija, Florida, Minesota, Misūris, Naujoji Meksika, Šiaurės Karolina, Teksasas, Vašingtonas (valstija).


Kanados lietuviškos vietos

Kanados lietuvių istorija panaši į JAV lietvuių istoriją. Tik Kanados lietuvių bendruomenė - naujesnė, susiformavusi tik Sovietų Sąjungai okupavus Lietuvą ir Kanadą užplūdus "dipukams". Todėl dauguma lietuviškų vietų (klubų, bažnyčių, vienuolynų, paminklų) Kanadoje yra naujesnės nei JAV, mažiau jų uždaryta.

Ontarijas, kuriame - daugiausiai Kanados miestų ir lietuviškų vietų
Ontarijas
Kvebekas ir Monrealis, vienintelė istorinė lietuvių bendruomenė prancūzakalbėje žemėje
Kvebekas
Alberta ir jos nutolusios lietuviškos vietos Edmontone bei Vilnoje, pavadintoje Vilniaus garbei
Alberta

Australijos lietuviškos vietos

Australija buvo viena nedaugelio valstybių, priėmusių dipukus iš Lietuvos po to, kai Sovietų Sąjunga ją okupavo. Daugelis šių pabėgėlių buvo intelektualai (nes būtent juos sovietai labiausiai persekiojo). Todėl nors Australijos lietuvių nebuvo labai daug, jie smarkiai pasireiškė, ypač Australijos mene. Jų gyvenimas sukasi aplink didžiulius patriotiškai įrengtus Lietuvių namus, iki tol neregėtą Australijoje instituciją. Bent vienerius tokius lietuviai pasistatė kiekviename Australijos didmiestyje, o Lietuvių namų viduje galima rasti lietuviškus restoranus, teatrus, laikraščius, mokyklas, muziejus ir daugiau.

Pietų Australija, kurios Adelaidės mieste yra du lietuvių klubai, muziejus ir šventovė
Pietų Australija
Viktorija, su didžiausiais Australijoje lietuvių namais Melburne bei kitais Džilonge
Viktorija
Kanberos lietuviški paminklai
Kanbera (sostinė)
Naujasis Pietų Velsas, su lietuvišku paveldu Sidnėjuje
Naujasis Pietų Velsas
Kvinslandas, kur Brisbene veikia lietuvių namai
Kvinslandas
Vakarų Australija, kurios vienas kalbų pavadintas iš Lietuvos kilusio Olego Truchano garbei
Vakarų Australija

Lotynų Amerikos lietuviškos vietos

Kadangi JAV XX a. pradžioje užvėrė duris daugeliui imigrantų, dauguma lietuvių išeivių tarpukariu pasuko į Lotynų Ameirką, kurios nebuvo nuniokojęs Pirmasis pasaulinis karas ir kur dar buvo pilna laisvų žemių. Nors Lotynų Amerika buvo skurdesnė, nei JAV, ir vietos lietuviai neturėjo daug atliekamų pinigų, ir svarbiausiuose Lotynų Amerikos miestyose jie pastatė savo bažnyčias ir klubus, o San Paule netgi yra lietuvių rajonas.

Brazilija turi toliausiai nuo Lietuvos nutolusį lietuvių rajoną
Brazilija
Argentina, kurioje klesti gyviusia Lotynų Amerikoje lietuvių bendruomenė
Argentina
Urugvajus nedidelis (gyventojų panašiai kaip Lietuvoje), bet į jį emigravo pakankamai lietuvių, kad paliktų iki šiol regimų ženklų
Urugvajus

Kitos Lotynų Amerikos šalys, turinčios lietuviškų vietų: Kolumbija, Trinidadas ir Tobagas, Venesuela.


Afrikos ir Azijos lietuviškos vietos

Į Afriką ir Aziją niekad masiškai nevyko nei lietuviai emigrantai, nei kolonistai - visgi, ten irgi yra šiek tiek įdomių lietuviškų vietų.

Šventoji žemė, kur rasi tiek lietuviškų dalykų švenčiausiose krikščionių vietose, tiek į Izraelį išvykusių Lietuvos žydų palikimo
Šventoji žemė (Izraelis/Palestina)
Gambija - vienintelė Afrikos šalis, kurią bent netiesiogiai buvo kolonizavusi Lietuva
Gambija
Japonija, noriai atrandanti likusį pasaulį, taigi, ir Lietuvą
Japonija

Kitos Azijos ir Afrikos šalys, turinčios lietuviškų vietų: Turkija.

Comments (52) Trackbacks (0)
  1. I am Lithuanian born [Ukmerge] living in New Zealand. There is a small dedicated Lithuanian community here and we are all related to communities in Lithuania, Australia and the U.S.A. Finding out our heritage is interesting and exciting and provides the tools for passing on information to our descendants,whose blood is being diluted with each generation that passes.

    • Thank you. As far as I understand the New Zealand Lithuanian community is new (post-1990). However, perhaps there is something in New Zealand that could be considered Lithuanian heritage, e.g. memorial plaques for Lithuanians, Lithuania-related monuments and locations, Lithuania-related placenames, graves of famous Lithuanians, buildings related to Lithuania? If so, please note it and I will add a page on New Zealand Lithuanian heriatage.

      • There was a postwar colony of Lithuanians in New Zealand and Genius Procuta, now of Toronto, Canada, was a child there. New Zealand distinguished itself because it permitted widows to immigrate along with their children after the war when most other countries did not. Procuta’s father had died of TB shortly after the war in Europe, and New Zealand came to the rescue of his family and that of others.

        • Thank you for sharing interesting information!

        • I emigrated to Chicago in 1950 at the age of 9 1/2 along with my parents and a younger brother. Among our acquaintances,there were several families consisting of widows and children,so apparently, America, was also one of these countries,with the same policy,as New Zealand.

      • My mother’s family moved to New Zealand after the DP camps in Germany, because they were in the British zone, and New Zealand was looking for laborers. They finally made it to the US in 1962. They lived in Dunedin, where there were less than a handful of other Lithuanian families, and they still have NZ citizenship today. Not sure if there was anything there as far as memorials, plaques, and so on. But they were definitely there post-WWII.

        • So far, we were not able to find any Lithuanian *sites* in New Zealand. I think there was likely none, as the community was simply too small. Lithuanian communities (i.e. at least a few Lithuanians) probably existed in most countries at some time, yet only the largest Lithuanian communities have actually left something after them in the form of buildings, monuments, placenames, etc.

  2. My dad is half Lithuanian from Chicago. My family moved from Kaunas in 1907 and regained contact with our relatives after independence was restored

  3. My great grandparents were of Lithuanian decent. The only information we have is that he came from Lithuania and traveled to the U.S. but that’s about it. I have names but was interested in how I can find out more Lithuanian ancestry. Thanks

  4. Labas Augustinai, We at the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame love your website, and we post information from it. By the same token, you may find interesting information on our facebook page that you may want to share.

    I am encouraged to see that Lithuanians are sharing information and helping each other out. Sekmes!

    • Labas Jon. Thank you for sharing information from the global.truelithuania.com and truelithuania.com websites. Indeed I have noticed that as I check who links to truelithuania.com sometimes. I am also checking your Facebook page sometimes. I have also “liked” the National Lithuanian American Hall of Fame Facebook page on the official Truelithuania.com Facebook account. Continue the good job on providing information on Lithuania-related issues!

      P.S. If you know additional information about the Lithuanian heritage in locations that already have articles about them on global.truelithuania.com, or would like to share photos of things that still have no photos at the global.truelithuania.com site, please do so (copyright of photos will be noted). All kinds of Lithuanian heritage interests me: former and existing Lithuanian houses, clubs, churches, parks, museums, cemetaries, satues, memorials; Lithuanian inscriptions; streets/roads/plazas/towns named after Lithuania(ns); graves and former homes of famous Lithuanians. The goal (hardly achievable) is to document all such locations beyond the Lithuanian borders.

  5. Just wonder why you have no info about the Lithuanians in Colorado. My grandfather, Klemensas Paznokaitis,aka K. Paznokas, aka K. Clemens, worked for the United Mine Workers Union, and traveled all over Colorado during the early 1900’s trying to organize and get better working conditions for the miners. He was also the treasurer for the Lietuviu Socijalistu sajunga. I have his ledger book and the red cards. There were many Lithuanians who settled in Colorado and worked in the coal mines. I understand there is a growing Lithuanian community in the Denver area now.

    • Thank you for your information. The aim is to cover entire Lithuanian heritage abroad, so an article about a new place is added once every couple of weeks. There is much Lithuanian heritage though so while the site has been started 2 years ago there is still much to add until it will be complete.

      That said, this site is about Lithuanian heritage rather than simply Lithuanian history. That is, about Lithuanian churches, monuments, cemeteries, clubs, graves and (former) homes of famous Lithuanians, streets named after Lithuania(ns), memorial plaques for Lithuania(ns) and other things which are in a particular location and may be seen. Is there such heritage in Colorado? If you have information, please share.

      Currently the states that I plan to do articles on in the near future are Florida, Iowa, Maine, Texas and Missouri (I found information on Lithuanian heritage in each of them) as well as articles on cities/areas: Philadelphia, Scranton, Springfield, Grand Rapids, Lowell/Lawrence. Of course, if I’ll get information about Lithuanian heritage in Colorado I’d add it to the list as well.

    • I lost touch with Barbara Clow more than ten years ago and haven’t been able to find her until I saw this message. We research the same family and I have updates. Could Barbara please contact me at my email address? Thanks.

  6. I am proud of my lithuanian heritage. Having grown in Argentina with my widowed mother (no other family), since I was 5, the lithuanian community was my family, all the clubs, church, they were home to us. It was and still is really amazing in this trouble world, how we all stick together. Now living in New York, I miss all the events that are still part of Buenos Aires lithuanian clubs.

  7. My mother’s parents came from near Vilnius to Colorado (USA) about 1901. I don’t have any exact dates. They are all dead and I am sad that I don’t know more.
    My Grandfather worked in the mines near Lafayette (CO) and their home was there. My mother and her brother and sister grew up in Lafayette. I was surprise to see on the Lafayette website that no mention was made of the Lithuanians who lived and worked there and most died there. My aunt Mary went to school and became the Secretary-Treasurer of the Denver Stockyards! My mother and father had 2 companies that invented parts for and repaired diesel engines. My grandfather didn’t only work in the mines, he also ran hunting camps and any work he could find. He was self-educated, and very intelligent; a marvelous story-teller, as was my mother and her oldest brother.Their last name was changed by Immigration to Warsavage, but in Lithuania it was similar to Warsovich? There were cousins in Lithuania. I wish I could trace their ancestors, and mine. My mother and aunt and their mother were wonderfully creative and smart women. And their sense of humor is legendary!

    • Thanks for sharing. As for original surname it’s hard to tell. Direct Lithuanian transliteration would be something like Varsavičius, but Google search finds no such surname. Perhaps Ardzevičius? To mae the matters more complex Polish was frequently used as literary language back then, meaning that Lithuanians would use a Lithuanian version of their surname in some contexts and Polish in some others; moreover Lithuanian language itself was not yet standartized, meaning that surnames had no official spelling even back home. More info on pre-WW1 variations of Lithuanian surnames in the articles on Poles of Lithuania and Lithuanian Pennsylvanians.

      • my great grandfather came to the US in 1912 under the surname of Berekeviche. His wife followed in 1914 with a listed surname of Berekeciene. Can you explain the difference? any idea of direct transliteration?

    • My grandparents also settled in Lafayette. My mom probably knew your mom. I have started a genealogy of Colorado Lithuanians. I have documented many families in Lafayette including yours. Contact me if you are interested in knowing more about these families.

  8. Hello! My name is Vicki Sadilek Dunlap and I am trying to research my family history. I have run into a road block with my grandmothers side. Her name was Alvina Youdris Sadilek (married Vincent Sadilek Jr in 1926 in Chicago, IL). She was born in Chicago on August 1, 1905. Her parents listed on her birth certificate were Charles Youdrea (place of birth, Lithuania) and Barbara Patarak (place of birth, Lithuania). On her certificate of baptism it shows parent names as Casimir Juodraitis and Barbara Patrakiczie. I also have the names of her mothers parents that were listed on her death certificate. They were Casimer Paterakas and Brigitte Petraite both born in Lithuania. That is all the information I have on them. I am hoping you may assist me or lead me in the right direction to find out more. I appreciate any assistance you may give. Thanks so much for your time.

    • Hello,

      I will leave a few notes. Firstly, as is described in the article on Lithuanian heritage in Pennsylvania, early Lithuanian Americans commonly had their surnames changed during migration (migration officials commonly misheard them, for example, while iliterate and/or non-English-speaking migrants could not have corrected them). I think that is what happened to your forefathers as well. Juodraitis is likely the original surname (Youdrea – the corrupted version).

      Also, Lithuanian Christian names are different than the recorded English ones: Brigitte would be Brigita, Casimer / Casimir would be Kazimieras, Barbara would be Barbora. It is possible that Petraitė was Petraitytė. As for the original of Paterak / Paterakas / Patrakiczie I think it may be Patarakas for males and Patarakytė for female daughters of the family (see the article on Lithuanian language to learn more about how Lithuanian male/female surnames are formed).

  9. My grandparents on both sides came from Lithuania and settled in Rochester NY. They were part of St. George’s Lithuanian Church. I went to school there for 8 years. My father was Petras Zemaitis married to Mary Vascuyknas. My grandfather was Frank Vascukynas, and he is seen on the city census in 1918 as working at Hickey Freeman, the mens’ clothing company as a presser. I cannot find him on lists for Ellis Island, but he told me that he entered the US that way. He died in 1974. Any idea how they could have spelled his name when he first arrived?

    • It is impossible to know but it may be possible to guess. That is because immigrants from Lithuania were often asked what is their surname, and then the surname would be written down by US officials who didn’t know Lithuanian spelling. Thus they written down what they believed to be the correct spelling: it may use English or Polish orthography, it may drop Lithuanian ending, but is typically still pretty close to original in pronouncation. So a guesswork is needed. If you know approximate time of entry, it is easier. Also if he was born in Lirhuania “Frank” would likely be “Pranas” but it may also be spelled in various ways.

  10. my great grandfather came to the US in 1912 under the surname of Berekeviche. His wife followed in 1914 with a listed surname of Berekeciene. Can you explain the difference? any idea of direct transliteration? We have tracked my great grandmother through Ellis Island. Verbal history says Gramps traveled to Boston initially before meeting his wife 2 years later in Sheboygan, WI

  11. can someone help with these names like preiskel and lebow. Also perhaps with this ancestry

    I have a family tree (see partial image below) but am having problems with ancestors and some dates. All appear to be from Vilna, Vilniaus, Lithuania and the Ghetto. Many died in pogroms and holocaust. Do not have many relatives that were in Lithuania. Have checked Jewishgen and other sites to no avail. Lebow is NOT the original name for this family. They changed their name once they came to America and it has been spelled many ways. i am having problem with burial plots as well for some who died in USA… I have been told many were cremated and records were not kept:
    Aaron Lebow
    1912–1992
    BIRTH MAY 23, 1912 • Vilna, Vilniaus, Lithuania
    DEATH 7 APR 1992 • Solana Beach, San Diego, California, USA
    ****Parents of Aaron Lebow:
    Joseph Abba Lebow lebowicz lebowitz
    1888–1967
    BIRTH MAY 1, 1888 • Russia or Vilna, Vilniaus, Lithuania or Poland (Vilna Ghetto)
    DEATH OCTOBER 1967 • Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA or brookline, norfolk, mass
    Keita Clara Preiskel Prescell (Preskell) (Prescal) Preiskell
    1886–1972
    BIRTH JULY 10, 1886 • Russia and Poland (Vilna Ghetto)
    DEATH SEPTEMBER 22, 1972 • Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA
    ****Keita’s father:
    Moshe Yitzchak Preiskel Prescell (Preskell) (Prescal)
    ****Joseph Abba Lebow lebowicz lebowitz parents:
    NAIMAN (Menacham Nachum Nochum) Lebow (Lebowicz Leibovitz)
    Rebecca (Reva from Hebrew) PUNSKY (GOLDMAN)
    BIRTH Russia
    DEATH
    **** JOSEPH LEBOW’S BROTHER:
    Samuel Lebow Lebaw
    1882–1959
    BIRTH MARCH 16, 1882 • Vilna, Russia (POLAND)
    DEATH 14 OCT 1959 • Roxbury, Suffolk, MA, USA
    MOSHE had many sisters of which only 1 survived the death camps and slaughtering of Jews in what i am guessing was Vilna.

    • You have written the likely surnames yourself, such as Lebowicz / Lebowitz instead of Lebow (Lithuanian version would be Leibovičius / Lebovičius). As for Peskell, likely Lithuanian version would be Preiskelis (there are Jews with last names Preiskelis and Leibovičius currently living in Lithuania).

      However, it should noted that local Jews would have typically used the versions of their surnames in the language that was dominant at the time. So e.g. somebody who used Lebovičius as Lithuanian citizen may have also used Lebowicz (which is a Polish version of the same surname) while Vilnius was ruled by Poland, and such (and, as you already know, shortened to a more English-sounding Lebow in the USA).

  12. Hello Augustinas Žemaitis, I am Linguistic Professor at Unioeste, a public university in Paraná, Brazil. I am currently developing a research including place, comercial and personal names of Vila Zelina . The data of your text about will be extremely valuable for me. I would like to know if there would be any problem on my using and citing your photos on papers I intend to write to publish the research results

    • I permit you to cite our website and use its pictures (with the author cited).

      I am glad Villa Zelina is being researched.

  13. I hope you can help me. I am of 99.8% Lithuanian descent and live in USA . All my grandparents came from Lithuania. Or are you information I am hoping you can respond . I have been trying to find out my heritage but have had no luck . I have my grandfather’s original birth certificate with dates and surnames. Ty Jeanne (Zurauskas) Morena

  14. After 55 years I meet my family in the U.S.
    Nobody from U.S. and from Lithuania never think to see eatch other.
    There were big surprise!
    My aunt found my family photo in the ancestry.com and after few years I take a visit to see our family in U.S. from our great-grandparents.
    My great-grandfather leave Lithuania about 100 years ago. Later take great-grandmother to U.S and after their youngest son of four sons. Three oldest their sons lived, worked and are dead in the Lithuania. Some of they some time spend in the Siberia.
    But times are changed and after more years we found eatch other.
    Yes, my family in the U.S. are more bigger than in the Lithuania. I have my sure three aunts and two uncles whom are long way away at the Lithuania.
    It’s sad because time don’t go back and we can’t to change anything but we know that we are and we are doble family from the very old times at the our great-grandparents.
    Nice to know that lithuanians familys live around this small peoples world and around this little our earth.

  15. Sveiki Augustinai, girdėjau apie Jūsų idėją iš Leonardo Šablinsko, mačiau per TV. Taigi, esu rokiškietė, vienos NVO pirmininkė. Man idomu, ar pavyko Jums kokių pėdsakų aptikti apie kunigą Antaną Deksnį, vėliau jis tapo Europos katalikų vyskupu. Bet tarpukariu nuvykęs pas dėdę, irgi kunigą, Čikagoje kūrė ateitininkų draugiją, vėliau Sant Luise atstatė sudegusią bažnyčią. Plačiau apie vyskupą rasite čia: http://rokiskiovvg.lt/upload/Failai/2018/0220034830-Deksnys_sutvarkytas.pdf

    • Dėkui. Žmonės ir jų istorijos nėra pagrindinis mūsų projekto tikslas – aprašome ir žemėlapyje žymime visų pirma lietuviškas vietas, pastatus, nekilnojamąjį paveldą. Tačiau, kas be ko, už kiekvienos lietuviškos vietos slypi ir žmonių istorijos (architektų, finansuotojų, užsakovų, kūrėjų, gelbėtojų). Deksnio atveju, minėta Rytų Sent Lujiso bažnyčia tebestovi ir yra puikiai išlikusi, ir yra viena įspūdingiausių ir lietuviškiausių bažnyčių JAV. Ją lankėme, nufotografavome, pažymėsime žemėlapyje ir aprašysime šioje svetainėje (žemėlapyje žymėsime kaip “1 kategorijos” objektą – t.y. tarp ~25 svarbiausių lietuviškų vietų JAV). Taip pat “į “Gabalėliai Lietuvos” jau seniau yra patekusi ir Lietuvių aikštė Bad Viorishofene (žr. mūsų straipsnį, kur paminėtas ir Deksnys, čia: http://global.truelithuania.com/lt/germany-1013/ ). Tačiau ta veikla, kuri tiesiogiai nepaliko kažkokių iki mūsų dienų išlikusių objektų, jau yra už mūsų projekto ribų.

  16. Recently started to explore my family tree again and look forward to travel to Lithuania. Also, I am curious about eligibility and if so, the process on dual citizenship – a great grandparent was born In Lithuania end of 1800s and then moved to US and married and a few branches later, here I am 🙂 any insight or recommendations on exploring Lithuanian and Polish histories and the above, is appreciated. Ačiū!

  17. Thank you!!1

  18. I have just discovered this wonderful web site and community. My Great Grandparents both emigrated from Lithuania (from Kaunas and Marijampole) in the early 20th Century, believing they were travelling to the USA they actually were landed in Scotland and settled in Dalkeith and later moved to the Ayrshire coast on the southwest of the country.

    The pair actually met in Scotland and were married in 1912 and my Grandfather (born 1917) Kazemier Katalikaitis moved to Nottingham, England after serving with the British army during the second world war. Due to unfortunate racism in Scotland and England at the time the family name was changed to Lyon. In fact my Grandfather even changed his first name to Charles, completely losing the Lithuanian names. I was told it was the only way he was able to obtain work at the lucrative coal mines, rather than working as a bus or truck driver which was his original employment.

    Despite the loss of the name, myself and my cousins and other relatives from that side of the family remain proud of our Lithuanian heritage.
    I was brought up in England but now live in Texas, United States. I visited Lithuania in 2016 for the first time. It doubled my interest and pride in my Lithuanian ancestry.

    When the United Kingdom opted to leave the European Union I did explore the opportunity to take Lithuanian nationality in order to retain a European Passport but I was informed that dual nationality was not permitted. At the time I could not give up my British nationality because my Residence in the USA required it. Therefore I did not explore this further.

    I am keen to learn more about Lithuanian diaspora and heritage here in the USA.

  19. Labas
    Our Family name

    “Grybaitis”

    I can find nothing. Except a donation in a paper in Canada 1982. To the Homeland
    My father has never spoken about our family, he is 85

    My grandma has passed, my Aunty‘s too
    They must of had a terrifying experience,
    I’d like to connect with any surviving family members

    Please help !

    Anufras David Grybaitis
    Australia. Gods Blessings

  20. The Chicago Lithuanian community information needs to be updated. SS Peter and Paul Catholic Church on 126th and Halsted has closed. The last mass was in June, 2022 and it closed completely at the end of November. My maternal grandparents, Theodore and Marian Zutaut, were founding members in the 1910’s.

  21. Would it be deemed as colonialism or diaspora? When you put out that Africa was one of the few ”continents” that did not have to go through mass-colonization of Lithuania. I heard that Lithuania did not colonise for instance Gambia, but rather that it was Latvia that did it during mid/ end of 1600s. And i also heard that the coloniazation of Gambia and Tobaco was from Jacob Kettler, and he was ”baltic-german”.. I heard smth that Jacob Kettler was in fact ”forcing Latvian peasants” to colonise Gambia, idk if its true though. Just making sure if its true or not.

    • Yes, it is true what you say. There were no nation-states as came to be later at the time. So, the truth is like this:

      The colonies in Gambia and Tobago belonged to the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. This duchy had a Latvian population majority but was led by ethnically German dukes. This duchy was also a fief of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (and Grand Duchy of Lithuania) beforehand. Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was nominally a union of Poland and Lithuania but the Polish culture increasingly predominated there.


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