Lithuania proper

Lithuania proper

Lithuania proper ( _la. Lithuania propria; _lt. Lietuva siaurąją prasme, "tikroji Lietuva", literally: "Lithuania in a narrow sense", "Genuine Lithuania"; _yi. ליטע, "Lite") refers to a region which existed within Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The primary meaning is identical to the Duchy of Lithuania, a land around which Grand Duchy of Lithuania evolved. The territory can be traced by Christian parishes established in pagan balts lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania subsequent to the Christianization of Lithuania in 1387. They were quite distinguishable, as the Ruthenian parts of the Duchy were already baptised in orthodox manner [Гаучас П. К вопросу о восточных и южных границах литовской этнической территории в средневековье // Балто-славянские исследования. 1986. М., 1988. С. 195, 196.] [Safarewicz J. Studia językoznawcze. Warszawa, 1967. S. 257-259] . The term in Latin was widely used during the Middle Ages and can be found in numerous historical [http://data.lnb.lv/nba05/kartes/PDF/114.pdf] maps until World War I.

Evolution of a term

Before the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Historians designate Lithuania Proper (or Land of Lithuania in a narrow sense) as a Lithuanian land that existed prior to Grand Duchy of Lithuania, near other lands: Land of Nalšia, Land of Deltuva, Land of Upytė. According Henryk Łowmiański Lithuania Proper was in nucleus of future Trakai Voivodeship between rivers: Nemunas, Neris and Merkys. Tomas Baranauskas suggests [cite journal |last=Baranauskas |first=Tomas |year=2002 |url=http://images.katalogas.lt/maleidykla/lit22/L-003.pdf |title=Kur buvo Lietuvos žemė? |journal=Lituanistica |volume=2 |pages=3–18] that Lithuania Proper was around Ashmyany area, then ethnic Lithuanian lands now in Belarus. According to Mikola Yermalovich (his reliability is utterly discussed by academic scholars [cite journal |last=Gudavičius |first=Edvardas| authorlink=Edvardas Gudavičius|year=1996 |url=http://viduramziu.lietuvos.net/etno/gudavicius-en.htm |title=Following the Tracks of a Myth |journal=Lithuanian Historical Studies |volume=1 |pages=38–58] [Насевіч В.Л. Працэс утварэння Вялікага княства Літоўскага (13-14 стст.) // Актуальныя пытанні гісторыі Беларусі ад старажытных часоў да нашых дзён. Мн., 1992. С. 54-63.] ) Lithuania ( _be. Летапiсная Лiтва) (literary: Lithuania of chronicles) was in upper Neman region [ cite web |url=http://veras.litvin.org/Images/008.jpg|title=Карта летапiснай Лiтвы |author=Виктор Верас |accessdate=2007-05-30be icon] [ cite web |url=http://veras.litvin.org/Content/010.htm |title=У истоков исторической правды / Летописи о местонахождении Литвы |author=Виктор Верас |accessdate=2007-05-30ru icon] , now in modern Belarus, formed in fifth decade of 20th century.

In the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Scholars often use term "Lithuania proper" to refer to lands inhabited by ethnic Lithuanians [cite web | first=Tomas | last=Venclova | url=http://www.pogranicze.sejny.pl/archiwum/krasnogruda/pismo/8/forum/vencl.htm |title= Native Realm Revisited: Mickiewicz's Lithuania and Mickiewicz in Lithuania|accessdate=2007-04-24 |authorlink=Tomas Venclova] as opposed to lands controlled by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania inhabited by Ruthenians (ancestors of modern Belarusians and Ukrainians), Russians, Poles, Lithuanian Jews or many other nationalitiesFact|date=December 2007. Already during the Grand Duchy times, Lithuania Proper was a term designated to land where Lithuanians live [cite book |last= Ochmański |first= Jerzy |authorlink= Jerzy Ochmański |title= Litewska granica etniczna na wschodzie od epoki plemiennej do XVI wieku |url= http://books.google.com/books?vid=0OEuvg3GZ0Ye2wzbEa&id=SWYdAAAAMAAJ&dq=lithuania+propria&q=lithuania%20propria&pgis=1 |accessdate=2006-04-26 |year= 1981 |publisher= Wydawn. Nauk. Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza |language= Polish |pages= 69-73 ] . Administratively it consisted of Vilnius Voivodeship and Trakai Voivodeship. [lt icon Viduramžių Lietuva [http://viduramziu.lietuvos.net/socium/provincijos.htm Viduramžių Lietuvos provincijos] . Retrieved on 2007.04.11] Such division existed even after Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was partitioned. Samogitian Eldership was not a part of Lithuania Proper. [Authentic maps showing "Lithuania Propria":
cite web |url=http://data.lnb.lv/nba05/kartes/PDF/116.pdf |title=Poloniae Regnum ut et Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae Accuratiss |accessdate=2007-04-22
cite web |url=http://data.lnb.lv/nba05/kartes/PDF/114.pdf
title=Poloniae Regnum ut et Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae Accuratiss |accessdate=2007-04-22
] Thus Grand Duchy of Lithuania was divided into such historical regions: Samogitia, Lithuania Proper and White Ruthenia. [ Authentic map showing Lithuania Proper and adjustant White ( or Lithuanian) Ruthenia:
cite web |url=http://www.nlib.ee/html/digi/maps/kaart00280s.jpg|title=Carte des Estats de Suede , de Dannemarq, et de Pologne ; sur la Mer Baltique |year=1700 |accessdate=2007-08-17
] .

Eastern part of Lithuania Propria

For centuries, eastern and southern lands of this territory, that had direct contacts with Ruthenia and Poland, initially inhabited by ethnic Lithuanians were slowly Ruthenised, Polonised and Russified, and Lithuanian speaking territory shrunk. Eastern parts of Lithuania Propria suffered heavy population losses during the Deluge, and further on during the Great Northern War and following plague epidemic in 1710-1711. Subsequent immigration of Ruthenians and Poles into these territories accelerated the process. A significant push to the de-Lithuanisation ensued when Lithuania became a part of the Russian Empire, and especially, after Lithuanian language books were forbidden to print in Latin letters in 1864. The process continued at the time of Polish rule, as Lithuanian language schools and libraries were closed, and later under Soviet rule, as no Lithuanian schools were in these territories at all. Nowadays significant "islands" of Lithuanian-speaking people remain in what is now Western Belarus (see Gerviaty and Northern Poland - see Punsk. Although many} people in these territories now speaking Belarussian do refer to themselwes as Lithuanians cite journal|title= Etnokonfesiniai Santykiai Pietryčių Lietuvoje Istorinės Antropologijos Aspektu|journal=Kultūrologija|date=2003|first=Viriginijus|last=Savukynas|coauthors=|volume=10|issue=|pages=80–98|id= |url=|format=|accessdate=2007-12-11 ] .

Modern developments

At the end of World War I, the Council of Lithuania declared that an independent Lithuanian state is re-established in the ethnic Lithuanian lands.

After negotiations with Bolshevik Russia a large part of Lithuania Proper was acknowledged by Soviets as part of Lithuanian Republic by signing the Soviet-Lithuanian Treaty of 1920. Some of these territories were also claimed by Second Republic of Poland. This led to series of military conflicts and eventually to war.

In 1943, Antanas Smetona in exile began working on a study "Lithuania Propria" [cite journal |last = Smetona
first = Antanas |authorlink = Antanas Smetona |title = Lithuania Propria |journal = Darbai ir dienos
volume = 2(11) |pages = 191–234 |language = Lithuanian
] . The book was dedicated to the history of Lithuanian lands before Polonisation, Russification, and Germanisation hoping that it would help to substantiate a claim to not returned territories in a peace conference after World war II. His work was left unfinished, and for a long time was available only as a manuscript and was virtually unknown. [cite journal |last = Aleksandravičius |first = Egidijus|authorlink = Egidijus Aleksandravičius|title = Istorija ir politika|journal = Darbai ir dienos |volume = 2(11) |pages = 185–190 |language = Lithuanian ]

Currently the Republic of Lithuania has no territorial claims.

Notes

ee also

* Central Lithuania
* Ethnographic Lithuania

External links

* [http://www.halgal.com/graphics/PUR/PUR_map_mixethnic1.jpgThe map of the ethnic groups of the eastern Poland in 1921] , after Norman Davies, "God's Playground: A History of Poland: Volume II, 1795 to the Present"; Columbia University Press: 1982


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lithuania Minor — ( lt. Mažoji Lietuva; de. Kleinlitauen; pl. Litwa Mniejsza; ru. Máлая Литвá) or Prussian Lithuania ( lt. Prūsų Lietuva; de. Preußisch Litauen, pl. Litwa Pruska) is a historical ethnographic region of Prussia, later East Prussia in Germany, where… …   Wikipedia

  • Lithuania — • An ancient grandy duchy united with Poland in the fourteenth century Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Lithuania     Lithuania     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Lithuania, grand duchy of — ▪ historical state, Europe       state, incorporating Lithuania proper, Belorussia, and the western Ukraine, which became one of the most influential powers in eastern Europe (14th–16th century). Pressed by the crusading Teutonic and Livonian… …   Universalium

  • Lithuania, Relations with —    During the late 18th century, most of modern day Lithuania was annexed by the Russian Empire as part of the larger dismantlement of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. An independent Lithuania emerged in the 1920s after wars with both Poland… …   Historical Dictionary of the Russian Federation

  • Lithuania at the 2004 Summer Olympics — Infobox Olympics Lithuania games=2004 Summer competitors=59 (47 men, 12 women) sports=13 flagbearer=Saulius Štombergas gold=1 silver=2 bronze=0 total=3 rank=45Lithuania competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.MedalistsResults by… …   Wikipedia

  • Proper Education — Infobox Single Name = Proper Education Artist = Eric Prydz vs. Pink Floyd Released = January 5 2007 Format = CD single DVD single Vinyl Digital download Recorded = Genre = Dance Electro house Length = Label = Ministry of Sound Data Records Ultra… …   Wikipedia

  • Culture of Lithuania — The culture of Lithuania has been influenced by geography, historical events, and artistic movements. Various cultural changes occurred throughout Lithuania s transformation from a former country of the Soviet Union to an independent Baltic state …   Wikipedia

  • Christianization of Lithuania — The fresco in the Vilnius Cathedral, dating to the Christianization of Lithuania The Christianization of Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuvos krikštas) – Christianization of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that took place in 1387, initiated by the King… …   Wikipedia

  • History of Lithuania — The history of Lithuania dates back to at least 1009, the first recorded written use of the term.[1] Lithuanians, a branch of the Baltic peoples, later conquered neighboring lands, establishing the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and in the 13th century …   Wikipedia

  • Grand Duchy of Lithuania — The Grand Duchy of Lithuania ( lt. Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė, old literary Lithuanian: Didi Kunigiste Letuvos , Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje, Ruskaje, Żamojckaje , la. Magnus Ducatus Lituaniae, be. Вялікае Княства Літоўскае,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”