Reconstructing Cultural Paradigms. Experiences in East Europe: The Historical Memory of the Historical Centers in Lithuania

Abstract

The history of nations is the result of natural and anthropogenic stratifications that have induced changes to the territories and the organization of societies often with dramatic consequences that have questioned local cultural instances. Meanwhile, these local cultural values represent a fundamental “humus” for the life of the communities and the knowledge and transmission of these values to future generations are important actions for the continuity and development of the territories in respect of local needs. Meanwhile, these values are the main targets to be erased when external expansionist interference intervenes on the territories. Once these expansions took place through conquests and wars; today these wars are also fought electronically with often much more devastating consequences. The city, together with “cives”, is the mirror of these transformations and its existence not only depends on the citizens but on the ways in which they themselves are able to transmit their cultural heritage to the future. This chapter intends to analyze some experiences that have strongly characterized the history of Lithuania immediately after the Second World War and how cities have been sacrificed in their essential and fundamental values. Although the forms of colonization have often been devastating, the death of the cities was followed by a period of cultural regeneration that is interesting to analyze to understand the meaning of local values for the development of territories.