Martynas Jankus: tautos vienytojas ir lietuvių spaudos kūrėjas

LTMonografijos tyrimo objektas - Martyno Jankaus (1858-1946) asmenybė, jos formavimosi ir brandos raida veikiant etninėms, kultūrinėms, socialinėms ir politinėms aplinkybėms, raiška geografinėje, profesinėje ir politinėje erdvėje. Svarbus proceso dėmuo - asmenybės ir Mažosios Lietuvos tapatumas. Tai lėmė krašto priklausymas vakarietiškoms, didesnės ekonominės ir kultūrinės pažangos vokiečių valstybėms, laisvas gyventojų judėjimas po užsienio šalis, demokratiškos evangelikų liuteronų tikybos tradicijos. Tautos gyvenamojo ploto dalių fizinis artumas ir, palyginti su Rusija, liberalesni Vokietijos įstatymai sudarė sąlygas Mažosios Lietuvos miestams tapti draudžiamosios spaudos lotyniškuoju šriftu leidimo ir nelegalaus transportavimo per imperijų sieną židiniais, sąjūdžio veikėjų tarpine stotimi tarp Rytų ir Vakarų. Jankaus veikla spaudos leidybos srityje apėmė 1879-1925 m. laikotarpį, į kurį pateko ir jo paties spaudos įmonės darbas Ragainėje, Tilžėje, Bitėnuose, Klaipėdoje ir Šilutėje. Iš viso joje išspausdinta 414 knygų, brošiūrų ir smulkiųjų spaudinių bei 27 periodiniai leidiniai lietuvių, vokiečių, sorbų, lenkų ir baltarusių kalbomis. Ši produkcija buvo skirta Mažajai ir Didžiajai Lietuvai bei išeivijai. Jankaus pasiekimu laikytina leidinių įvairovė, jų pasaulietiškumas ir polemiškumas. Leidyba formavo Jankaus orientaciją į tautinį sąjūdį ir bendradarbiavimą su didžiąja tautos dalimi, į veržliai kylančias socialines ir politines jėgas.Jankus dalyvavo įkuriant pirmąją lietuvių kultūros draugiją „Birutė" (1885), per rinkimus į Prūsijos landtagą ir Vokietijos reichstagą leido politinę spaudą, skirtą lietuvių kandidatams palaikyti, pats kandidatavo. Jankus pasirašė svarbiausius dokumentus dėl Mažosios ir Didžiosios Lietuvos suvienijimo ir aktyviai veikė kaip vienas iš Klaipėdos krašto prijungimo prie Lietuvos Respublikos politinių vadovų. Lietuvos pirmosios nepriklausomybės metais Jankus pripažintas istorine asmenybe. Dar gyvas jis buvo heroizuotas, jo vardu vadintos gatvės ir organizacijos, jam gyvam pastatytas monumentas. Šiandien Jankaus idėjos tebėra gyvos ir atitinka modernios tautos bei valstybės interesus. [Anotacija knygoje]Reikšminiai žodžiai: Leidėjai; Leidyba; Mažoji Lietuva (Lithuania Minor); Regionai; Biografijos; 18 amžius; 19 amžius; Martynas Jankus; Visuomenės veikėjai; Public figures; Regions; Biographies; Publishing; Publishers; 18th century; 19th century.

ENThe present work was inspired by a social need and scientific purposes. In 2018, when commemorating the 100th anniversary of the reestablishment of the Republic of Lithuania, the merits and contribution of the most distinguished Lithuanian social activists, cultural workers and politicians of Lithuania Minor to creating modern Lithuania were not brought up to date. Having acknowledged the need to eliminate the said shortcoming, the author has set himself the objective of carrying out an interdisciplinary study of Jankus' life, his public activities, his cultural and ideological legacy. The aim of the study was to define the role the said person played in the process of the nation's emancipation in the 19th century, in maintaining the stability of the young state following the declaration of its Independence in 1918, applying the Lithuanian press as an instrument for solving personal and social problems, bringing together the inhabitants of Lithuania Minor and Lithuania on the national and economic basis. Jankus' character was formed by genealogical roots and a traditional rural way of life. Members of at least four generations of the Jankus family were subordinates of the Kingdom of Prussia; from 1871, they were subordinates of the German Reich, the Lithuanian autochthons of Lithuania Minor, with the epicentre of their life being the Ragnit (Lith. Ragainė) Parish of East Prussia. Beginning with the 18th century, members of the family professed the Evangelical Lutheran faith. Jankus' lifestyle, character and creativity were influenced by the natural environment (the Rambynas mountain massif, the Nemunas River), main roads and waterways located in the vicinity, the easily reached city of Tilsit (Tilžė), the capital of ethnic Lithuania Minor, and information and communication services provided there in.Despite seven years of primary education that was compulsory in Prussia, Jankus did not attend school regularly because due to his parents' poverty, he spent the largest part of his schooling time working on the family's farm. He received general education through autodidacticism and self-education. He learned the Lithuanian language and writing, which were becoming more modern, the language and communication culture by communicating with the authors of illegal Lithuanian literature intended for Lithuania and the politicians. Before World War I, in the field of military policy , Jankus acted as an effective key opinion leader: making use of the press and other media, he initiated changes in the social mentality and promoted the liberalisation of opinions and views. He did much in the political, cultural sphere , and was also active in the sphere of economic activities, created the information environment and rallied ideological supporters. During World War I, when the armed forces of Imperial Russia carried out deportations of civil prisoners of occupied East Prussia, Jankus and his family were exiled to the hinterlands of Russia where they spent four years, from 1914 to 1918. The period of deportation provided him with experience that was different from the experience of political activity of parliamentary elections held in Prussia and the Reich, a direct understanding of political processes in the eastern part of Europe and Russia. Communication with the politicians of Lithuania turned him into an enthusiastic advocate of the creation of the future State of Lithuania. By a statement made at the Seimas of the Russian Lithuanians in Saint Petersburg in 1917, he confirmed his self-determination to dissociate himself from political dependence on Germany.Due to his active opposition to national and political discrimination of Lithuanians, Jankus was interrogated 40 times and brought to court by the Prussian authorities, was punished 27 times, and was charged with treason (Hochverrat), which entailed the most severe punishment. From 1889, under the influence of her husband, Jankus' wife Anė Puknaitytė-Jankuvienė participated in the activities of a moderate cultural and educational movement of Lithuanians. She was one of the first activists of the women's movement in Lithuania Minor. Jankus' political biography covered the period between 1879 and 1925, and its beginning goes back to an attempt to establish the first Lithuanian political organisation in Lithuania Minor and ends with the outset of the functioning of the multiparty system of the Republic of Lithuania in the Klaipėda Region (Memelgebiet, territoire de Memel). He called himself sooner a politician than a cultural worker: he used the press as a tool of a political activiy an d influence; on the other hand, he needed the politicians' support for his printing business. [...]. [From the publication]

• Komunikacija / Communication
• Istorija / History