Memorial plate for Lithuanian reform movement, Tauragė department

During the years of the Lithuanian national revival Tauragė Central Library (currently the Tauragė Municipality Birutė Baltrušaitytė Public Library), operating since 1931, became the centre of political and cultural public movement, discussions and enlightenment. The library accumulated and distributed the movement’s publications, collected signatures against the construction of the third block of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, as well as for the new Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. Those, who were interested, could ask for sheets with the lyrics of the National Anthem, typed by the librarians, the library also hosted meetings of deportee and environmental activist clubs, as well as candidates to the High Council of the Republic of Lithuania, meeting Tauragė citizens.
On 28 September 1988, a group of citizens gathered to the reading room of Tauragė Central Library to establish the initiative group of Tauragė Department of the Lithuanian Reform Movement. The library became the headquarters of the movement’s Tauragė District Council. Throughout the years of activity, meetings held here adopted important decisions, hosted discussions and meetings with the public. Vida Kazakevičienė, the Director of the library at the time, not only didn’t hesitate to allow the gatherings of the initiative group of the Reform Movement, but also was one of its initiators and a member of the Region Council.
On 4 October 2008, during the official celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Reform Movement and Tauragė initiative group, the library opened an information memorial plate on its façade. The plate features the logo of the Reform Movement and a sentence: ‘The initiative group of the Reform Movement in Tauragė was established and operated in this building in 1988.’ The opening of the memorial plate on the Public Library building is a nice gesture to remind that thoughts of the Lithuanian independence were discussed among one of the greatest historical values of humanity – books.

Compiled in 2018