XX amžiaus Lietuvos istorija Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų archyvuose

Abstract

The World Lithuanian Archives of Chicago is one of the major depositories of Lithuanian documents in the US It includes about 60 funds of different organisations and over 50 funds of private persons. The pride of the archives - the documents that mirror activities of the Lithuanian refugees (DP) in Germany in 1944-1953. The Youth Centre in Chicago keeps documents about activities of the American Lithuanian Council in 1939-1998; they are neatly stored in boxes and metal boards. Scientists has not used these archives yet. Lithuanian photo-archives named after Budrys can be found in the same place but on different premises; the said archives include some tens of thousands of negatives, photographs, films, slides, etc. There are photographs from the end of the 19th C. Quite a few of famous Lithuanian and American-Lithuanian activists are perpetuated in the films. The archives also store private family albums. The correspondence fund of A. Kaupas (the end of the 19th C.-the beginning of the 2th C.) is kept in St. Casimirs Convent in Chicago. The fund includes authentic letters written by J. Basanavičius, J. Gabrys, J. Šliūpas and others. The Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture has documents (9,800 files) on the Lithuanian emigration and activities of the Lithuanian emigrants in America, Lithuanian diplomatic service, Lithuanian Army, etc. The US National Archives in Washington has two funds (Ml 178 and Ml 185) of microfilm documents collected from the US Embassies in Kaunas and Riga. Approximately 40,000 pages of documents covering the period of 1918-1944 were microfilmed. The most interesting material - statements made by the US representatives on the most different aspects of the Lithuanian life: from politics to cultural life. The Lithuanian historian will be certain to find factual material unknown to him before as well as evaluation of those times.