Baltic Studies Program History

The UW Baltic Studies Program was established in 1994. 

This page surveys Baltic Studies courses taught since the Program's founding. The Courses Section contains current course syllabi. Useful information also appears in Lectures and Events and the Brief History of the Department of Scandinavian Studies.

The Baltic Studies Summer Institute (BALSSI), founded by the University of Washington in 1994, is funded by a consortium of twelve American universities and moves to a new host every two years.

History: 1993-94 ... 1994-95 ... 1995-96 ... 1996-97 ... 1997-98 ... 1998-99 ... 1999-2000 ... 2000-01 ... 2001-02 ... 2002-03 ... 2003-04 ... 2004-2005 ... 2005-2006 ... 2006-2007 ... 2007-2008 ... 2009-2010 ... 2010-2011 ... 2011-2012 ... 2012-2013

1993-1994

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Visiting Lecturer (Autumn and Winter Quarters)
Baltic Language Courses: Independent Study Estonian
Baltic Core Courses: HSTEU 454 Baltic History (Summer Quarter; Woodworth)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Intro to Folklore (Šmidchens); SCAND 331 Folk Narrative (Šmidchens); SIS 467 Nations and States in the Modern World (Šmidchens); SIS 490 Traditional Cultures in the Modern World (Šmidchens); SCAND 490A Balto-Finnic Languages (Suhonen); SCAND 490B Finno-Ugric Cultures (Suhonen)

Summer 1994 First Baltic Studies Summer Institute (BALSSI), University of Washington

1994-1995

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer Part Time
Baltic Language Courses: SCAND 490 Topics in Baltic Languages (Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian)
Baltic Core Courses: BALTIC 200 Baltic Cultures (Summer Quarter, Šmidchens) HSTEU 454 Baltic History (Summer Quarter; Plakans)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore (Šmidchens); SCAND 326 / POLSCI 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Ingebritsen); SCAND 331 Folk Narrative (Šmidchens); SCAND 340 Finno-Ugric Epic and Nationalism (DuBois)

Summer 1995 Second BALSSI, University of Washington

1995-1996

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer Part Time
Baltic Language Courses: SCAND 490 Topics in Baltic Languages (Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian);
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / SISRE 345 Baltic Cultures (Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 340 Finno-Ugric Epic and Nationalism (DuBois)

Summer 1996 Third BALSSI, University of Illinois at Chicago

1996-1997

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer Part Time; Jūra Avižienis, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: LITH 101-103 Elementary Lithuanian; SCAND 490 Topics in Baltic Languages (Estonian and Latvian)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 340 Finno-Ugric Epic and Nationalism (DuBois)

Summer 1997 Fourth BALSSI, University of Illinois at Chicago

1997-1998

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer; Jūra Avižienis, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: LITH 101-103 Elementary Lithuanian; SCAND 490 Topics in Baltic Languages (Estonian and Latvian);
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / SISRE 345 Baltic Cultures (Šmidchens); SCAND 344 / SISRE 347 Baltic States and Scandinavia (Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 326 / POLSCI 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Ingebritsen); SCAND 380 / HSTEU 380 History of Scandinavia to 1720 (Leiren); SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Gavel Adams)

Summer 1998 Fifth BALSSI, Indiana University

1998-1999

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer; Jura Avizienis, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Kristin Kuutma, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: LITH 101-103; ESTO 101-103; LATV 101-103; ESTO 490; LATV 490; LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / SISRE 345 Baltic Cultures (Smidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore (Šmidchens); SCAND 334 / COMP LIT 334 Immigrant and Ethnic Folklore (Šmidchens); SCAND 380 / HSTEU 380 History of Scandinavia to 1720 (Leiren)

Summer 1999 Sixth BALSSI, Indiana University

1999-2000

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer; Anastasija Bitiukova, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Kristin Kuutma, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: ESTO 101-103, LATV 101-103, LITH 101-103; ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 344 / SISRE 344 Baltic States and Scandinavia (Šmidchens); SCAND 345 / SISRE 345 Baltic Cultures (Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 326 / POLSCI 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Ingebritsen); SCAND 334 / COMP LIT 334 Immigrant and Ethnic Folklore (Šmidchens); SCAND 340 Finno-Ugric Epic and Nationalism (DuBois); SCAND 381 / HSTEU 381 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Leiren)

Summer 2000 Seventh BALSSI, University of Iowa

2000-2001

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer; Anastasija Bitiukova, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Kristin Kuutma, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: ESTO 101-103, LATV 101-103, LITH 101-103; ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 344 / SISRE 344 Baltic States and Scandinavia (Smidchens); SCAND 345 / SISRE 345 Baltic Cultures (Šmidchens); HSTEU 454 Baltic History (Summer Quarter; Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore (Šmidchens); SCAND 326 / POLSCI 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Ingebritsen); SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Gavel Adams)

Summer 2001 Eighth BALSSI, University of Iowa

2001-2002

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer; Rimas Žilinskas, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Ulla Vanhatalo, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: ESTO 101-103, LATV 101-103, LITH 101-103; ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 344 / EURO 344 Baltic States and Scandinavia (Šmidchens); SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Šmidchens); SCAND 380 History of Scandinavia to 1720 (Leiren); SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Gavel Adams); SCAND 445 Nordic Baltic Region and WWII- Literary Representations (Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2002 Ninth BALSSI, University of Illinois at Urbana

2002-2003

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Lecturer; Rimas Žilinskas, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Ulla Vanhatalo, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: ESTO 101-103, LITH 101-103; LATV 201-203,ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 454 / HSTEU 454 Baltic History (Šmidchens); SCAND 455 / SISRE 465 Baltic States since 1991 (Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Ingebritsen); SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Leiren); SCAND 445 Nordic Baltic Region and WWII- Literary Representations (Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2003 Tenth BALSSI, University of Washington at Seattle

2003-2004

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Senior Lecturer; Rimas Žilinskas, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Mall Pesti, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses: ESTO 201-203, LITH 101-103; LATV 101-103, ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 344 / EURO 344 Baltic States and Scandinavia (Fall 2003, Smidchens); SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Winter 2004, Smidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Spring 2004, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Winter 2004, Ingebritsen); SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia to 1720 (Fall 2003, Leiren); SCAND 445 War and Occupation in Northern Europe: History, Fiction, and Memoir (Spring 2004, Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2004 Eleventh BALSSI, University of Washington at Seattle

2004-2005

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Senior Lecturer; Ieva Butkutė, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Mall Pesti, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses:
ESTO 201-203, LITH 101-103; LATV 201-203, ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 455 / SISRE 465 Baltic since 1991 (Winter 2005, Smidchens); SCAND 454 / HSTEU 454 Baltic History (Spring, Smidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia to 1720 (Fall 2004 and Spring 2005, Leiren), SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Fall, Gavel Adams); SCAND 367 Sexuality in Scandinavia (Spring, DuBois)

Summer 2005 Twelfth BALSSI, Indiana University

2005-2006

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Senior Lecturer; Iveta Grīnberga, Latvian Language Lecturer; Ieva Butkutė, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses:
LITH 101-103; LATV 101-103, LATV 310; ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 152 Latvian Literary and Cultural History (Grīnberga); SCAND 345 / CompLit 345 Baltic Cultures (Šmidchens); SCAND 344 / EURO 344 Baltic States and Scandinavia  (Šmidchens); SCAND 455 / SISRE 465 Baltic since 1991 (Šmidchens); SCAND 454 / HISTEU 454 Baltic History (Šmidchens); SCAND 490 Poets, Philosophers and Politicians in the Baltic (Šmidchens).
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Šmidchens); SCAND 380 History of Scandinavia to 1720 (Leiren); SCAND 380 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Leiren); SCAND 445 War and Occupation in North Europe (Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2006 Thirteenth BALSSI, Indiana University

2006-2007

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Assistant Professor; Iveta Grīnberga, Latvian Language Lecturer; Ieva Butkutė, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant; Kristina Hyman, Estonian Instructor
Baltic Language Courses:
ESTO 101-103; LITH 201-203; LATV 101-103, LATV 201-203; ESTO 490, LATV 490, LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 454 / HISTEU 454 Baltic History (Fall, Šmidchens);  SCAND 455 / SISRE 465 Baltic since 1991 (Spring, Šmidchens);
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Ingebritsen); SCAND 334 Immigrant and Ethnic Folklore (Spring, Šmidchens); SCAND 335 Scandinavian Children's Literature (Gavel Adams); SCAND 340 Finno-Ugric Epic and Nationalism (Kuisma); SCAND 445 War and Occupation in Northern Europe: History, Fiction, and Memoir (Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2007 Fourteenth BALSSI, UCLA

2007-2008

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Assistant Professor; Iveta Grīnberga, Latvian Language Lecturer; Ieva Butkutė, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses:
ESTO 490; LATV 101-103, LATV 310; LATV 490, LITH 101-103; LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 152 Latvian Literary and Cultural History (Spring, Grīnberga); SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 344 / EURO 344 Baltic States and Scandinavia  (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 454 / HISTEU 454 Baltic History (Spring, Šmidchens);
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Spring, Ingebritsen); SCAND 334/ CLIT 334 Immigrant and Ethnic Folklore (Spring, Šmidchens);  SCAND 340 Kalevala and the Epic Tradition (Spring, Kuisma); SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Spring, Leiren); SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Fall, Gavel Adams); SCAND 445 /EURO 445 War and Occupation in the Nordic and Baltic Region, texts and testimonies (Winter, Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2008 Fifteenth BALSSI, UCLA

2008-2009

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Assistant Professor; Iveta Grīnberga, Latvian Language Lecturer; Maris Lemba,Estonian Teaching Assistant; Ieva Butkutė, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses:
ESTO 101-103; LATV 101-103, LATV 201-203; LATV 490, LITH 101-103; LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 454 / HISTEU 454 Baltic History (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 455 Baltic since 1991 (Winter, Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Spring, Ingebritsen); SCAND 334 Immigrant and Ethnic Folklore (Spring, Šmidchens); SCAND 445 /EURO 445 War and Occupation in the Nordic and Baltic Region, texts and testimonies (Winter, Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2009 Sixteenth BALSSI, University of Wisconsin - Madison

2009-2010

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Assistant Professor; Iveta Grīnberga, Latvian Language Lecturer; Kristi Tinkus, Estonian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses:
ESTO 201-203; LATV 101-103, LATV 310; LATV 490, LITH 101-103; LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 152 Latvian Literary and Cultural History (Spring, Grīnberga); SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 490 Singing Revolution  (Winter, Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Winter, Ingebritsen); SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Spring, Leiren); SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Fall, Gavel Adams); SCAND 445 /EURO 445 War and Occupation in the Nordic and Baltic Region, texts and testimonies (Spring, Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2010 Seventeenth BALSSI, University of Wisconsin - Madison

2010-2011

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Assistant Professor; Kristīne Motivāne, Latvian Language Lecturer; Indrė Baronina, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses:
ESTO 490; LATV 101-103, LATV 201-203; LATV 490, LITH 101-103; LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Spring, Šmidchens); SCAND 454 / HISTEU 454 Baltic History (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 455/SISRE 465 Baltic since 1991 (Spring, Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Winter, Ingebritsen); SCAND 331 Folk Narrative (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 380 History of Scandinavia to 1720 (Spring, Leiren); SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Fall, Leiren); SCAND 445 /EURO 445 War and Occupation in the Nordic and Baltic Region, texts and testimonies (Winter, Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2011 Eighteenth BALSSI, University of Wisconsin - Madison

2011-2012

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Assistant Professor; Kristīne Motivāne, Latvian Language Lecturer; Indrė Baronina, Lithuanian Teaching Assistant
Baltic Language Courses:
LATV 101-103, LATV 201-203; LATV 490, LITH 101-103; LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 344 / EURO 344 Baltic States and Scandinavia  (Winter, Šmidchens); SCAND 490 / 590 Singing Revolution (Spring, Šmidchens);
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Spring, Ingebritsen); SCAND 334/ CLIT 334 Immigrant and Ethnic Folklore (Spring, Šmidchens);  SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Spring, Leiren); SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Fall, Gavel Adams); SCAND 445 /EURO 445 War and Occupation in the Nordic and Baltic Region, texts and testimonies (Winter, Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2012 Nineteenth BALSSI, University of Pittsburgh

2012-2013 (tentative)

Baltic Faculty: Guntis Šmidchens, Associate Professor; Kristīne Motivāne, Latvian Language Lecturer
Baltic Language Courses:
ESTO 101-103; LATV 101-103, LATV 310; LATV 490, LITH 101-103; LITH 490
Baltic Core Courses: SCAND 345 / EURO 345 Baltic Cultures (Spring, Šmidchens); SCAND 454 / HISTEU 454 Baltic History  (Winter, Šmidchens); SISRE 590 New Directions in Baltic Studies (Fall, Šmidchens)
Courses with Baltic content: SCAND 230 Introduction to Folklore Studies (Fall, Šmidchens); SCAND 326 Scandinavia in World Affairs (Spring, Ingebritsen); SCAND 331/ CLIT 331 Folk Narrative (Winter, Šmidchens);  SCAND 381 History of Scandinavia since 1720 (Spring, Leiren); SCAND 427 Scandinavian Women Writers (Fall, Gavel Adams); SCAND 445 /EURO 445 War and Occupation in the Nordic and Baltic Region, texts and testimonies (Winter, Stecher Hansen)

Summer 2013 Twentieth BALSSI, University of Pittsburgh

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