Klaipėdos universitetas

The article examines the consequences of the colllision of two different cultures and eras. It draws on the history of Tilsit as described by the German journalist and historian Ulla Lachauer in her narrative “The Bridge of Tilsit” (“Die Brücke von Tilsit”). Published in 1995, Lachauer’s work offers historical facts and personal impressions of a journey to Sovetsk (1990) in search of the traces of the old Tilsit, which, unexpectedly, led to the author’s discovery of a city marked by an astonishing and, at times, frightening hybridity. The article analyses elements of “The Bridge of Tilsit” that constitute a narrative about the intermingling of cultures and highlight the hybridity of a city previously situated in East Prussia and, today, in the Soviet enclave of Kaliningrad.

The article draws attention to the distinctive features of Louis Passarge’s art of travel writing and to his originality best seen in the descriptive rendering of the Curonian landscape. The author offers many interesting ethnographic and historical details to describe the customs, the social relationships – the way of life prevalent among late nineteenth century Curonians. Passarge’s philological analyses, no less than his descriptions of landscapes, show that he was a writer of considerable talent. The article’s conclusions suggest that, in addition to factual information, Passarge’s work provides esthetic enjoyment as well as evidence of the intellectual attributes that characterized the writer.