Lithuanian Historian In Chile: Julius Kakarieka's Activities

Abstract

Ignotas Domeika, mineralogist and the former rector of the University of Santiago, was the most famous Lithuanian in Chile. However, he was by no means the only one; there were other distinguished academics from Lithuania, including the historian Julius Kakarieka. He published numerous texts on ancient history, taught at several outstanding universities in Chile, started a scholarly journal that is still in existence today, and was very active in Lithuanian community activities. This article seeks to overview Kakarieka’s biography, to identify his works and to relate them to the historian’s concern for the fate of his homeland during the oppression of the occupiers. Episodes of his life in Lithuania, Germany and Chile, as well as his trips to the USA and Argentina will be discussed. Although Kakarieka’s research covers the field of ancient history, he relates history and ideas of the past to the issues of the 20th century and the fate of his homeland.