Forgotten intelligent. Doctor Juozas Nemeikša is 130
16 December marks the 130 anniversary of the day when lieutenant colonel, doctor ophthalmologist, guardian of the Lithuanian blind and expatriates Juozas Nemeikša was born in Šiauliai. J. Nemeikša mostly focused on the treatment of the blind and the organisation of education: he was one of the founders of the Institute for the Blind in Kaunas, the member of the board and treasurer of the Lithuanian Society for the Care of the Blind in 1930-1940. Lithuanian Society for the Care of the Blind had some significant achievements: distributed the information on how to avoid blindness, where to apply in case of an accident, published four illustrated non-periodical publications “The fate of the blind”(“Aklųjų dalia”), took care of the publishing of the textbooks and books in Braille, organised public concerts and meetings of the blind, organised the exhibitions of the works of the blind. At his initiative, two documentaries on the Lithuanian blind people were created and presented at the cinemas; he initiated the organisation of the inspection and general census of the blind people. In 1937, a new chamber of the Institute for the Blind was built in Kaunas and the institute’s administration, classes for schoolchildren and a dormitory moved to the new building. J. Nemeikša established the Lithuanian Ophthalmological Society in 1940. During the difficult period of war and post-war, the apartment of the Nemeikšas on Karo Ligoninės Street was a haven for the intellectuals in trouble. He worked as the Head of the Department of Eye Diseases at the Medicine Faculty of Kaunas State Vytautas Magnus University from 1944; after the reorganisation of the university, starting from 1951, he was the Head of the Department of Eye Diseases of Kaunas Medical Institute.
Currently, the famous doctor is unduly forgotten, but he will always remain in the memories of the grateful people who received his help.
