24 April 2026

One-Day Exhibition “Parisian Attire, Vilna Faces”: A Presentation of the Trachtenberg Family Archive

In 2025, the Judaica Research Centre at the National Library of Lithuania received a unique gift—the archive of the renowned Trachtenberg family of Vilnius and their descendants, who live in various countries around the world.

On May 8 at 5 p.m., we invite you to join us in celebrating this significant addition to the National Library’s Jewish Studies Collection.

Mendel Trachtenberg (1799–1890) was one of the first Jewish doctors in Vilnius, the founder and director of the city’s Jewish hospital, and a patron of the Jewish community. He is the only Lithuanian Jew to have been awarded the title of nobleman for his contributions to the entire city community. In addition to his medical knowledge, he was a broadly educated man: in his social interactions and correspondence, he used German and French in addition to Russian, a language essential for a Jewish official of the Russian Empire.

Mendel Trachtenberg lived and died in Vilnius, but the fates of his children and descendants led them to France and Morocco. On May 8, several of them—Jean Levantal, Nathalie Hazan, and Thierry Levantal—will visit Vilnius. On this occasion, an agreement for the transfer of the archive will be formally signed at the National Library of Lithuania, and part of the archive will be on display at a one-day exhibition titled “Parisian Attire, Vilna Faces”.