ENDuring the Second World War there were two important higher education institutions in Šiauliai, the second most important city in Lithuania after the temporary capital Kaunas. The institutions that provided training of specialists with higher education in Šiauliai were Teacher Training College and the Institute of Commerce. The article focuses on the activity of Šiauliai Teacher Training College and the Institute of Commerce under different historical conditions during various periods of the Second World War: 1939 - June 1940 - the period of independent Lithuania; June 1940 - June 1941 - the first Soviet occupation; June 1941 - July 1944 - Nazi occupation; 1944 - the second Soviet occupation. Different curricula, various awards and staff activity under the complicated historical conditions of the Second World War are discussed.