scholarly journals The capture of the Marienwerder Castle, or where the Teutonic Order’s expansion to the East was stopped

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Vytenis Almonaitis
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Major Event ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Grand Duchy

The capture of the Marienwerder Castle, or where the Teutonic Order’s expansion to the East was stoppedThis paper analyzes the construction, features, and significance of the Marienwerder castle, and its capture by Lithuanian forces in 1384. Located in what is now Kaunas, the castle represented the furthest eastern point of the Teutonic Order’s penetration into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. As the sparse historiography on it suggests, the event seems to have been overlooked by contemporary historians. In fact, this castle of the Teutonic Order was not just an ordinary fortress, but a mighty stronghold. A detailed analysis of primary sources allows classifying the capture of Marienwerder as a major event in the war between the Order and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as well as one of the major victories scored by the latter. It may be concluded that the Teutonic Order’s expansion to the east, which had been started from Torun, was then stopped at Kaunas. Zajęcie zamku Marienwerder albo gdzie zakończyła się ekspansja zakonu krzyżackiego na wschódW artykule analizowane są budowa, znaczenie i zajęcie w 1384 r. zamku zakonu krzyżackiego Marienwerder, który mieścił się na terytorium miasta Kowna. Był to najbardziej wysunięty na wschód zamek krzyżacki, który najgłębiej wchodził w terytorium Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego. Skromna historiografia świadczy o tym, że został on zapomniany przez współczesnych historyków. A jednak mowa jest tu nie o zwykłej rezydencji zakonu, a o potężnej twierdzy. Szczegółowa analiza źródeł pierwotnych pozwala uważać zajęcie zamku Marienwerder za jedno z najważniejszych wydarzeń w wojnie między zakonem krzyżackim a Wielkim Księstwem Litewskim, jak również jednym z największych zwycięstw tego ostatniego. Można również twierdzić, że ekspansja zakonu na wschód, rozpoczęta od Torunia, zakończyła się na Kownie.

scholarly journals The Image of Lithuania in English Publications in the 17th Century

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-118
Author(s):  
Gintautas Sliesoriūnas
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
17Th Century ◽  
Related Issue ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
English Society ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Grand Duchy ◽  
West European

In the 17th century, as contacts between citizens of England, which was gaining increasing importance in Europe, and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) intensified, the phenomenon of the image of Lithuania in English and Scottish societies, as well as the level of their knowledge about the GDL, became more important. The issue of mentioning Lithuania in West European historical sources and the related issue of the image of Lithuania in the region in the 16th–17th centuries has already been analysed in Lithuania, albeit not thoroughly enough. However, the question of the image of Lithuania in English publications in the 17th–18th centuries still requires more detailed analysis. This article discusses Lithuania-related facts that could have been familiar not only to the narrow circle of people that were in close contact with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but also to wider well-read English and Scottish society. The few educated members of English society who had an interest in learning more about Lithuania had access to publications in various languages published in different countries. However, this article dwells almost exclusively on publications in the English language dating from the 17th century that facilitated the rendering of knowledge and opinions about Lithuania to a much wider circle of people who read in the English language.

scholarly journals THE IDEA OF THE GAINING AND DEPRIVATION OF THE SUPREME AUTHORITY IN THE BELARUSIAN-LITHUANIAN CHRONICLES

2019 ◽  
pp. 61-65
Author(s):  
O. Yashchuk
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Local Population ◽  
The Third ◽  
Complete Form ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
The Right ◽  
Grand Duchy ◽  
The Way

The article is devoted to the problem of representations of supreme authority in the Belarusian-Lithuanian chronicles through a prism of the notices about the gaining and deprivation of the power of the ruler. The author analyzed the first redaction of the Belarusian-Lithuanian chronicles that containing the "Chronicle of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania”, the second redaction that containing the "Chronicle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania” and the third redaction ("Bychowiec Chronicle”). The study highlighted several ways of the supreme authority’s legitimation: by right of establishment, by right of inheritance, by right of conquest, by the acceptance of the local population, by the electoral way, by the coup if the organizers of it belonging to the ruling dynasty. It should be noted that the way of justifying the right to power through to underscores of blood ties and prince's enthronement of the son of the previous ruler or less often brother is the main way of gaining the power in the chronicles. The article gives a detailed analysis of features of the chronicle notices about the coronation of the representatives of the Gediminids dynasty. In addition, the notices about the deprivation of the authority usually as a result of the death of the ruler are investigated in the article. Notices of the death of the ruler in contradistinction to notices about the enthronement are mainly the fact statements. In the most complete form, the notes of the death of the ruler include the information about a long successful reign, facts of the ruler death and information about the birth and enthronement of the successor.

scholarly journals The Appearance of the Hippocentaur in the Heraldry of the Nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-90
Author(s):  
Agnė Railaitė-Bardė
Keyword(s):  
Primary Sources ◽  
16Th Century ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Blank Spot ◽  
Grand Duchy ◽  
Selection Of

The Centaur or Hippocentaur in the heraldry of the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania has been little investigated. This theme is a not yet fully exhausted granary of heraldic studies, which, due to the lack of primary sources, raises more questions than it has answers for scholars. The question of where and in what way the Centaur, which later turned into a Hippocentaur, appeared in the heraldry of the nobility of the GDL remains a blank spot in historiography. This article discusses the history and symbolism of centaurs, analyses the Centaur family described in Lithuania’s chronicles, investigates the assumptions for the selection of the Alšėniškis coat of arms, the transformation of the Centaur to the Hippocentaur, and the appearance of the Hippocentaur coat of arms in the heraldry of the Giedraitis in the 16th century. The concepts of the Centaur, Hippocentaur, Kitauras and archer (Sagittarius) are revised.

Stepan Borysenok: to the Portrait of the Scientist

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (6) ◽  
pp. 199-218
Author(s):  
Svitlana Blashchuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Research Problem ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
International Exchange ◽  
Main Subject ◽  
History Of ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Academy Of Sciences ◽  
Bar Formation ◽  
Grand Duchy ◽  
Scientific Achievements

The history of the law in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania has always attracted the attention of researchers. The productive period in its study was the activity of the Commission for the Study of the History of Western-Ruthenian and Ukrainian Law of All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (hereafter AUAS). The theoretical achievements of the commission are significant. Nowadays some of its members’ works have been republished with modern commentaries, and separate studies have been devoted to them. But there are such members whose works do not have any historiographical researches despite their great scientific achievements. One of them is the historian Stefan (Stepan) Hnatovych Borysenok (May 17, 1891 – November 14, 1937). Borysenok was a talented and extraordinary researcher. This article presents his biographical data as well as the theoretical achievements of the scientist are analyzed. The scientific achievements of the researcher in the field of law history are not very large. They are about 10 works (thorough scientific articles) and several reviews. They were significant for that time. However a few decades later after writing of these articles modern researchers point to a significant number of inaccuracies and errors in his works. S. Borysenok’s works were highly appreciated by his contemporaries and scientific mentors M. Vasylenko and O. Malynovsky. First of all they were impressed by the fact that he always tried to turn to primary sources and was critical to the works of his predecessors. His works show an excellent knowledge of the historiography of a particular research problem. In addition S. Borysenok being a lawyer by education was able to analyze in more details the certain problems that were not always clear to historians. The issues related to the First Lithuanian Statute and the history of the Bar in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania had been researched by S. Borysenok since the middle of 1920s. In particular the main subject of his research in Moscow archives was "History of the Bar in Ukraine in the 16th–18th Centuries. The special articles of the researcher are interesting and original. Among them are such articles as "Formation of a Professional Bar in the Lithuanian-Ruthenian State", "Lawyer's Fee in the Lithuanian Principality in the 16th–17th Centuries" (The latter was published in the 7th issue of the "Proceedings of the Commission for the Study of the History of Western-Ruthenian and Ukrainian Law". But that issue was destroyed). One of the greatest work by S. Borysenok concerns the history of the Bar formation in the first half of the 16th century. Also in the late 1920's the researcher had been preparing for publication a thorough work with focus on the Lithuanian Statute (history of drafting the code, sources, lists). Correspondence with Lithuanian researcher A. Janulaitis (the ancestor of the Lithuanian Statutes historiography) indicates that the manuscript of this work (or a significant part of it) probably existed. At the same time the facts of cooperation with Lithuanian historians are recorded and they give us the opportunity to hope that the lost achievements of the researcher can still be found and introduced into scientific circulation. And we are convinced that they will be the impetus for the new scientific research and will cause a significant number of scientific discussions. In the early 1930's S. Borysenok was an employee at the library. He actively worked at the acquisition of the library fund with foreign professional publications. He tried to establish and systematize international exchange. On September 23, 1937 S. Borysenok was arrested on trumped up charges of alleged involvement in an "anti-Soviet nationalist organization". On October 25 of the same year he was sentenced to death via shooting (executed on November, 14).

scholarly journals The First Occupation of Vilnius During the Great Northern War (April-May 1702)

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-104
Author(s):  
Gintautas Sliesoriūnas
Keyword(s):  
Primary Sources ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
The Military ◽  
Great Northern War ◽  
Grand Duchy

This article seeks to reconstruct the military actions and the diplomatic initiatives connected with the first Swedish occupation of Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, during the Great Northern War. In this study primary sources were used – the correspondence of the chief leaders of the army of the Lithuanian Republicans. This allowed a revision of previous assertions found in historiography, which were usually based on the diaries and memoirs of contemporaries.

Manuscript Catalogs and Inventories of Books from the Lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania – Some Problems of Publishing Rules

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 107-121
Author(s):  
Lilia Kowkiel ◽  
Arvydas Pacevičius ◽  
Iwona Pietrzkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Primary Source ◽  
Digital Form ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Historical Texts ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Grand Duchy ◽  
Book Culture

Historians and publishers of historical sources have a lot of problems with the texts written in different languages and alphabets, which were created at different times, in the multilingual areas inhabited by many nations following different religions. The historians of book culture have the same problems with texts of inventories and catalogues of books, which are the primary source of knowledge about the content of libraries. At present it’s also important the historical texts to be published in the digital form. This article is a part of the discussion on this very important subject.

D?r al-?arb as the Motherland? The Muslim Tatars of (the Grand Duchy of) Lithuania and Social Contract

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-177
Author(s):  
Egdūnas Račius
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Nation State ◽  
The Social ◽  
State And Society ◽  
Muslim Minority ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
Grand Duchy

Muslim presence in Lithuania, though already addressed from many angles, has not hitherto been approached from either the perspective of the social contract theories or of the compliance with Muslim jurisprudence. The author argues that through choice of non-Muslim Grand Duchy of Lithuania as their adopted Motherland, Muslim Tatars effectively entered into a unique (yet, from the point of Hanafi fiqh, arguably Islamically valid) social contract with the non-Muslim state and society. The article follows the development of this social contract since its inception in the fourteenth century all the way into the nation-state of Lithuania that emerged in the beginning of the twentieth century and continues until the present. The epitome of the social contract under investigation is the official granting in 1995 to Muslim Tatars of a status of one of the nine traditional faiths in Lithuania with all the ensuing political, legal and social consequences for both the Muslim minority and the state.

“History Misappropriation or Compreension?” (Russian Lihuanian Studies in the 19th and the Beginning of the 20th Century)

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 219-236
Author(s):  
Andrey Yu. Dvornichenko
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Russian Empire ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Medieval History ◽  
Scientific Paradigm ◽  
Russian State ◽  
History Of ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
Grand Duchy

The abundant Russian historiography of the medieval history of Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuanian-Russian State) has become in the last decades the centre of the discussions and is often subject to groundless criticism. This historiography was not very lucky in the Soviet period of the 20th century either, as it was severely criticized from the Marxist-Leninist position. When discussing Russian historiography the author of this article is consciously committed to the Russian positions. There are no reasons to consider this historiography branch either Byelorussian or Ukrainian one, as that was really Russian historiography, - the phenomenon that formed under the favorable specific conditions of Russian Empire before the beginning of the 20th century. The said phenomenon can be studied in different ways: according to the existing then main trends and schools or according to their affiliation with specific universities of Russian Empire. But according to the author of this article the best way to study the issue is in accordance with the main concepts of history. And then the pre-revolutionary historiography appears as an integral scientific paradigm that turns out to be the most divaricate branch of the Lithuanian studies of the time. It created, in its turn, the most vivid and objective historical picture that can still serve as the basis for the studies of Lithuanian-Russian state.

JULIJONA – LIETUVOS DIDŽIOJO KUNIGAIKŠČIO ALGIRDO ŽMONA IR JO VAIKŲ MOTINA

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019/2 ◽  
pp. 5-39
Author(s):  
Darius Baronas
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Method ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Source Analysis ◽  
The Political ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Nature Of Information ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania

ANNOTATION. This article is the first attempt of the biographic research of Grand Duchess Uliana Algirdienė of Lithuania (d. 17/03/1392), based on the critical analysis of primary sources. It is also aimed at pointing out the reflection of the role of women in the pagan Lithuanian society. The research was carried out by means of the analytical and comparative method of historical source analysis with a view to separate as distinctly as possible the information derived from contemporary sources from the images imposed by later historiographic tradition. The article questions the stereotypes related to Uliana’s great political power in Lithuania’s political life that are well-established in modern historiography and present-day cultural memory. With this an attempt is made to draw attention to the problematic nature of information derived from historical sources as well as to more distinctly define the frames imposed by the political culture of pagan Lithuania which clearly marked the boundaries for the political activities of women representing the ruling dynasty. This article for the most part dwells on the issues related to the coverage of Algirdas and Uliana’s marriage and the period of their married life up to Algirdas’ death in 1377. KEYWORDS: Uliana, Algirdas, Simeon, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Moscow, Tver, Rus’, women

LIETUVOS DIDŽIOSIOS KUNIGAIKŠTYSTĖS KARIUOMENĖS KASDIENINIO GYVENIMO STANDARTAI 1764–1788 M.

2018 ◽  
pp. 198-217
Author(s):  
Valdas Rakutis
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Supply System ◽  
Ruling Elite ◽  
Ordinary Life ◽  
Economic Unit ◽  
Grand Duchy Of Lithuania ◽  
A Company ◽  
A Current ◽  
Grand Duchy

The article analyses ordinary life of the Armed Forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the period between the beginning of the rule by the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Stanisław August Poniatowski, and until the reforms by the Four-Year Sejm (1788–1792). In the period of interest it was a small (up to 4,000 soldiers), independent army, made up from national contractors, mostly cavalry detachments, the main unit being a flag of 30–100 soldiers, and the so-called foreign contractors (cavalry, infantry and artillery), the main unit being a company of 60–100 soldiers. In 1775–1777, division by contractors’ ethnicity was replaced with the territorial divisions. The main changes took place in the national cavalry, where two equally sized brigades of hussars and petyhorcy were created, whereas majority of foreign contractors were reorganized into infantry. Peace-time armed forces was an important factor for the Lithuanian public, the ruling elite and the local communities. Army was not a tool for use in large international politics, it was more of a current order preserving instrument. Army supply system was based on the independent economic unit, governed by the unit commander. Attempts by the Lithuanian Military Commission to impose greater control gave insignificant results, although the reforms of 1775–1775 were able to strengthen control of the treasury and procedures, making relationships more visible and transparent, and the actual composition of the armed forces was very close to the theoretical provisions. The economic weakness of the nation after the First Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and lack of correlation between recovery of the treasury and army financing put bridles on the army, preventing it from development and change. In spite of all 1764–1788 reforms, the Lithuanian armed forces remained a stagnating institution, where routine and established traditions dominated over novelty and change. Keywords: Armed Forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, ordinary army life, rule of Stanisław Poniatowski, Military Commission, Military Department of the Permanent Council.

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