The Government of the Republic of Lithuania and the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania declared 2024 as the Year of Diplomats Lozoraičiai. On the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with Lithuanian county libraries, a lecture about the Lozoraičiai dynasty of diplomats is traveling through Lithuania.
We will be happy to share with you the latest discoveries of historians, which allow us to get to know the Lozoraičia family of diplomats, who started the work of the Lithuanian diplomatic service back in 1918. and became one of the symbols of independent Lithuania.
A century ago, in 1923, Stasys Lozoraitis the elder, who created a family with Vincenta Matulaityta, chose a job in the Lithuanian diplomatic service. in 1934 he took over as head of the Foreign Office and held that position for four years, during an important period of heightened political tension in Europe. Later, when Juozs Urbšius took over the position, S. Lozoraitis began to head the embassy in Italy. Departure to Rome in 1939. June was fateful - the Second World War began, and later Lithuania was seized by totalitarian states. J. Urbšys, authorized by President A. Smetona, managed to appoint S. Lozoraitis as the head of the only state institution that operated under occupation conditions - the Lithuanian diplomatic service.
With the help of his wife and sons Stasios and Kazios, S. Lozoraitis Sr. together with his fellow Lithuanian diplomats worked persistently, until his death, firmly believing that the USSR would collapse and Lithuania would restore its Independence. His children also got involved in diplomatic activities after the Second World War. When Sąjūdis of Lithuania's reorganization started its activities, they were the youngest collaborators of the Lithuanian diplomatic service operating in the diaspora. After Lithuania regained its independence, the sons who helped realize their father's aspirations became the most professional Lithuanian diplomats. Stasys Lozoraitis Jr. in 1993. participated in the presidential elections, headed the embassy in the USA, later the embassy in Italy, and his brother Kazys was the ambassador to the Holy See for twelve years, until 2004.
20th century Researching the history of Lithuanian diplomacy, dr. Vilma Bukaitė will try to answer several questions in the lecture:
What were the most important political goals pursued by the three diplomats Lozoraičiai? Where did you acquire the knowledge and skills of diplomacy? What difficulties and trials did you experience? What personality traits influenced their decisions, helped or perhaps hindered their performance? What ideas remained unrealized? Where did your relatives or you hear them for the first time? How Lozoraičiai contributed in 1990 When Lithuania is restoring statehood? How did the boundaries of Lithuania's international activities change during the period of Lozoraičiai's work? Photos and documents preserved in Lithuania by the efforts of their family will help to get to know the energetic, charismatic, professional diplomats Lozoraičius better.
We are waiting for you - we invite you to meet diplomats Lozoraičii!
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