Alvydas Nikžentaitis
Encyclopedia
Alvydas Nikžentaitis is a Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

n historian, senior research fellow of the Lithuanian Institute of History
Lithuanian Institute of History
The Lithuanian Institute of History is a state-funded research institution in Lithuania. Governed by national law, it is the country's main institution of history research, concentrating mostly on the history of Lithuania and its neighbouring states....

 and president of Lithuanian National Historians Committee.

Biography

In 1988 Alvydas Nikžentaitis defended his doctoral thesis on relations between Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...

 and Teutonic Order
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...

 in the first half of the 14th century. In 1992 together with Vladas Žulkus
Vladas Žulkus
Vladas Žulkus is a Lithuanian archaeologist. In October 2002 he was elected rector of Klaipėda University.- Biography :...

 he founded Centre of History of Western Lithuania and Prussia (from 2003 - Institute of Baltic Sea Region History and Archaeology) in Klaipėda
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....

. Nikžentaitis was also the first director of aforesaid centre and from 1993 he was a head of Historical Department at Klaipėda University
Klaipeda University
- Overview :The University was formally founded on January 1, 1991 by a decree of Seimas . The new university incorporated existing institutions of higher education in the city. At its inception, it comprised 3,000 students and three faculties...

. In 1999 Nikžentaitis defended his habilitated doctoral thesis on Lithuanian Pre-Christian society in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 2000 he was named director of the Lithuanian Institute of History. He served the legal maximum of eight years in this position.. Till 2004 Nikžentaitis also worked at Institute of Baltic Sea Region History and Archaeology
Institute of Baltic Sea Region History and Archaeology
The Institute of Baltic Sea Region History and Archaeology ) is a scientific subdivision of Klaipėda University. The institute was established in 2003 on the basis of former Centre of History of Western Lithuania and Prussia ....

 and till 2009 he was also professor of Lithuanian History at Vilnius Pedagogical University
Vilnius Pedagogical University
Vilnius Pedagogical University is a university in Vilnius, Lithuania, which specializes in preparing school teachers and other educators. As of 2007 it had approximately 12,500 students.-History:...

, Faculty of History. From 2009 Nikžentaitis coordinates research projects on various topics in identity and collective memory.

Main scholarly interests:
  • Relationship between Grand Duchy of Lithuania
    Grand Duchy of Lithuania
    The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...

     and Teutonic Order;
  • Historical relationship between the Lithuanians and the Germans;
  • History of national myths and stereotypes;
  • Problems of national identity;
  • Collective memory and cultures of remembrances.


Nikžentaitis is the author of several books and articles published in Lithuania, Germany and abroad.

External links

Bio at www.istorija.lt
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