šilalė vladas statkevičius Museum

Contacts
Address: S. Gaudėšiaus g. 4, Šilalė.
Tel./fax (+370 ~ 449) 51 572.
Mob. tel. (+370 685) 27 768.
E-mail: silale.muziejus@gmail.com
Director – Soneta Būdvytienė.

Information for Visitor

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 8–12; 12.45–17.

Admission:
adults – 1 Lt; 
pupils, students and OAP – 0,5 Lt;
child under 7, disabled – free.

Access:
the Museum is fitted for visitors with mobility impairments.

Collection
The museum contains collections of archaeological finds, ethnographic and historical exhibits. It accumulates personal possessions of the area’s prominent figures and the stories of villages, which have disappeared.

Exposition
There are exhibited stone axes from the Neolithic Age, arms and various ornaments
(Brass rings, brooches, bracelets, remnants from iron pikes and swords), articles of household, working tools.

Exhibitions
The Museum arranges exhibitions on the occasion of anniversaries of famous people etc. The themes vary.

Cultural, educational activity
Cooperation with schools;
Celebration of countrymen’s anniversaries;
Celebration of countrymen’s killing or death anniversaries;
Conferences of amateur ethnographers.

Branch Museums

The Museum of Rev. Kazimieras Jaunius, the Linguist
Address: Lembo kaimas, LT-75341, Kvėdarnos seniūnija, Šilalės rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 449) 51 572.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8–12.
Admission: adults – 1 Lt; schoolchildren, students, soldiers of regular army, pensioners – 0,50 Lt.
The exhibits tell about the Jaunius’ family, their private life.

D. Poška Hollowed Trunks (Baubliai)
Address: Bijotai, LT-75011, Šilalės rajonas.
Tel. (+370 ~ 449) 51 572.
Mob. tel.: (+370 609) 24 597, (+370 685) 27 768.
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 10–19.
Admission: adults – 2 Lt; schoolchildren, students, soldiers of regular army, pensioners – 1 Lt.
This is the first and the oldest public museum in Lithuania. Dionizas Poška, a writer, linguist, historian and ethnographer (1765–1830) created it in 1812 in the hollow of an old oak-tree trunk. Dionizas Poška's writings and other materials reflecting his life and creation are on display in the old oak-trees.

History of the Museum
The museum was founded in 1980 and was a branch of the Šiauliai “Aušra” Museum until 1994.
The museum started establishing in 1962 when the section of Šilalė was founded in the Lithuanian Society of Ethnography.
In 1976 the museum acquired special premises and transferred there many exhibits collected by amateur ethnographers from district school museums. The Alka Museum of Samogitians protected the museum.
In 1980 the museum was transferred to the Aušra Museum in Siauliai and became a state museum.
In 1990 the museum’s exhibits were moved to the town central library.
In 1991 the museum was subordinated to the Service for Monument Management.
In 1994 the museum was allotted the status of land museum.

Šilalė
Šilale, town in western Lithuania, 27 km north of Tauragė, with a population of 2995 in 1970 (1058 in 1923, ca 1,400 in 1939, 1,972 in 1959). The history of Šilalė reaches back to the early 16th century. In 1533 the town received its first church, that of St. Feancis. During the Reformation, the Evangelical Lutherans also created a parish and built their church. In 1859 there were ca 1,100 inhabitants in Šilalė, which was becoming famous for its markets. During World War I the town sustained extensive fire damage, but it was quickly rebuilt after Lithuania regained national independence. The town now had a secondary school, a public library, a power plant, a Jewish synagogue, and a number of trade establishments. A new Gothic church was concentrated in 1919; its parish embraced over 8,000 faithful and was one of the largest in Lithuania. The township, of which Sill was the seat, had at least 13,000 inhabitants distributed among 133 towns, villages, hamlets, and homesteads. Since 1950 Sill has been the center of the Soviet administrative district. It continues to maintain a vigorous economic and cultural life as new residential districts are extending its southern city limits.