Lithuanian archaeology during the national socialist occupation

ENBetween 22nd and 30th June 1941, Lithuania was conquered and occupied by Nazi Germany. A year earlier, on 15th June 1940, the country, then the independent Republic of Lithuania, had been subjugated by the USSR and became a Soviet republic. Under the occupation of the National Socialists, the same employees and the same organisations shaped the archaeology of Lithuania as in previous years. The most important and effectively the only individual responsible for archaeology in Lithuania during the National Socialist period was Jonas Puzinas (1905–1978). He had received his archaeological education in Germany between 1930 and 1934, studying under Ernst Wahle (1889–1981). Puzinas taught archaeology at Vilnius University. During the occupation, archaeological projects, including publications, were small and limited in scope; the most significant overall achievement was the training of four students. After the war, three of these students continued to work successfully in archaeology in Lithuania: Pranas Kulikauskas (1913–2004), Regina Volkaitė-Kulikauskienė (1916–2007) and Rimutė Jablonskytė-Rimantienė (born 1920). A fourth student was active abroad: Marija Alseikaitė-Gimbutienė [Gimbutas] (1921–1994). Overall, this study concludes that war and the National Socialist occupation did not cause major damage, disruption or change to the practice of archaeology of Lithuania. [From the publication]

• Archeologinio paveldo suvokimas ir teisinis reglamentavimas Lietuvoje 1940-1944 m / Monika Lileikė. Kultūros paminklai. 2017, 21, p. 19-25.
• Dienoraščių pynės / Regina Volkaitė-Kulikauskienė ; parengė Raimonda Daiva Kulikauskaitė-Jankauskienė ir Gintautas Zabiela. Vilnius : Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus, 2016. 175 p.
• Dienoraštis ir prisiminimai / Marija Gimbutienė ; sudarytoja Živilė Gimbutaitė. Kaunas : Naujasis lankas, 2015. 318 p.
• Istorija lituanistikos kontekste / Antanas Tyla. Lituanistika: tradicijos, dabartis, perspektyvos : mokslinės konferencijos, skirtos Lituanistikos instituto įsteigimo 60-mečiui paminėti, pranešimai, 1999 m. kovo 9 d., Vilnius / redaktorius Algis Lalėda. Vilnius : Lietuvos istorijos instituto leidykla, 1999. P. 13-30.
• Jonas Puzinas - Heidelbergo universiteto daktaras : archeologijos profesionalumo link / Agnė Čivilytė. Lietuvos archeologija. 2005, t. 29, p. 39-48.
• Jono Puzino gyvenimo kelias.. Lietuvos archeologija. 2005, t. 29, p. 13-30.
• Lietuvos mokslų akademija, 1941-1990 : monografija / Algimantas Liekis ; Lietuvos mokslų akademija. Vilnius : Lietuvos mokslas, 2001. 873 p.
• Nutylėta istorija – melas niekšybės fone / Violeta Rutkauskienė. Kultūros barai. 2021, Nr. 5, p. 72-80.
• Prof. Jono Puzino archeologijos terminų kartoteka.. Lietuvos archeologija. 2005, t. 29, p. 49-54.
• Vilniaus universiteto Archeologijos katedra (nuo įkūrimo iki 1966 metų) / Mykolas Michelbertas. Archaeologia Lituana. 2010, t. 11, p. 7-14.
• Vokiečių okupuota Lietuva (1941-1944) / Arūnas Bubnys. Vilnius : Mintis, 1998. 606 p.