Ludwig J. Rhesa Dainos, oder Litthauische Volkslieder (Königsberg, 1825): Text as an Event of Cultural Memory

Abstract

his article examines the cultural significance of Ludwig J. Rhesa’s Dainos, oder Litthauische Volkslieder (1825), the earliest systematic collection of Lithuanian folk songs. The study investigates the editorial history, translations, and performative revivals of Rhesa’s collection as it relates to cultural memory. Using Jan Assmann’s theory of cultural memory and Richard Schechner’s concept of performance, the article demonstrates how the text functioned both as a philological object and a dynamic cultural tool across different historical eras.

Utilising qualitative content analysis, comparative textual study, and empirical data from interviews, recordings, and concert documentation, the research demonstrates how Rhesa’s songs became part of folklore ensemble repertoires in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Two interpretative approaches are identified: an authenticity-driven, historical-ethnographic model
and a more experimental, genre-blending ethnomusicological practice. The findings reveal how Rhesa’s textual legacy continues to be reinterpreted within diverse cultural frameworks, illustrating the dynamic interaction between written heritage and contemporary performance.