| Abstract [eng] |
This master's thesis examines the development stages of three Prisoner of War Camps and their branches, which were established in Klaipėda region in 1939-1955 also the today’s preservation of war campsite objects and their adaptation to public space. There were researches and works done to actualize and popularize objects of this type of violent heritage. Commemoration and adaptation of the totalitarian regimes Prisoner of War and GULAG Camps in Klaipėda region has been studied in a fragmentary manner. There are no continuous studies of all these sites and neither the analysis of their commemoration and adaptation to public space. Violent heritage is identified as dissonant by specialists, it is highly controversial due to the ideological mismatch between prevailing public opinion. Therefore, quite a large part of this heritage remains irreparable or even worse there are attempts to conceal it. The purpose of this thesis was to study sources and literature about 1939-1955 the totalitarian regimes Prisoner of War and GULAG Camps in the Klaipėda region, revealing their development stages, problems and aspects of commemoration and adaptation. The method of source and literature analysis, descriptive, interview and field research methods were used during the research. Conclusions: 1. The Prisoner of War and GULAG Camps were created by both totalitarian regimes in the current territory of Lithuania. Germany has established 12 Prisoner of War Camps, the Soviet Union has created a system of 36 camps which were designed to imprison not only prisoners of war but also civilians. 2. Since 1941 till 1955 7 Prisoner of War and GULAG Camps and their branches were established in Klaipėda region. Three were founded by Nazi Germany, four by the Soviet Union. 3. The number of remaining heritage objects from the former the Prison of War and GULAG Camps in Klaipėda region is small. These heritage objects can be divided into three groups: camp sites, buildings, prison cemeteries (burial sites). There are 3 objects in Macikai, 1 in Pagėgiai and 3 in Klaipėda left. 4. The adaptation of Prisoner of War Camps to public space is also different: a) In former Prisoner of War and GULAG camps territory in Macikai village there is left a cemetery and a punishment cell. In 1993 the museum has been set up in punishment cell and is still is opened. In 2001 the former camp territory with the remaining buildings were enrolled in the Register of Cultural Property of the Republic of Lithuania. b) There are none of the authentic buildings, which reminds those times, left in the Prisoner of War Camp “Oflager 53” in Pagėgiai. From 1977 till 2005 the memorial complex was created there. In 1993 July 1st this place was enrolled in the Register of Cultural Property of the Republic of Lithuania. c) The worst situation of commemoration and adaptation is with the former Prisoner of War Camp No. 57 in Klaipėda. Now days its history is forgotten. None of the survived buildings from the Prisoner of War camp are included in the list of Cultural Property of the Republic of Lithuania. |
