Istorikas Ivanas Lappo (1869-1944) ir Lietuva

LTŠis straipsnis remiasi daugiausia archyvų medžiaga, kurios didžiuma naudojama pirmą kartą. Panaudota VDU ir Vilniaus universiteto (toliau - VU) leista informacinė literatūra: kalendoriai, paskaitų tvarkaraščiai. Straipsnyje norime aptarti I. Lappo atvykimo į Lietuvą ir išvykimo iš jos aplinkybes, svarbiausius istoriko gyvenimo Lietuvoje (1933-1942 m.) faktus, apibūdinti jo pedagoginę, visuomeninę veiklą, jos reikšmę Lietuvos valstybei, istorijos mokslui ir kultūrai. [p. 81].

ENIvan Lappo, a prominent investigator of the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, lived in Lithuania almost for 10 years, from 1933 to 1942. This report, for the first time in historiography discusses the circumstances of his arrival in Lithuania as well as his scientific and pedagogical activities on the basis of archival materials. It is note worthy to mention that the works of the scholar are mostly devoted to the analysis of the Statutes of Lithuania, the Lublin Union and other events of the GDL in the 16th-18th centuries. Lappo's investigations into the history of the GDL are considered the "golden fund" of historiography and are highly estimated. Being in emigration, at the request of the Lithuanian authorities in 1921, Lappo prepared a memorandum in which he attempted to prove that the Polish claims for Lithuania were unfounded. He marked that after the Lublin Union until the end of the 18th century the GDL had maintained its state independence, therefore Poland could not have pretensions to Lithuania as to direct historical heritage. Concurrently, Lappo maintained close cooperation with the Lithuanian students in Czechoslovakia, with P. Klimas the Lithuanian envoy in Paris; his views on the issues of the Lithuanian history were widely known. Gradually he established relations with the Lithuanian historians I. Jonynas, A. Janulaitis, and others. But in 1931-1932, with the economic conditions becoming worse. problems arose in the research of the Lithuanian history. Therefore, Lappo accepted the offer to live and work in Lithuania.Here he was given a considerable pension, and a chair at the University. His research and pedagogical activities were highly appreciated by the state authorities, as well as historians. He was given everything necessary for the completion of his fundamental work on the Statutes of Lithuania, and published other papers as well. His activity in Lithuania evidently had a strong influence on A. Šapoka, K. Avižonis and other scholars of the history of Lithuania; he acquainted the Lithuanian society with the important but not widely known issues of the Lithuanian statehood in the 16th-18th centuries. For special merit Lappo was awarded the 3rd Class Grand Duke Gediminas Order in 1938 and in 1939 was granted Lithuanian citizenship. His life and prospective works, however, were interrupted by the Soviet and German occupations. After some disturbances and hard years Lappo left Lithuania in the autumn of 1942. We have no information either about his last years his fate or his family (wife and son). Presumably, his life ended in Germany on December 23, 1944. There are no traces of his family or his archives. Lappo's abundant scientific heritage and extraordinary briography deserve to be considered in a comprehensive monograph.