An extraordinary project has been completed in the town of Šeduva (Polish: Szadów) in Lithuania. In 2025, construction was completed on a memorial dedicated to the history of the Jewish community that was massacred by the Germans in 1941. The Lost Shtetl Museum commemorates the former residents and their culture, whilst its architecture and exhibition guide visitors through a narrative of life, the Holocaust and remembrance.
What is a shtetl?
The name shtetl (Yiddish: שטעטל) derives from Yiddish and literally means ‘little town’. It refers to small villages or settlements in Central and Eastern Europe where, for centuries, a significant proportion of the inhabitants were Jewish. These were communities with a distinct cultural identity, their own religious institutions, education and social life centred around the market and crafts. Daily life unfolded to the rhythm of festivals, traditions and local customs, and Yiddish was the commonly spoken language. This way of life was brutally interrupted during the Second World War, when Jewish communities were murdered almost to the last person. This crime was committed mainly by the Germans, but often with the help of local collaborators. Along with the Jews, entire towns, their culture and heritage disappeared. Today, they are being reconstructed mainly through historical research and the work of museums, particularly the Museum of the Lost Shtetl in Szadów.
The Lithuanian town of Šadov as an example of a lost shtetl
Even before the war, around 800 Jews lived in Šadov, out of a total population of nearly 3,700. In August 1941, almost the entire community was murdered in the nearby forests, primarily by German Einsatzgruppen units, with the participation of local Lithuanian collaborators. With them, the historical legacy of many generations vanished. After the war, the town continued to function, inhabited mainly by Lithuanians, yet the world of the shtetl ceased to exist, leaving behind a void that could never be filled. Today, Šeduva is a small town with a provincial character, where the memory of this absent community has survived.
The Museum of the Lost Shtetl in Šeduva
The haunting sense of loss and the need to commemorate those who were murdered led to the construction of the Museum of the Lost Shtetl in 2025. The museum focuses directly on the fate of the Jews of Šeduva. It is their story that forms the narrative backbone of the entire exhibition. The story focuses on the lives of the inhabitants before the war and on the events of 1941 that led to their extermination. At the same time, the history of this single place has been framed more broadly and treated as an example of the experiences of many similar towns in Eastern Europe. In this way, Szadów has become a representative case study through which one can understand the scale and consequences of the destruction of the pre-war shtetls.
Architecture by Lahdelma & Mahlamäki architects
The museum building, designed by the Finnish firm Lahdelma & Mahlamäki architects, consists of a cluster of small structures resembling rural houses with gabled roofs. When placed together, they evoke the image of the town’s former buildings. The interiors are connected by short passageways, thus guiding visitors’ movement and creating a sequence throughout the museum space. The entrance leads to the main area, from which visitors descend to the underground exhibition section. The individual galleries feature varying ceiling heights, with their upper sections echoing the geometry of the roofs. Daylight enters through skylights, helping visitors to focus on this difficult narrative.
Exhibition of the Museum of the Lost Shtetl
The museum explores the history of the former Jewish community through nine themed galleries. Inside the exhibition, visitors discover over 150 original artefacts, including Judaica and old photographs. The space is filled with the sounds of the old town and specially selected scents, creating a powerful sense of being transported to a bygone era. A laser glass installation catches the eye, its rhythmic light imitating the breathing of the town’s former inhabitants. Visitors will also find a marble model which, when specific points are touched, plays recordings of eyewitness accounts. The walls are adorned with hundreds of glass elements bearing the names of towns whose culture has been irretrievably destroyed. The exhibition’s narrative is enriched by video projections and the stories of a local pharmacist, who acts as a virtual guide. Each room focuses on a different aspect of life, from the bustling market square to quiet places of worship. A visit to this place allows one to understand the complex fate of Lithuanian Jews without the need to read lengthy texts.
Materials and details of the Lost Shtetl Museum
The museum’s façades are clad in aluminium panels with a shingle-like texture, which react to light and weather conditions. The material used allowed the building to blend into the idyllic landscape and echo local architecture. Wood features in the entrance areas, intended to evoke associations with the old buildings constructed mainly from this material. The interiors, meanwhile, are finished with quartzite, wood and black granite, which can be seen in the exhibition spaces. The architects at Lahdelma & Mahlamäki placed great emphasis on detail and overall visual coherence.
The Museum of the Lost Shtetl and its surroundings
The surroundings of the Museum of the Lost Shtetl in Szadów were designed by Enea landscape architecture. The designers decided to surround the building with a landscape full of nostalgia, integrated with the building itself. Directly adjacent to it lies the so-called Memorial Park. It is a sequence of varied spaces, including meadows full of flowers, wetlands, orchards and a path lined with native tree species. The path leads visitors along a symbolically depicted ‘final journey’ of the local Jewish community. A Jewish cemetery once stood in the vicinity of the museum. During the works, it was highlighted and incorporated into the design. The surroundings are complemented by small-scale architectural features that encourage reflection and tranquillity.
Design: Lahdelma & Mahlamäki architects
Lead architect: Rainer Mahlamäki
Landscape design: Enea landscape architecture
Exhibition design: Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Location: Šeduva (Szadów), Lithuania
Year of construction: 2025
Area: 4,900 sq m
See also:Architecture | Museum | Education | Culture|History|Lithuania |Wood
