Lithuanian National Museum to host Jonas Basanavičius exhibition

The Lithuanian National Museum is opening a new exhibition titled “Gydantis svajotojas” (The Healing Dreamer) at the Jonas Basanavičius Birthplace in Ožkabaliai on November 20. The exhibition commemorates the 175th anniversary of the birth of Jonas Basanavičius, a central figure in the Lithuanian national revival and a signatory of the February 16, 1918, Act of Independence.

While Basanavičius is widely recognized as a statesman and patriarch of the nation, the exhibition aims to explore his personal history and his career as a physician. The display seeks to connect his medical profession with his social activism, using the metaphor of healing to describe his efforts to strengthen the nation's historical identity, language, and culture. Through personal items, the exhibition examines the balance between his disciplined scientific mind and his idealism, as well as the personal challenges he faced.