Tamakauskas Zigmas Juozas
Tamakauskas Zigmas Juozas was born in Kudirkos Naumiestis. He completed a secondary school in Kaunas. In 1955, he enrolled in Vilnius University to study Lithuanian language and literature. In 1957, he was expelled from the university for patriotic and Christian activities – “behaviours, incompatible with the duties of a Soviet student.” In 1958, he returned to the second year of the study programme he had previously started, studying part time. In 1960, at the end of the fourth study year, “after the recurrence of nationalist activities,” he was expelled from Vilnius University for the second time by an order of the Rector. In 1971, he started studying economics at Vilnius University Kaunas Evening Faculty and in 1976 received a diploma in economics. In the autumn of the same year, he became a lecturer at Vilnius University Kaunas Evening Faculty. He worked there until 1993. After the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, he worked as a teacher at one of the city’s secondary schools and Saulės Gymnasium. After completing qualification courses, he was awarded the qualification of a history teacher-methodologist. In 1997 he was elected to Kaunas City Municipality, held the position of Chair of the Citizenship Commission of the city and was an assistant to a member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania for three terms. He has actively participated in the activities of the Kaunas branch of Sąjūdis (the Reform Movement of Lithuania). He was awarded the Order for Merits to Lithuania by the President of Lithuania, a medal by the Minister of National Defence, the Partisan Star of the and other awards.
