Išeivijos archyvinių dokumentų kolekcija Lietuvos nacionalinės Martyno Mažvydo bibliotekos Rankraščių skyriuje
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: A. Račkus; Antanas Račkus; Archyvai; Draugijos; Emigrantai (Diaspora); JAV; Lietuviai JAV; Lietuvos nacionalinė Martyno Mažvydo biblioteka; Lietuvos nacionalinė biblioteka; Rankraščių kolekcija; A. Račkus; Antanas Račkus; Archives; Charitable organizations; Emigrants; Lithuanians in the USA; Manuscripts collection; Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania; National Library of Lithuania; Societies; The United State.
ENManuscripts collection of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania is annually enriched by documents transferred from the depository of the Centre of Bibliography and Book Science. These documents include such materials, as record books, financial reports and small publications of different Lithuanian organizations, which have been operating in America. The documents were collected there during the first half of this century by Aleksandras Račkus, a famous cultural and public figure, doctor and numismatist. Thus, researchers on the Lithuanian emigrants residing in the United States have an access to the unique documents, originating far back to the late 19th - early 20th century, describing the life of our compatriots in the „propitious“ land, their strive and concern for the improvement of the economic welfare and especially, preservation of their ethnic identity. A significant feature of the collection is the fact that these materials present organizations, which have not considerably contributed to, or influenced the activities of different political associations or movements abroad. However, charitable organizations have been joining together the major part of the Lithuanian community. Participation in such type of organizations obligated its members to assist each other in case of illness or in changing the place of residence, take part in the gatherings of children.They more or less contributed to the establishment of special cultural institutions, actively supported charitable actions related to the Lithuanian victims of war, initiated aspirations in the strive for independence. The documents offer different outlooks, since actualities and priorities of those days are recorded in them. The prevailing documents in the collection are those concerned with the most active organizations in Chicago area. It’s not a coincidence, because the majority of organizations were located there. Till now, nothing has been known about these documents. Due to this, a question about the real amount of the collection remains unclear. The main reason is the fact, that before the World War 2, A. Račkus donated his collection to the Vytautas Magnus University and consequently, after the University has been closed during the years of the Soviet occupation, the documents found new owners. [From the publication]
