The Lost Shtetl Museum in Šeduva welcomes visitors of all ages to explore a shared past that shapes our present and future. Discover the rich history of Jewish life in Lithuania and the enduring stories of memory, resilience, and hope.

Drawing on the voices of the Šeduva Jewish community, the museum tells the story of thousands of shtetls and the hundreds of thousands of Jews who lived in them, whose daily lives, traditions, and aspirations helped shape the cultural identity of Lithuania and the wider Eastern European region. The museum is not only a witness to the past — it seeks to honour, preserve, and, where possible, revive memory. Through photographs, town maps, written records, and video testimonies in which descendants of Šeduva’s Jews share stories of their families’ lives, the museum’s exhibitions recreate the world of the shtetl, a world that no longer exists.

The exhibition is based on academic research as well as authentic testimonies and memories of the Jews of Šeduva and their descendants around the world. The museum tells the story of everyday life in the Šeduva shtetl through the experiences of ordinary people who once lived there. Visitors encounter their voices through texts, photographs, artefacts, and multimedia installations. The Lost Shtetl Museum aims to create a broader narrative — one in which Lithuanian Jews are remembered as an integral part of the Jewish world, contributing to the cultural, economic, and political life of Lithuania. The creators of the Lost Shtetl are guided by the museum’s mission to ensure that history isn’t forgotten and that the voices of the shtetls continue to resonate.