On November 29, 2024, Vytautas Magnus University’s Lithuanian Emigration Institute, the Department of Lithuanian Studies, and the Valdas Adamkus Presidential Library-Museum organized an academic conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Lithuanian émigré writer and journalist Algirdas Landsbergis (1924–2004). The conference, titled “Algirdas Landsbergis: A Journey Between Two Worlds,” explored not only Landsbergis’ creative work (prose, drama, literary criticism, and more) and his social and cultural activities but also examined broader issues within émigré culture and the cultural contributions of other writers from the same generation.

In the first session, Aurelija Mykolaitytė delivered a presentation on the significance of silence in Algirdas Landsbergis’ dramaturgy. Gerda Pilipaitytė analyzed the narrative of trauma in Algirdas Landsbergis’ Five Pillars in the Market Square and Rafael Alberti’s A Night of War at the Prado Museum. Domantė Vaišvylaitė explored the mythopoetic connections in three early novellas by Landsbergis. Ramūnas Čičelis examined the logic of paradox in Landsbergis’ short prose, focusing on Music While Entering Unseen Cities.

In the second session, Gabija Bankauskaitė analyzed several criteria used by Landsbergis as a literary critic. Laimutė Adomavičienė presented Algirdas Landsbergis Versus the Literary Canon in “Literatūros lankai”. Virginija Paplauskienė’s presentation, titled Theater and Literature Intertwined: Algirdas Landsbergis and Birutė Pūkelevičiūtė, delved into the intersection of these two forms of art. Loreta Mačianskaitė examined the significance of emotional expression in Icchokas Meras’ characters, analyzing why it is meaningful that they cry.

In the third session, Dalia Kuizinienė presented on Landsbergis’ journey to Lithuania. Laima Vincė analyzed Five Pillars in the Market Square from different interpretive perspectives. Vytautas Balsys discussed the staging of Landsbergis’ drama Five Pillars in the Market Square at the Kaunas Drama Theater. The session concluded with a screening of a fragment from Marjatta Cronvall’s film Lithuania, Freedom, Landsbergis, followed by recollections about Algirdas Landsbergis shared by Paulius Landsbergis and Teresė Landsbergienė.

The conference concluded with a discussion session. The event was organized in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation.

Photographs by Andrėja Taranda.