Teacher’s seminary (former military officers club) was established in 1919 and prepared teachers to elementary schools.
In accordance with the project of engineer J. Dragašius, the new seminary was built on the land of 6 hectares in 1925 or 1926. A dendrology park, an orchard, sports ground, and a meteorological station were built by the initiative of director Feliksas Treigys. In 1930 the institution was one the biggest seminaries in Lithuania. However, in 1936 seminary was closed by going education system reform (it’s buildings were forwarded to Rygiškių Jonas girl’s gymnasium), but in two years it was reopened. With the beginning of the WWII the seminary was closed once again. In 1952 it became a pedagogical school.
Only in two decades of independent Lithuania the seminary made a great impact on Marijampolė and Suvalkija region’s development. Famous people, important social and culture figures graduated from the teacher’s seminary; such as writers Kazys Boruta, Anzelmas Matutis, and Antanas Gustaitis, philosopher Pranas Dielininkaitis, pedagogical scholar Magdalena Karčiauskienė, specialist of the elementary education Pranas Naujokaitis and many others.
At the end of the WWII soldiers of the Red Army destroyed seminary’s premises together with the archive. In 1944 the northern part of seminary’s park was demolished to make space for burial ground of the Red Army’s men. After the war the seminary operated as pedagogical school.
From years 2011 to 2014 the Great House of Teacher’s Seminary served as Education Studies and Social Work Faculty of Marijampole College. The school prepared primary school teachers for southwest Lithuania. In 2004 to commemorate 85th anniversary of teacher’s seminary bronze Vytis sculpture was raised; it was an exact of replica of Vytis destroyed by occupants in 1941. In 2014 restoration process of the building took place: façade’s bricks were fixed, façade’s plane and decor restored, fronts were painted. It also restored the outdoor stairs, landscaped plinth, windows and doors together with other elements of the building. Currently, it is Marijampole Art School.
There is a building near the seminary (45a Vytauto St.) that was built in 1927. It is a part of the old seminary building’s complex and is protected by the law as a monument of architectural heritage.
Add comment