Baltic manors as a shared cultural heritage

Association “Baltic Manors” and Vilnius Academy of Arts invite to submit proposals of papers for the international scholarly conference “Baltic Manors as a Shared Cultural Heritage” to be held at the Panemunė Castle in Lithuania on 23-27 September 2025. The Conference aims to present and trigger international discussions about the latest research on manors in the Baltic Sea region with an interdisciplinary approach (connecting history, culture, art, heritage and tourism) and focusing on the historical and cultural links between and within manors.

There are more than 5.000 manors in rural and remote areas of the south-eastern Baltic Sea Region (SBA). They are connected by manifold historical and cultural links that are, in particular, the result of numerous political and, consequently, border changes. This landscape of Baltic manors is a shared cultural heritage that is distinctive and apparent, and that stretches across seven countries (Germany, Demark, Sweden and Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) expressing transnational values until today. Currently, more than 900 Baltic manors are hosting recreational & cultural services (e.g. hotels, museums, art exhibitions, etc.).
Many of the manors emphasize cross-border relations and raise awareness for the shared manorial heritage. At the same time, they often contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive rural development. By safeguarding traditional micro-level agricultural traditions (from herbal tea to cheese making) these manors are promoting environmentally friendly practices adaptable even to our contemporary life(style). Various examples (e.g. TRANSROMANICA, VIA REGIA) show that cross-border culture routes can be instrumentalized to valorize shared European Heritage, and the status as “European Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” (ECR) can boost their effects even further. Such cooperation (especially with the ECR certification) would not just draw the attention to the cross-countries/regional values but it would also fuel economy for the benefit of the local communities as well, which is a burning issue for the less prominent destinations.
Accordingly, the conference aims to explore the historic and cultural specifics of the Baltic manors and thus to contribute towards the research-based discussion on their future perspectives.

We invite you to send paper abstracts on the following topics:
– Manor architecture and manorial landscape
– Artist exchange (architects and artists mobility), migration of estate owners, manors at border regions
– Diverse manorial land-uses (about how it changed due to the different historical areas, owners, functions etc.)
– Manorial tourism
– Case studies outside of the South Baltic region

The conference is open to historians, art historians (art, architecture, theater, music), cultural studies, museum professionals, tourism professionals, conservation and other researchers. Research papers based on the conference presentations will be published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal, which will lead towards the development of the “European Route of the Baltic Manors” and to achieve the certified status of the “European Cultural Route”. The language of the conference is English. The duration of the presentation is up to 20 min. Please send your paper abstract in English (up to 350 words) and short bio by 1 March 2025 to Aida Kirkickiene, email: aida.kirkickiene@vda.lt . Applicants will be informed of the outcome of the selection by 15 April 2025.

Participation in the conference is free. Travel expenses and accommodation will not be covered. We recommend staying in the nearest cities Jurbarkas and Kaunas or in the surroundings of Panemunė Castle (the list will be provided later). Part of the catering and transportation from Jurbarkas and Kaunas will be organized by the conference organizers.

Conference organizers: Association Baltic Manors, Vilnius Academy of Arts. Project partners: Tourism Association Vorpommern, Association of Palaces and Manor Houses in Macklenburg-Vorpommern, Visit Lolland-Falster A/S, Danish Research Centre for Manorial Studies (Encounter coord), Gammel Estrup Danish Manor Museum, Svaneholm Castle Cooperative Society, Lithuanian Castle and Manors Association, Vilnius Academy of Arts as owner and operator of Panemunė Castle, Centre for Education and Cultural Innitiatives in Olsztyn, Agricultural Farm Ann Mazuś.

The conference is part of the project “Baltic Manors ROUTE – Building up the “European Route of the Baltic Manors”, which has the goal to establish a “European Route of the Baltic Manors” until 2027. The project is co-financed by the European Union and implemented within the INTERREG South Baltic Programme 2021-2027.