Creating Lithuanian patriotism in a Polish-Jewish city: the Wilno

ENThe example of the Lithuanian press in the mainly-Polish/Jewish/Russian city of Wilno/Vilna/Vilnius between 1904 and 1924 provides a unique example of the difficulties of attempting to develop organs of civil society in an uncommonly difficult situation. Not only was the bulk of the city's population non-Lithuanian-speaking, but even worse the Lithuanian civic leaders were directly challenged and opposed by Polish colleagues who in essence were attempting the same task of civil society building, only in another language and with quite different national presuppositions. A central question which has not been posed here is - why Vilnius? It is remarkable that few Lithuanian patriots of this period challenged the idea that Vilnius was, is, and will be the capital of Lithuanian culture and in the long run, of a Lithuanian state. But this question must be left for a future paper.