News

On 27 October in the city of Linz, the photo exhibition “Defense of Freedom. 1990-1991” was opened at the Lithuanian Embassy in Austria. Lithuanian Ambassador to Austria Giedrius Puodžiūnas welcomed the guests.

The opening of the exhibition was attended by the Mayor of Linz Franz Dobusch, Lithuanian Honorary Consul in Upper Austria Ulrich Salburg, representatives from the city’s creative, art and academic community, media and a big crowd of compatriots living in the city of Linz and the surrounding area.

“This photo exhibition will help the citizens of Austria to find out more about Lithuania’s contemporary history and learn about the struggle of the people of Lithuania for independence. A part of Europe and Lithuania were left behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ without a choice. The end of the Second World War did not bring about freedom to Lithuania and the people of Lithuania were enslaved by the Soviets for five decades. However, the desire of the Lithuanian people for freedom and democracy was stronger than the Soviet dictatorship. On that ‘Bloody Sunday’ on 13 January 1991, Lithuanian people fought not only for their right to be free and independent, but also for the promotion of democratic values in Europe,” said G.Puodžiūnas.

According to the Ambassador, on its path towards freedom Lithuania was strongly supported by its friends and there are many such friends in Austria. They helped Lithuania through difficult times and proved to us their commitment time and again. Vilnius and Linz, Lithuania and Austria are linked not only by the ‘European Capitals of Culture 2009’ project. Lithuanian intellectuals, students and clergy, who fled to Western Europe as refugees in order to escape Soviet repressions and deportations, found shelter in Upper Austria between 1944 and 1950, where the Lithuanian Committee and a displaced persons camp were established.

The exhibition consists of photos by such photographers as Viktoras Kapočius, Paulius Lileikis, Algimantas Žižiūnas, Eugenijus Masevičius from the funds of the Lithuanian Central State Archive,   photographs by Aleksandras Juozapaitis from the funds of the Lithuanian news agency ELTA, also photos by Alfredas Girdziušas, Vilius Jasinevičius, Zenonas Nekrošius, Virgilijus Usinavičius, Kęstutis Jankauskas, Andrius Petrulevičius, Aleksandras Juozapaitis, Paulius Lileikis, Kęstutis Svėrys, Vytautas Daraškevičius, Juliaus Vaupšas from their personal photo collections and from the funds of the archives of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania.

The exhibition consisting of 50 photographs was opened at the old town hall of Linz, where the Mayor’s Office is located. The exhibition was prepared by the Unit for History and Commemoration of Parliamentarianism of the Office of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania.