From 24 to 26 April 2025, Vytautas Magnus University (Didžioji sala, Gimnazijos g. 7) and Panemunė Castle jointly hosted an international, transdisciplinary conference entitled “History, Culture and Heritage of Manors in Central and Eastern Europe”. The event was organised by the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute and its partners. The conference aimed to present the latest research results of scholars from various fields studying the history, culture, art, and heritage of manors in Central and Eastern Europe, and to encourage participants to engage in an international discussion about current issues in this field.
International Attention to Manors in Central and Eastern Europe
The three-day event brought together around 40 scholars and independent researchers from Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Hungary, who presented their latest research on the history, culture, art and heritage of manors. The conference focused on analysing manor architecture and art, the social structure of manors, research methodology and the challenges of heritage conservation in the contemporary context. The event provided an important international platform for discussion and promoted a transdisciplinary approach and cooperation.
Dr. Thomas Wikes (University of Greifswald, Germany), a member of the scientific committee, said that this conference had helped attendees to gain a better understanding of the specific nature of manor heritage in Central Eastern Europe. Dr. Ramunė Šmigelskytė-Stukienė of the National Museum of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania praised the conference, describing it as an event of high international standing. She described the conference as a high-level international event. But this conference was significant not only academically, but culturally too: it has been included in the Lithuanian Government’s approved plan for commemorating Motiejus Kazimieras Sarbievijus and Baroque literature in 2025.
Contribution of the Vytautas Kavolis Institute and Partners
Dr. Aušra Vasiliauskienė, a researcher at the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute, is the author of the conference idea and chair of the scientific committee. The conference organising committee also included the following Institute researchers: Dr Ričardas Jaramičius (Chair), Dr. Anna Sylwia Czyż, Dr. Vaida Kamuntavičienė, Dr. Aušrinė Cemnolonskė, Dr. Aistė Bimbirytė, Dr. Darius Žukauskas and PhD Candidate Daiva Vaišnorienė. In addition to the aforementioned researchers, presentations were also given by Dr. Vika Veličkaitė and Dr. Žygimantas Buržinskas.
Conference partners: Vilnius Academy of Arts (Panemunė Castle), Lithuanian National Museum of Art (Vilnius Picture Gallery), National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, The Princes Lubomirski Foundation.
Photo credits: R. Akutaitis, J. Vasiliūnas, D. Vaišnorienė, A. Vasiliauskienė.
