Professor Libertas Klimka was born on September 18, 1940, in Kaunas. He is a science historian, an ethnology scientist, a professor at Vilnius Pedagogical University and the pioneer of the new interdisciplinary branches of science – palaeoastronomy and ethno-cosmology. He is also the vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Association of Science Historians, the scientific director of the Lithuanian Ethno-cosmology Museum, a member of the Association of Regional Studies, the Association of Astronomers and the Association of Physicists. He is an expert for the Department for the Protection of Cultural Values, a member of the international organization Astronomy in Culture, a member of the editorial staffs of the astronomic calendar Lietuvos dangus (Lithuanian sky) and the periodicals Istorija (History), Fizikų žinios (The Physicists’ news), Kultūros aktualijos (The relevance of culture), Lietuvos muziejai (Lithuanian museums) and Etnokosmologija (Ethno-cosmology). He is a member of Martynas Mažvydas bibliographic club.

In 1963, he graduated from the Physics and Mathematics faculty at Vilnius University, majoring in physics: radio physics, and from 1964 to 1967, he pursued his graduate studies at the Institute of Semiconductor Physics. In 1972, he defended his thesis for a Science degree at Vilnius University, which in 1992 became a Doctorate in Natural Sciences. From 1967 to 1975, L. Klimka was a senior research fellow at the Institute of semiconductor physics and from 1975 to 1992, a docent of Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute (presently, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University). In 1992, L. Klimka pursued work in the areas of science history and ethnology and was elected a docent for the Department of Baltic Prehistory’s History faculty at Vilnius Pedagogical University. In 2003, he became a Professor at Vilnius Pedagogical University. From 2001 to 2005, L. Klimka was Senior Dean of the History faculty at Vilnius Pedagogical University. From 2005, he assumed the office of Chairman of the Board of the Protection of Ethnic Culture.

Libertas Klimka has a wide range of scholarly interests and social activities. He has written more than eight hundred various scientific and popularizing-science articles. He collaborates with newspapers, magazines, and participates in the broadcasts of Lithuanian radio and television. Libertas Klimka is the author and co-author of monographs Tikslieji mokslai Lietuvoje (Exact sciences in Lithuania, 1994), Mokslas, technologija ir visuomenė: harmoningos raidos paieškos (Science, technology and society: the search of constant development, 2002), Fizikos ir taikomųjų mokslų pradžia Lietuvoje (The start of physics and applied sciences in Lithuania, 2005), the author and coauthor of the recordings Lietuva iki Mindaugo (Lithuania till Mindaugas, 2003), Gimtoji istorija (Native history, 2003) and Lietuvių etninė kultūra (Lithuanian ethnic culture, 2004). He is also a compiler and coauthor of collective monographs Lietuvių raštijos istorijos studijos (The studies of the history of Lithuanian writing, 2005), and Tautinės tapatybės dramaturgija (The National identity dramatist, 2005). On November 23, 2005, Libertas Klimka was awarded the Jonas Basanavičius National Prize.

For relaxation, Libertas Klimka is fond of traveling across Lithuania, participating in regional studies expeditions, visiting museums, and skiing in the mountains. He is interested in cultural history, the science media and the history of antique watches. He also designs sundials and collects Lithuanistic books and calendars for his personal library.

The source: www.3.lrs.lt