The museum exposition is located in the house where the President of the Republic of Lithuania Kazys Grinius lived with his family.
The first part of the exhibition presents the cultural activities of Kaazys and Joana Griniai in 1904-1914. During this period, the home of Griniai became the centre of Užnemunė's cultural and political activities. Public gatherings and meetings, choir and performance rehearsals were held there, the Šviesos Society was founded, the purpose of which was to establish schools, pedagogical and evening courses, bookstores and libraries, distribute Lithuanian publications, and support the studying youth. The first library of the Šviesos Society was established in the home of Griniai. The greatest attention is paid to the first public evening held in our region on 28 May 1905, thanks to Kazys and Joana Griniai, during which Keturakis' "America in the Bathhouse" was performed, and the choir (it is said that for the first time) sang Vincas Kudirka's National Anthem, which later became the National Anthem of the Republic of Lithuania.
The second part of the exposition is devoted to the political activities of Dr. Kazys Grinius in 1920-1926, emphasising his most important works as Prime Minister, member of the Seimas and President of the Republic of Lithuania. In the former children's room, the family of Dr. Kazys Grinius is presented: son Kazys – colonel of the Lithuanian Armed Forces General Staff, Liūtas – an active supporter of Lithuania in the USA, associate of the President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, daughter Gražina, who tragically died in Kislovodsk in 1918, and second wife Kristina.
In the "Second World War and Emigration" part of the exhibition, the visitor is introduced to the biographical facts of Dr. Kazys Grinius during the Second World War and his post-war activities after he emigated to the West. In this part of the exhibition, the visitors can also view the posthumous rescue crosses for Kazys and Kristina Griniai established in 1993 for the fact that Griniai hid Dimitrijus Gelpernas, who was persecuted by the Nazis, in their home without fearing the impending punishment.
An interesting theme of the exhibition is the practice of Kazys Grinius as a doctor. Various household items, photographs, books written by Kazys Grinius, memoirs, medical journals edited by Kazys Grinius and other exhibits tell this story.
While living in Marijampolė, Griniai rented part of their rooms to Marijampolė high school students. Pranas Dovydaitis, the future signatory of the Act of Reinstating Independence of Lithuania of 16 February, also lived here. You may view what the home of high school students at the beginning of the 20th century looked like in the "High School Students' Room" installed in the museum.
We invite you to visit the museum.
