Lithuanian-American Engineers and Architects Association: institution in exile

The text examines the activities of Lithuanian architects who were Second World War refugees in the USA, focusing specifically on the organisational structure they created — the Lithuanian-American Engineers and Architects Association (ALIAS) [Amerikos lietuvių inžinierių ir architektų sąjunga]. Based on the foundational proposition that the self-organisation of engineers and architects in exile expanded the mission of this institution, originally founded in 1925 in independent Lithuania, the study explores how the organisation evolved beyond its initial goals of professional advocacy and education. It also investigates how ALIAS took on the political mission of fostering national identity and contributing to the fight for Lithuania's liberation from the Soviet Union. The text presents the various forms of ALIAS's activities towards this end, with particular emphasis on the Lithuanian periodical, Technikos Žodis [Technical Word]. The article proposes that the activities of ALIAS fostered a nationally based architect-client relationship, leading to the emergence of unique examples of national architecture in exile. The specific history of Lithuanian exile reflects general processes that occurred in mid-century modern architecture. Despite the aesthetic divergence of these buildings from dominant trends, the symbolism embedded in their forms endures as an important testimony to the consequences of the Cold War on the fate of European nations.