Jan Karłowicz a sprawy litewskie
ENAt the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries the relations between Poles and Lithuanians would be simplified if we spoke only in terms of the conflicts and disputes. There was observed also another direction. Among the Poles there appeared a number of enlightened persons – writers and scientists, who gained huge authority. Jan Karłowicz, a famous Polish scholar, who worked and conducted his research during the second half of the 19th century, held a special place in this group. He was born in Lithuania and was closely tied with his homeland for almost half a century. The cultural heritage of the Great Duchy of Lithuania is dominant in his numerous writings. Jan Karłowicz was one of the first researchers who paid attention to the very complicated social, linguistic and cultural situation in Lithuania. He investigated it using the latest scientific methods and applying the vast knowledge, which he acquired at foreign universities. He is also considered to be one of the first Polish scholars who started investigating Lithuanian dialectology, etymology and onomastics as well as the Lithuanian language and tried to give them closer ties with the Polish society. J. Karłowicz witnessed the resurgence of the Lithuanian national movement and embraced it understandingly. His views and extensive activities have positively contributed to the Polish-Lithuanian relations, which consisted not only of conflicts and disputes, but also attempts to understand each other.
