Visit to the House of Signatories

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Visit to the House of Signatories By Michael S. On the 14th of February, the class of ninth grade took a trip to the House of Signatories in Vilnius old town. The Museum goes into great depth into the history of Lithuania’s first independence in 1918. For the non-Lithuanian native speakers they had a tour guide in English. The first stop in the museum was the room where the 20 brave signatories who signed the act of Independence for Lithuania. While the room was very humble, there was a giant book showing a copy of the Act of Independence and the bill of Lithuania’s second independence. Later in the tour we saw the room with portraits of all 20 signatories, and got a lesson on some of the more influential founders. For instance Antanas Smetona, was the first president of Lithuania, from 4 April 1919 to 19 June 1920. Speaking as first year foreigner to Lithuania learning more in depth about Lithuania's past and culture has helped us understand Lithuania on a much deeper level. By Matas On the 14th of February, the 9th gr. Lithuanian mothertongue and non-native classes visited the House of Signatories. The Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed there on the 16th of February, 1918. It was signed by twenty members of the Council of Lithuania, including Dr Jonas Basanavičius and Antanas Smetona. It was controversially declared as unconditional independence, i.e. the council members refused to sign association agreements with Germany. The 9th grade had the opportunity to learn more about Lithuanian history and culture, as well as look at items like Dr Basanavičius‘ stuffed owl and interwar maps. It was an educational experience that the 9th gr. feels thankful for. The classes were also quizzed on several issues in the Republic of Lithuania at the time, including foreign affairs and ethnic minorities. All in all, it was a rich experience, and the 9th grade walked away with a greater understanding of both the history of Lithuania and the political situation during the interwar period. .

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