Doctoral studies

Ramunė Savickaitė

Romanticism in Lithuanian Manor Architecture: Layers of Engagement with the Past.

This dissertation analyses how Romantic ideas, nostalgia, and the idealisation of history shaped the stylistic transformation of Lithuanian manor architecture between 1831 and 1863. The aim of the research is to reveal how and to what extent conceptions of the past were reflected in the design of residential estates. A complex methodology is employed, including the analysis of archival materials and iconography, empirical field studies, a comparative study of Western European and local practices, as well as architectural philosophy and literature analysis. The dissertation seeks to identify key ways in which historical styles were applied, examine the influence of ruin aesthetics and ideas of vitality on formal variations, and uncover the motivations of architects and patrons. The study contributes to the historiography of Romantic architecture in Lithuania by revealing the distinctive features of the local relationship with the past.

Illustration: Ruins. Anonymous. 19th century. Watercolour on paper. Šiauliai “Aušra“ Museum, inv. no. D–Pg 6/77