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Abstract. This paper reviews the state of the art in storm surge forecasting and its particular application in the northern Adriatic Sea. The city of Venice already depends on operational storm surge forecasting systems to warn the population and economy of imminent flood threats, as well as help to protect the extensive cultural heritage. This will be more important in the future, with the new mobile barriers called MOSE (MOdulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, Experimental Electromechanical Module) that will be completed by 2021. The barriers will depend on accurate storm surge forecasting to control their operation. In this paper, the physics behind the flooding of Venice is discussed, and the state of the art of storm surge forecasting in Europe is reviewed. The challenges for the surge forecasting systems are analyzed, especially in view of uncertainty. This includes consideration of selected historic extreme events that were particularly difficult to forecast. Four potential improvements are identified: (1) improve meteorological forecasts, (2) develop ensemble forecasting, (3) assimilation of water level measurements and (4) develop a multimodel approach.

Even though the subject of military service of Jews in the Lithuanian army in the years 1918 to 1940 is not completely new in historiography, many aspects hitherto covered in academic literature remain relevant to this day. The statistics for Jewish soldiers in the interwar Lithuanian army are without doubt one of those aspects. That is why in this article the aim is not just to identify the scale of participation by the Lithuanian army’s Jewish soldiers in the Lithuanian War of Liberation, but also to analyse statistical data relating to Jewish soldiers serving in the interwar Lithuanian army in peacetime.

The elk staff is a characteristic Stone Age artefact from the Baltic region. The most elegant specimens have been found in the Olenij Ostrov burial site and various Stone Age sites in Sventoji. In 2016, the use-wear of artefacts found in the Stone Age sites of Sventoji was studied microscopically under a magnification factor of 690. The research effort also resulted in the successful dating of one of the staves found at the third archaeological site of Sventoji. The article presents the results and findings of the study, supplementing what is already known about the artefacts. Key words: Sventoji, Stone Age, elk staffs, use-wear analysis, radiocarbon dating. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ab.v25i0.1834

32 This article analyses the military and tactical training of the members of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union for guerrilla warfare in the interwar period. Small nations, such as Lithuania and other Baltic states, being unable to build up military strength in order to ensure national security, were forced to seek for unconventional methods of warfare, including guerrilla strategies. The study places emphasis on the development of the guerrilla war concept in the Union periodicals. The author retraces a change in the intensity of the guerrilla warfare concept propagation amongst Lithuanian population and riflemen, in particular, through publications in the Trimitas — a periodical of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union. The author also identifies the narratives associated with the guerrilla matters employed for propaganda purposes in order to create an image of a guerrilla as a defender of the Homeland — Lithuania. Additionally, the structure and numbers of the Union are analysed through a comparison with similar organisations of the other «small nations» of the Baltic North-East. The author addresses the issue of military missions planned by the Lithuanian Army, as well as the way riflemen implemented them. Since the Union did not only offer military training, but was also engaged in the patriotic propaganda, the article focuses on the network of cultural institutions, homes of riflemen, orchestras, libraries, choirs, and athletic clubs used by the Union. The article sets out to establish whether the loss of Lithuanian sovereignty could have been possible without giving rise to a protracted guerrilla war.

The aim of this article is to update the data on the research into Palanga settlement carried out in 1958, the objectives being to publish the discovered material to its full extent, to determine the lithological and cultural layers of the settlement, and to determine the cultural dependence of the communities that lived there. The following are used in the article: archaeological, osteological and macrobotanical material, which is kept at Kretinga Museum and which has not been published till now; stratigraphy of geological strata obtained during the drilling of geological boreholes; and radiocarbon dating of peat from the cultural layer level. The natural and cultural landscape of the habitation period of Palanga Stone Age settlement is also presented. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181/ab.v16i0.33 Key words: Lithuania, Palanga, Late Mesolithic, Late Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, settlement, landscape.

The paper analyses the impact of his interest in 19th-century East Prussian ethnic culture on theactivities of Richard Jepsen Dethlefsen (1864–1944), one of the pioneers of monument protection inthe region. Dethlefsen’s important activity in the area of recording and protecting the East Prussiancultural heritage also implied an acquaintance with the cultural values of Prussian Lithuania, whoseroots were formed by the Reformation in the Duchy of Prussia; by Romanticism, which actualisedthe history of Prussia and the Prussian tribes; and a few other factors. Despite the impact of nationalismparadigms in the German Empire in the late 19th century, Dethlefsen’s activities contributedto the understanding of the intentions of his contemporaries to consider East Prussia as a uniquecultural space, whose historical conditions predetermined the survival of the uniqueness of severalethnic regions, by emphasising it as a value of the East Prussian province to be protected. Theconcept of pluriculturalism of the former East Prussia, as revealed in Dethlefsen’s work, remains arelevant guideline for cultural heritage policy in west Lithuania (the former Klaipėda region). Key words: cultural heritage, ethnocultural tradition, monument protection, East Prussia,Prussian Lithuania, west Lithuania. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ahuk.v30i0.1180

The article presents the late medieval vessel stove tiles of Klaipėda, which are located on the Baltic Sea shore of the current territory of Lithuania. This article analyses the technological and morphological qualities of vessel tiles. The author attempts to characterize and compare the types of tiles according to the materials used from three areas of Klaipėda: 1) the territory of the castle and the medieval town; 2) the town dump; 3) the relocated town in the early modern period. Furthermore, the article attempts to update both the topographical changes of the town and the historical context which may have influenced the renewal of daily household items, including tile stoves in the houses of the townspeople.

The set of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic artefacts from Aukstumala consists exclusively of flint manufactured items. This paper presents exhaustive data on studies of the flint artefacts, and on the reconstruction of their manufacture technique, based on observable characteristics of their manufacture. The functions of the artefacts found in the settlements were established at the Archaeological Material Research Laboratory at Klaipėda University, by means of an Olympus SZX16 microscope, and simultaneously their typology and the chronology of individual items were revised. Key words: Aukstumala, flint technique, flint tools, functional analysis, micro-trace analysis, Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Lithuania. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181/ab.v20i0.816

68 Though Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are not EU countries, they also seek to share the responsibility of reducing socioeconomic disparities on European territory, especially in Eastern and Central Europe. In connection with the EU and EEA enlargement in 2004, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein introduced the “Europe Economic Area (EEA)” and “Norway” grant mechanisms [3] aimed at solving the above mentioned problems. The Agreement of the European Economic Area establishes the legislative framework for the single internal market of 27 EU members and three EEA EFTA countries. The agreement guarantees “four freedoms” — the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital — for 30 EEA member states. In addition, the agreement covers co-operation in other important areas such as research and development, education, social policy, environment protection, consumer protection, tourism and culture [1]. The agreement guarantees equal rights and obligations within the internal market for citizens and economic operators in the EEA. The agreement establishes two types of financial mechanisms: multilateral financial mechanism (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and bilateral financial mechanism in Norway. In 2004—2009, 600 million euros were allocated in the framework of the multilateral financial mechanism, and 567 million euros in the framework of the bilateral mechanism; these funds can be assigned only to the states that acceded to the EU not earlier than 2004. The agreements with beneficiary states give priority to the following areas: environment protection, sustainable development, cultural heritage, human resources, healthcare, social protection of children, provided by the requirements of the Schengen acquis, regional policy and cross border cooperation, academic research, technical assistance, in order to meet the EU accession requirements (the Acquis Communautaire). Gender equality, ‘good governance’ and sustainable development are the core criteria for all projects [4]. Eduardas Spiriajevas

Martynas Jankus (1858–1946) was a cultural activist, printer, public speaker, member of the Ausra Society, and fighter for the rights of Lithuanians in Lithuania Minor, who earned the name of the patriarch of Lithuania Minor by his Lithuanian activities and made a great contribution to the musical culture of the region. M. Jankus left a lasting imprint in almost every field of the Lithuanian cultural-musical expression in Lithuania Minor. An advocate of national rebirth, a fighter against Germanization, M. Jankus was active in the establishment of Lithuanian cultural societies (frequently related to musical activity) and in the organization of their work in the late 19th – early 20th century. As soon as he turned 20, M. Jankus started collaborating with the German Society of Lithuanian Literature founded in Tilsit on October 14, 1879, and he worked alongside other cultural activists of Lithuania Great and Lithuania Minor. One can assume that Jankus participated in, or at least supported, most of the works of that society, including the publishing of significant monuments of musical culture of Lithuania Minor: a collection of Lithuanian folk songs with scores Dainų Balsai (‘Voices of Songs’) by Christian Bartsch (Volume 1 in 1887 and Volume 2 in 1889), as well as a collection of Lutheran hymns harmonized for a 4-voice-choir Giesmių balsai (‘Voices of Hymns’) (1894) by Woldemar Karl Theodor Hoffheinz. Even though M. Jankus’ activities in the Lithuanian Literature Society were reflected indirectly, he was one of the most active organizers and ideological leaders in establishing Lithuanian cultural societies in Lithuania Minor. Having failed to establish the intended society of Lithuanian science and education, the progressive Lithuanians of Lithuania Minor took resolute measures, as the time was ripe to have a Lithuanian society in Lithuania Minor. On February 15, 1885, Martynas Jankus, Jurgis Miksas, Kristupas Voska and Ernst Weyer declared that they established the Lithuanian Society Birutė in Tilsit. Next to different cultural activities, the Birutė Society paid a great attention to the popularization of art via arrangement of Lithuanian festivals with performances, music, and songs. Chairmen of the Birutė Society changed frequently. In 1889–1892, it was chaired by M. Jankus. During his chairmanship, the 10th anniversary of the Society was approaching. It was also due to his efforts that, during the celebration of the aniversary, the first public concert of Lithuanian songs took place in Lithuania Minor, and it brought to the audience of the Lietuvninkai great surprise and joy. In the autumn of 1895, by the efforts of the leaders of the Society, the Birutė choir started to form. V. Storostas (Vydūnas), who at the time had begun to work with the Lithuanian choir of the Tilsit church, was invited as the leader of the Birutė choir. On February 16, 1896, during the festival of the Society, the choir performed several Lithuanian songs from V. Kudirka’s Kanklės collection at the Tilsit Riflemen’s Home. M. Jankus was deeply interested in the activities of Lithuanian choristers from the Birutė and Tilsit choirs and in their artistic plans, and frequently wrote reviews of different events. Among his manuscripts, a review of the performance of Vydūnas’ play Birutininkai ‘Members of the Birutė Society’ in 1910 was found. Thanks to the Birutininkai, including M. Jankus, starting with 1911, youth societies in different places of Lithuania Minor started forming. Since 1912, having got together into the Santara of Lithuanian societies, they held common and separate festivals with the compulsory presence of choirs. All the chorister societies followed the tradition of the Birutė and Tilsit Chorister Societies and regularly gave concerts in different places of the region. The major and permanent place of annual meetings and festivals of the societies, with M. Jankus as the soul of the events, was Rambynas Hill. M. Jankus supported the idea of the first Song Festival of the Lithuanians of Lithuania Minor in Klaipėda on June 6–7, 1927, and contributed to its preparation. The successful first Song Festival of the Lithuanians of Lithuania Minor, as well as the following ones in 1933 and 1938 in which Lithuanian songs alone were performed, met M. Jankus’ expectations cherished from his early youth. In those festivals, great attention was paid to the repertoire of songs and hymns of Lithuania Minor. For M. Jankus, the Lithuanian folk song was a spiritual treasure, the protector and carrier of Lithuanianness. He made every effort to revive the folk song. In the late 19th century, in his printer’s shop in Tilsit, next to other publications, he published collections of Lithuanian folk songs and of poems of Lithuanian poets performed as songs. The greatest merit of M. Jankus is his achievements in protecting, cherishing, and popularising the folk song and by that, setting his environment a good example. In his home, music and song enjoyed special attention. The song was the identity of M. Jankus, of his family and friends. M. Jankus, the great fosterer of Lithuanianness, advocate of Lithuanian music, was a connoisseur of Lithuanian folk songs; he knew a great number of them, performed them beautifully, and urged other people not to forget the songs of their own nation. All the family of M. Jankus were excellent singers. The surviving songs of M. Jankus, recorded both on paper and in musical records, form an especially valuable part of the musical heritage of the Lithuanians of Lithuania Minor. In the versatile social-cultural activities of M. Jankus, his merits to the musical culture of Lithuania Minor stand out especially distinctly.