Baltic Convention, Adelaide 1968

To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the proclamation of Independence of the Baltic counties in 1918, a Baltic week was held throughout Australia from 1^st to 8^th of June 1968.  Functions arranged for that week included Remembrance Services and concerts, exhibitions of Art and crafts, Baltic food display and tasking and social evening.

The Baltic convention was held on the 1^st June in Adelaide as part of Baltic Week.  Held at Latvian house the convention was attended by 98 delegates (35 Estonians, 35 Latvians and 28 Lithuanians) representing communities in Adelaide Melbourne and Sydney.

Mr A Krausas (Lithuanian member from Melbourne) summed up the aims,

To strengthen the resistance and ties of the Baltic nations in their fight for freedom, culture is the best weapon.

Being without our countries and armies, the only way we ca strive for freedom is through cultural media. 

All three of us working together will have a better chance to be heard and our voices of protest will be stronger.  All of us are suffering the same cruel fate and our countries are smothered by the communist regime.  We must try and save our cultural heritage, so that it does not fade, but make it flourish and grow stronger and more meaningful than ever.

To achieve this we must;

Try to send as many young people as possible to gain higher education.

Try to translate classics and other noteworthy works into each other’s language.

Try to have a chair for Baltic Studies in at least one Australian university.

Parents should teach their children to be proud of their nationality, let the children have a dual nationality, let them assimilate the best to each culture.

Items discussed were how the communities could work together to promote the history and traditions of their countries.  Discussions mentioned the formation of a Baltic Art Association even a of a Baltic arts and crafts museum. 

The convention notes were collated and printed in a booklet.

Annual remembrance of Baltic holocaust

The Baltic people in Australia have never forgotten the mass deportations of their countrymen in 1941.  Each year around the anniversary of the deportations the Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian communities come together to remember.  

It continues today, the 62nd annual commemoration service and concert to be held at St Peter;s Latvian Hall on Sunday 15th June 2014 at 3:00pm.

Footprints: Latvians in South Australia

Last week, the above titled book was launched by the Latvian community at the Adelaide Town Hall. It is a beautifully printed book of 326 pages and looks at the history of Latvians in South Australia, concentrating mainly on post WWII refugees but it does have a chapter of early migrants. Each chapter focuses on one of the many clubs and groups that formed, such as the dancing group, choir, scouts, school, arts, church congregations and a chapter of trailblazers. The book concludes by interviews with young Latvians of first to third generations who are still involved with the community.

Its a valuable book for future generations who may be of Latvian decent and would like to know more about their ancestry. The Latvian Community has generously donated over 300 copies to libraries and schools, further copies can be purchased from the Latvian library on Rose Tce, Wayville for $45.

It has been edited by Bruno Krumins, Christine Finnimore, Astra Kronitis, Inga Perkons-Grauze, Janis Priedklans and Aldis Putnins.