Adomas Klimantas has been awarded the Independence Scholarship for his monograph project analyzing the economic history of Lithuania from 1900 to 2025.
The Independence Scholarship has been awarded to Adomas Klimantas for his ambitious project entitled "The History of Poverty and Success: Lithuania's Economic Journey 1900–2025". This monograph aims to provide a panoramic analysis of Lithuania's economic successes and failures over a long historical perspective, addressing a critical and often controversial area of study in Lithuanian economics.
In his upcoming book, Klimantas intends to delve deeper into the history of contemporary Lithuania's economy. The project seeks to replace vague assumptions and speculations about Lithuania's economic prosperity during the interwar period and Soviet era, which have often fueled various myths and propaganda, including the notion that life was better under Russian rule. Professor Virgis Valentinavičius, chairman of the Independence Scholarship awarding committee, highlighted the importance of Klimantas' work in challenging these myths through more accurate knowledge.
The foundation of Klimantas' research relies on new and reliable economic statistics, notably newly calculated comparable and continuous GDP per capita data. This data, previously unavailable, is essential for understanding Lithuania's economic development and for debunking longstanding misconceptions. The scholarship is not just a recognition of Klimantas' work, but also underscores the value of rigorous, evidence-based analysis in the discourse surrounding Lithuania's economic history.
