Guest Book of the YEAR of the LITHUANIAN BOOK

1547

1997

YEAR OF THE LITHUANIAN BOOK

450th Anniversary of the First Lithuanian Book by Martynas Mažvydas

GUEST BOOK

Some of the letters written in English and sent to the YEAR OF THE LITHUANIAN BOOK during the on-line period of 1997-98 are reprinted here. The on-line version of the YEAR OF THE LITHUANIAN BOOK can be found at the address: http://daugenis.mch.mii.lt/atspindziai.

A nice place, a nice people. I have been in Lietuva 26 times, and I have many good friends there.

Brynjulv Hernes.

From: "Brynjulv Hernes" <brhernes@online.no>

To: <atspindziai@mch.mii.lt>

Subject: Skjema lagt inn fra Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1998 15:40:20 0100 (MET)

______________________________

Very proud of the fact that my grandmother and family were from Zemaitija. I don’t quite understand the fact that the people in Vilnius like to make fun of the dialect that our ancestors spoke and that is still spoken today.

Robin J Neumann

From: RNLN5579@aol.com

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 20:31:01 EST

Subject: Form response

______________________________

I loved this page I have been looking forward for help on researching family name. Please give me a help. Specially in USA I would like to find surname Evert and in Lithuania the surname Ruthenberg. Also I have been looking to find Lithuanian history books in which I am geneologist. Congradulations on this web-page helping to unite families and friends interest and loved ones.

Priscila

From: "Priscila" <dudic@uol.com.br>

To: <atspindziai@mch.mii.lt>

Subject: E1rio postado do Microsoft Internet Explorer

Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 18:16:40 -0200 (EDT)

______________________________

This is a great site, congratulations. I am spending hours here looking over my heritage as a Prussian Lithuanian. Many thanks.

Lothar Kallweit,Boca Raton, Florida, USA.

Hallo, ich moechte den Katalog kaufen. Wie kann ich das anstellen?
I would like to order the catalog. How can I do that?
I am of a Prussian-Lithuanian family formerly known as Kalvaitis.
: Lothar Kallweit, Boca Raton, Florida, USA

From: Lothar Kallweit <loth@iname.com>

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Katalog Das alte Buch in Litauen

Date: Mon, 02 Nov 1998 20:06:50 -0800

_______________________________

Love your web page.... I am of Lithuanian descent and always looking on the internet for info about lithuanian and it is so hard to come by- just found a sight

www.angelfire.com/ut/luthuanian/ that offered a free newletter and now I cannot find it again..... frustrating to find wonderful info about Lithuania and then not have access to it again... I currently write to a school teacher in Ukmergė and am planning on coming to Lithuania in Sept 1999- so am gathering as much info as I can- great to be at your site.

thanks
Joanne

From: DTASSESM@aol.com

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: lithuania

Date sent: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 10:11:18 EST

_______________________________

I just wanted to change my email address - but in the process came on our little piece on your correspondents page. What a thrill to see our name up there - and to see all the Lithuanian connections all over the world. In Brisbane the city of which Mt. Gravatt is a suburb an anniversary celebration is being held on 7th November to honour the arrival 50 years ago of the first Lithuanians in Queensland brought here to cut sugar-cane. Antanas was one of those cane cutters - that is a story in itself. In the address for short the northern - most tropical state of Australia - Those men just come from Europe and doing work like that - cane-cutting - in tropical heat.

Antanas and Betty Birskys

From: "Mark Birskys" <birskys@bigpond.com>

To: <atspindziai@mch.mii.lt>

Subject: Form posted from Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Date: Fri, 23 Oct 1998 12:00:03 +1000

_______________________________

My mother was named Terese Bakaitis & was from Vilnius. She went to Canada post war & then to Australia. I am desperate to trace my family history as I now have only one living Lithuanian relative that I know of (an Aunt Stase Smitas in Melbourne). I would appreciate any help.

Connie Murray

From: Ian Williams ilw@warigal.uqg.uq.edu.au

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Terese Bakaitis

Date: Mon, 19 Oct 1998 16:23:21 +1000

_______________________________

I am always happy to learn more of my Lithuanian heritage.

Nijolė Diciūnas

From: NOKNOK13@aol.com

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Form response

Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 20:23:31 EDT

_______________________________

Informative. My fathers home was Tauragė.

John Dumasius

From: John Dumasius <jgdpc@wdl.net>

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Form posted from Mozilla

Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 23:06:08 -0400

_______________________________

The site interests me as my paternal grandfather Juozas Grinius was born in the village of Sidagai near Skaudvilė.

Thomas Grennes

From: JanGns@aol.com

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Form response

Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 21:23:01 EDT

_______________________________

I can not thank you enough for this web site and for the realization that a Samogitian identity is thriving in Lithuania today. My father was born in Telsiai and as an American I have always been interested in my Lithuanian roots particularly my Samogitian heritage of which he often spoke. Since my father has passed away. I have been interested in learning as much as possible but unfortunately. I dont speak Lithuanian yet and have had difficulty finding information in English. Nevertheless. I read what I can find and listen to Samogitian folk music. I would like to find someone who can teach me Samogitian Lithuanian before I begin studying the language. Unfortunately all organized courses offred in my area are in standard lithuanian. If anyone knows of anyone in the Boston area who is willing to teach Samogitian Lithuanian then please e-mail me. Again I want to thank you for providing your information in english and look forward to learning more about Samogitia and supporting the effort to keep its history and culture vibrant. It is in the preservation of all cultures that the world becomes enriched. I plan on visiting Samogitia and Lithuania one day soon.

Joseph R. Paulauskas

From: JRMPLSKS@aol.com

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Form response

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 15:53:57 EDT

________________________________

Dear Sir,

My sincere congratulations on your site on Ex Libris in Lithuania. Excellent design and information on artists and their biography's.
I am including a link to your wonderful site at our Links page at Cyber Journal of Heraldic Bookplates:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/4369/Bookplate/linksexlibris.htm
Congratulations,

Jose Vicente de Braganza

From: "Jose Vicente de Braganza" <ip201180@ip.pt>

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Ex Libris' Site

Date sent: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 11:36:00 +0200

____________________________________________

Very nice web page. My ancestors are Samogitian. I will be visiting your site often.

John Kliejunas

From: John Kliejunas, kliejunas@worldnet.att.net

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Form posted from Mozilla

Date: Sat, 05 Sep 1998 12:53:55 -0700

____________________________________________

As a daughter of a proud Zemaitis I was very happy to find this sight but I was disappointed that it is so dry. Samogitian history began long before the 1200. There is such an interest these days in the old religions of Europe the Pagan earth-based religions. I for one am proud that Lithuania was the last European country to become Christianized and yet there is so little information.

A. Ohmaye

From: Enio Ohmaye eohmaye@mindspring.com

Organization: Sylence

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Form posted from Mozilla

Date sent: Fri, 03 Jul 1998 04:18:35 -0500

____________________________________________

Hi,
I would like to get more informations about this CD.
thanks,

Marc Schwetterle

From: mschwett@estec.esa.nl

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: THE YEAR OF THE LITHUANIAN BOOK CD-ROM

Date sent: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 14:14:55 0100

____________________________________________

To whom it may concern,

My name is Richard Stanley Gostautas. My great-grandparents came to the US from Lithuania in the early 1900's. I have been researching our family name when I came across your web page that discussed a palace which was in the Gostautas family until 1543 when it was inherited by M. Radvila. My search as a genealogist is that I am trying to establish ties to our name in Vilnius or the surrounding villages/towns. I do not know if my family (my father is full-blooded Lithuanian) is directly tied to the Gostautas name ... but that is my goal in trying to discover. Whether or not my family is from the direct line is of no concern, if it is ... that is great. My primary goal is to learn more about the name. I would like to try and find out anything about the history of the Gostautas family in Lithuania. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Very Respectfully,

Vive Lietuva.

Richard Stanley Gostautas

The University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas USA

From: Rick S Gostautas <raistlin@lark.cc.ukans.edu>

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: The Gostautas family history

Date sent: Thu, 28 May 1998 01:01:08 -0500

____________________________________________

It is nice to see that the Tsar and the Soviets have not extiguished Lithuanian Culture. I am a third generation U.S. citizen looking for his roots. I was happy to stumble onto this Website. Anyone with information on the surname Rabikauskas, Kaslauskas or Sungaila please contact me.

James J. Roberts Rabikauskas

From: JJFR857 <JJFR857@aol.com>

To: atspindziai@mch.mii.lt

Subject: Form response

Date sent: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 23:02:49 EDT

____________________________________________

There is letter from Venezuela, where Mr. Oscar Reyes is sharing his impressions about the famous Lithuanian singer Virgilijus Noreika. You can hear him in this homepage singing in the opera "Prussians" by Giedrius Kuprevičius.

<...>You should know that while the Soviet Union was disintegrating all its states and republics, Mr. Noreika came to Venezuela, en attenden at The Carmen Teresa Hurtado singing School in Caracas. Mr. Noreika was fear about a possible violence in his natal Lietuva. So, we could meet him, hear him, learn from him. He is tall and white, like a polar bear, and we particularly remember his passion while teaching and while singing Italian opera, specially the dramatics roles. He was my teacher, and I will never forget him.

Oscar Reyes

From: "Oscar Reyes" <reyesfil@telcel.net.ve>

To: <atspindziai@mch.mii.lt>

Subject: more about mr. noreika

Date sent: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 00:30:58 -0400

____________________________________________

By surfing the net did I come across your web-pages.They were very interesting to read about Lithuania Minor. It is the Country were I was born in 1932, but also my forefathers lived there since the 1600 as Farmers near Gumbinnen, Pillkallen, Stallupoenen and Oletzko. You have been doing a very good job with your Web-pages

Good Luck and best wishes from Canada

Manfred and Joan Noreika

From: "Manfred & Joan Noreika" majo@sk.sympatico.ca
Subject: 450 Anniversary of the first Lithuanian Book
Date sent: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 14:05:12 -0600

____________________________________________

This is really good stuff! Congratulations on a really good Website.

Dr. Paul Kabaila
La Trobe University, Australia

Date: Thu, 17 Jul 1997 12:30:46 -0700
Visiting Institute of Mathematics and Informatics

___________________________________________

Wonderful to have access to such an historical event from our native land.

Marilynn Yezdauskas Doherty

Date: Sun, 06 Jul 1997 15:30:46 -0700
From: Doherty mdoherty@casscomm.com

___________________________________________

I was very happy to find this site on the Internet. My darling mother-in-law is Lithuanian and there seems to be very few people who know anything of Lithuanian history. I can not even get a book on Lithuania in our local library! It was a thrill to see parts of the book. I am very much interested in history of this era especially needle art that has a historic background. It is an art that seems to bind women together thruout history and I would like to adapt some of the book plates into a sampler form. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I feel that I have some roots in Lithuania. (My mother-in-law's maiden name was Twerionus).

Helen Coe

Date: Fri, 4 Jul 1997 21:28:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: WOODNEGG@aol.com
Subject: Lithuanian book

____________________________________________

I find it very interesting and important

Riitta Kampara

Date: Wed, 25 Jun 1997 18:54:43 +0300
From: Riitta Kampara rkampara@cc.hut.fi
Organization: TKK
Riitta.Kampara@hut.fi

____________________________________________

I am glad to see that you are celebrating it. I am myself interested in new Lithuanian books. If anyone can tell me how to buy the new Lithuanian Grammar published by Baltos Lankos. I will be very grateful.

Wayles BROWNE Assoc. Prof. of Linguistics
Morrill Hall Cornell University Ithaca
New York 14853 U.S.A

Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 19:38:58 -0400
From: "E. Wayles Browne" ewb2@cornell.edu
Organization: Cornell University

_____________________________________________

I have found Your splendid electronic exhibition of International Bookplate Competition of the 450th Anniversary of the first Lithuanian Book. Do You have made any illustrated catalogue ( printed to paper...)? If You have done one how can I have it and what is the price. Please let me know if You have coming something else about the bookplates in future. I am the editor-in-chief of the Finnish Exlibris Newsletter and I am very interested to all consisting bookplates.I have the regulation for the International Exlibris competition "Lithuanian School 600" already.

Yours sincerely

Erkki Tuominen
Kanavamäki 9 C 10
FIN-00840 HELSINKI
FINLAND

Date sent: Thu, 15 May 1997 07:42:38 +0300
From: : Erkki.Tuominen@hiam.edu.hel.fi
Organization: Helsingin taide- ja viestintõoppilaitos
Subject: exlibris