Educational programs at the Museum of the History of Freedom Struggles and Exile

During the excursion, visitors listen to a story about the post-war freedom struggles and deportations in the Klaipėda region. Inside the exposition, they will see rare, original exhibits: a cross made of bread, fish-mesh sewn and embroidered articles, leather and woven leather, various vessels, a collection of copper ore, etc. Descend to the basement where the prison cell of the Security Headquarters was located.

In the outdoor exhibition, you will have a unique opportunity to board a real exile wagon and visit a partisan bunker (replica).

The tour takes place from May to October and offers a tour of the historic centre of Priekulė, where the old Evangelical Lutheran Church stood, the market square was bustling with activity, several inns were inviting visitors and carts were plying their trade. A brief history of almost six centuries of the development of this town in Lithuania Minor is told. Visitors see authentic buildings of the old architecture, hear the legend of the ghost of the landlord Puserna by a lonely stone tombstone...

During the lesson students will get acquainted with visual and textual material about the exile and resistance in Klaipėda region. The following topics will be covered: the causes and extent of deportation, the organisers, deportations in 1941 and their statistics and peculiarities; post-war deportations, their directions; life in exile, losses. Brief information on political prisoners. On the Resistance: a brief prehistory, partisan structures, weapons, press, bunkers and hiding places, liaison officers, KGB structures. The discussion will compare past and present manifestations of genocide, repression and violence, and reflect on what measures could reduce violence then and now.

Visiting the partisan bunker (replica) and the deportation wagon (original) at the outdoor exposition.

The format of the service is a guided tour of the historical centre of the town of Priekulė, showing and telling about the cultural heritage, as well as about the ethnic peculiarities. The discussion compares the similarities and differences of the region of Lithuania Minor with other regions of Lithuania.

We will also show particularly mysterious places. We will tell the legends and other horrifying stories about them.

At the end of the education, each participant receives a souvenir - a postcard with old images of Priekulė and, as was customary 100 years ago, describes his or her impressions of Priekulė.

During the educational session we will talk about the life of the Lithuanian partisans - the participants of the Lithuanian freedom fights - behind the battlefield: what kind of people they were, where they lived, what they ate, what they wore, and the most important accent - why they wore the badges they did.

After learning about the lives of the partisans, we are on our way to create a partisan badge - a magnet where you can put your own symbols and colours. At the end of the session, the badge is presented to each participant.

This is a unique opportunity to experience what is told in books and films, with you as the hero of the story! You will be transported back to 1948 and find yourself in the security headquarters of the NKVD in Priekulė - a territory shrouded in the dark veil of the past. According to historical evidence, only one person managed to escape from this place. Your goal is to escape from this headquarters by following the footsteps of a partisan who has already escaped. HOW? You'll have the chance to try it yourself...

Can you imagine your life suddenly changing radically if one night you and your family were driven out of your home, out of your homeland, without trial, without guilt? How would you live, and most importantly, how would you survive? We analyze these and other questions in the experiential education program "Far from Home." It forces us to pause, listen, and experience at least a fraction of what our compatriots experienced when they were exiled to Siberia. The meeting begins with filmed testimonies of three deportees from the Klaipėda district about life far from their homeland. The interviewees reveal the unvarnished reality of life in Siberia, the struggle for survival, and the challenges of returning to their homeland. After watching the short documentary and viewing the exhibition, the participants continue to analyze the daily life of the deportees in Siberia – from their eating habits to their faith and hope of one day returning home. The experience of being far from home is reinforced by the deportees' menu – their favorite tea and snack, which is somewhat underrated and rarely used today. What is it? We will reveal and treat you to it during the educational program...

This is an activity during which you will learn more about animals and their powers, and recognize and find yourself in the skin of a certain animal. The brainstorming session “Code: Freedom” is an educational activity during which children learn through play. It is an engaging, active, curious, and very fun activity, where everyone will ultimately be a winner—after all, we are all free! The educational activity consists of two parts: theory (a short overview tour of the museum exhibition, during which the history of the post-war struggle for freedom and exile in Lithuania, and specifically in the Klaipėda region, is presented) and a practical part – the brain teaser game. The four rounds of the game (open and closed questions, music and visual rounds) will stimulate the players' curiosity and inquisitiveness, encourage logical and critical thinking, develop social skills and communication, and involve creative solutions. This educational activity will be a fun challenge for every participant. Ultimately, after the activity, everyone will understand that FREEDOM is not a self-evident phenomenon. It must be strived for, fought for, and cherished.