Jotvos krašto lietuviai Vilniaus konferencijoje

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: 1917 m. Lietuvių konferencija; Jotva; Pirmasis pasaulinis karas, 1914-1918 (Didysis karas; World War I); Suvalkija; Suvalkų kraštas; Užnemunė; Vilniaus konferencija; Vilniaus konferencija, Pirmasis pasaulinis karas Lietuvoje, Lietuvių inteligentija; Vilnius; Jotva; Lithuanian conference of 1917; Suvalkija; Suwalki region; Vilnius; Vilnius Conference; Vilnius Conference, World War I in Lithuania, Lithuanian Intelligentsia; WWI; World War I.

ENAt the end of the World War I the aspirations of Lithuanians to be independent intensified and the real prospects for the recovery of independence appeared. The representatives of Lithuanian intelligentsia and the clergy established the Committee in Vilnius. Its members were prominent Lithuanians, such as Antanas Smetona, Steponas Kairys, Petras Klimas, Jurgis Šaulys, priest Juozas Stankevičius. They began to spread the ideas of independence among the public. They were supported by the Lithuanian press and the clergy. The Vilnius Conference had to establish the Council of Lithuania whose main goal was to issue the declaration of the independence of Lithuania. The delegates to the conference were appointed in 32 counties and 2 major cities. Fearing reprisals, the participants of the Conference were to be only Lithuanian men. One third of the participants were the clergy, one third were peasants and one tenth were teachers. There were also doctors, lawyers, government workers, artists and other representatives of intelligentsia. Relatively, there were few representatives of Lithuanian nobility who weakly supported the aspirations of independence of Lithuania.Almost a quarter of the delegates to the Conference came from or were in some way related to Yotvingia. The Vilnius Conference took place on September 18-22, 1917 in Vilnius. It elected twenty members to the Council of Lithuania: J. Basanavičius, S. Banaitis, M. Biržiška, K. Bizauskas, P. Dovydaitis, S. Kairys, P. Klimas, D. Malinauskas, P. Mironas, S. Narutavičius, A. Petrulis, A. Smetona, J. Smilgevičius, J. Staugaitis, A. Stulginskis, J. Šaulys, K. Šaulys, J. Šernas, J. Vailokaitis, J. Vileišis. On February 16, 1918, the Council of Lithuania issued the Act of Independence of Lithuania. The article provides the list of people associated with Yotvingia. [From the publication]