We invite you to visit www.year1990.eu, which presents the events of the breakthrough year 1990 in the Central and Eastern European countries.
The year 1990 was a turning point in overcoming the communist legacy and shaping democracy in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In most of them, it brought the first completely free parliamentary, presidential and local government elections.
The year 1990 also marked the reunification of both German states. For the Baltic states, such as Lithuania - the first country in the region to declare its independence after 50 years of dependence on Soviet power - it was the beginning of a new era.
Read more: 1990 in the former Eastern Bloc countries. Launch of a new website!
On 26th April 2021, a meeting with Rafał Dutkiewicz, former mayor of Wrocław, was held and it subject was: "1990. The beginning of self-governing Poland from the perspective of Wrocław ”.
231 students and teachers participated in the meeting.
It was the fifth in a series of meetings organized by the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, the purpose of which is to present the circumstances of the historic breakthrough that led to the collapse of the communist system and the beginning of democratic changes in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
On 20 April, Dr Inga Vindhdnaitė, a political scientist from Vilnius University, gave a lecture entitled "Lithuania's re-establishment of independence. Challenges the country faced".
It was the fourth of a series of lectures organised by the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, which aim at explaining the circumstances of the historical breakthrough which led to the collapse of the communist system and the beginning of democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe.
Audio recordings of the lecture, in Polish and Lithuanian, are available below.
The year 1990 was a turning point in overcoming the communist heritage and shaping democracy in Central and Eastern European countries. That year brought the first fully free parliamentary, presidential and local government elections in most of the countries.
The year 1990 was also the beginning of a new era for the Baltic States, such as Lithuania, which was the first country of that region to declare its independence after 50 years of Soviet rule.
What was the situation in Lithuania in 1990? What challenges did the country, which formally was a Soviet republic and part of the USSR, face? What price did Lithuanians have to pay for their freedom?