Valstybinės cenzūros mechanizmas tarpukario Lietuvoje

LTStraipsnyje analizuojama 1918-1940 m. Lietuvos Respublikoje funkcionavusi valstybinė cenzūra, apžvelgiami kai kurie su ja susiję įstatymai ir ją vykdžiusių institucijų funkcijos bei raida. Daroma išvada, kad šalyje buvo išplėtota cenzūros institucinė infrastruktūra, apėmusi du - valstybinį ir vietinį - lygmenis. Svarbiausias vaidmuo teko vidaus reikalų ministrui, kuris galėjo kontroliuoti bei prižiūrėti ne tik Lietuvoje, bet ir užsienyje išleistas knygas. Vidaus reikalų ministrui buvo pavaldūs 20 apskričių (be Klaipėdos krašto) viršininkai. Pastariesiems spaustuvės, prieš išleisdamos spaudinį, privalėjo pristatyti nurodytą egzempliorių skaičių. Apskričių viršininkai taip pat turėjo teisę Lietuvoje pasirodžiusius spaudinius sulaikyti arba uždrausti juos platinti. Be to, 1919-1933 m. Lietuvoje egzistavo karo cenzūra, kurios veikla buvo susijusi su Krašto apsaugos ministerija. Paskutiniais nepriklausomos Lietuvos metais spaudos priežiūrai ir kontrolei buvo įsteigtos dvi naujos institucijos: Visuomeninio darbo vadyba ir Vidaus reikalų ministerijos padalinys - Spaudos ir draugijų skyrius.Reikšminiai žodžiai: Cenzūra; 20 amžius.

ENThis article aims to analyse the system of press supervision and control in the interwar Lithuania, most often referred to as censorship. According to the subordination of the controlling authority and the limits of its responsibility censorship falls into two categories: state (general and/or war) and church censorship. This article analyses state censorship that existed between 1918 and 1940. This censorship is analysed first of all bearing in mind war censorship, which was present in interwar Lithuania between 1919 and' 1933. War censorship is established in the country when mobilisation or state of war is announced or during the war. It aims to prohibit to announce war type data, events, etc., which could harm the affairs of the country's armed forces. Though the term of war censorship has not been mentioned either in the "Particular State Protection Statute", or in Press Laws, war censorship existed in Lithuania from 1919 till 1933. The issues of war censorship were solved by the Ministry of Defence, which had the right to appoint war commandants. When social democrats and peasants populists gained power, the state of war was cancelled and censorship was eliminated with it. The censorship mechanism of the analysed period was operating in two levels: state and local. At the state level press supervision and control function was carried out by the Ministry of Interior. At the local level censorship was assigned to County Governors and war commandants.On 1 April 1933 the position of war censor at the Ministry of Defence was repealed. Though war censorship was eliminated the heads of printing houses still had to submit first three copies of onetime and periodical printings to war commandants before the publications were issued. It means that the censorship remained but it was functioning in another form - the publication did not contain a seal "Permitted by War Censorship". In 1938, the Public Work Management, run by the Prime Minister's office, was established. In addition to the supervision of the printings of periodicals it carried out the control of nonperiodical printings. In April 1939, the Public Work Management was liquidated and its functions were commissioned to the Press and Associations Department under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior. This department registered the publications issued in Lithuania and abroad. This institution had a press supervision archive and a library for storing the printings, which were both prohibited and not prohibited by censorship. [From the publication]