Coins photographed by Arūnas BaltėnasDesigned by Liudas Parulskis
The publication uses photographs from the Lithuanian Central State Archive (LCVA), the Maironis Lithuanian Literature Museum, the Rare Publications Unit of the Klaipėda University Library, and the personal archive of Vaclovas
Bagdonavičius.
Published by the Bank of Lithuania, Gedimino pr. 6, LT-01103 VilniusPrinted by UAB INDIGO print
That period saw the emergence of studies about Vydūnas’ oeuvre: Vydūno dramaturgija (The Dramatic Art of Vydūnas) by Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, Vydūno gyvenimas (The Life of Vydūnas) by Salys Šemerys and Vilimas Vydūnas by Vaižgantas. In 1927, Vydūnas was recognised as an honorary member of the worldwide association of writers (PEN Club). In 1928, he was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Kaunas. In 1933, he was elected an honorary member of the Lithuanian Society of Writ-ers. In 1940, he was even considered as a nominee for the Nobel Prize.
After World War I, the life of the Lithuanians in Lithuania Minor saw radical changes. Even though their cultural activities continued for some time and the society led by Vy-dūnas celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1920, several years later the Lithuanians became the target of chauvinist attacks, which were incited increasingly starting from 1925, while cultural activities were labelled as the propaganda of Greater Lithuania and seen as a manifestation of treason. In 1930, the whole of Prussia held tumultuous celebrations of the 700th anniversary of conquests by the Teutonic Order in the Prussian and Lithuanian lands. Vydūnas responded to these festivities with Septyni šimtmečiai vokiečių ir lietuvių santykių (Seven Hundred Years of German-Lithuanian Relations, 1932), a book written in the German language. Similar to Vydūnas’ press articles or his tragedy Pasaulio gaisras, this major historiosophic work expressed the concerns of the Lithuanian humanist about the sad situation of his compatriots and even his sorrow about the Germans who vener-ated Nazism and, with their behaviour, brutally destroyed the cultural values instead of
adopting and promoting them. Vydūnas’ books did not stay unnoticed by those to whom they were addressed. Septyni šimtmečiai vokiečių ir lietuvių santykių was confi scated on the grounds of being “harmful for the vital interests of the Reich” and clearing the way for the annexation of a part of Eastern Prussia to Lithuania. The remaining stock of copies of Pasaulio gaisras was confi scated simultaneously.
The rise of the Nazis (in particular, the rise to power by Hitler) was accompanied by harassment and threats. In 1935, the then authorities issued a blanket ban on all societies of Lithuanians. On 11 March 1938, Vydūnas was detained and spent two months in prison. The Lithuanian Society of Writers then sent a memorandum about the im-prisonment of Vydūnas to international writers’ organisa-
COIN DEDICATED TO THE 150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF VILHELMAS STOROSTA-VYDŪNAS
Denomination: €20Composition: silver Ag 925
Weight (g): 28.28Diameter (mm): 38.61
Quality: proofMintage: 2,500 pcs
Issued in 2018
On the edge of the coin:KLAUSYTI NORIU IR TARNAUT ŠVIESYBEI, DORYBĖS, ŽMONIŠKUMO BŪT PAVEIKSLU
(I WANT TO SERVE AND BE GUIDED BY THE LIGHT, BE AN IMAGE OF VIRTUE AND HUMANITY)
Graphic designs by Lukas Šiupšinskas (reverse), Alvydas Ladyga and Rytis Valantinas (obverse)
tions and intellectuals from various countries. The letter caught the attention of the media in many countries. After marking his 70th birthday in a prison cell, Vydūnas was released but left under police surveillance. The case was only dismissed in 1940.
During World War II, Vydūnas wrote several books and articles in the Lithuanian and Ger-man languages (Žmonijos sąmoningumas (Human Consciousness), Svarstymai apie sąmonės slėpiningumą (Considerations on the Mysteriousness of Consciousness), etc.), as well as an au-tobiographical story about his experiences in prison and his refl ections (Kalėjimas – laisvėjimas (Imprisonment and Liberation), 1947). He also started translating the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most important sacred scriptures of Hinduism, from Sanskrit to the Lithuanian language (1947).
With the front line coming closer, Vydūnas evacuated into inland Germany and spent the rest of his life in the town of Detmold, Westphalia, where he settled down in 1946. During the diffi cult journey, which lasted nearly two years, he devoted much time to writing: in 1945, he wrote an essay Tauresnio žmoniškumo užtekėjimas (The Emergence of a More Noble Humane-ness) and a work entitled Didysis klausimas (The Basic Issue, in the German language) about the tragic fate of the German nation. In Detmold, he produced a study about Kristijonas Donelaitis in the German and Lithuanian languages, in which he interpreted the poem Metai (The Sea-sons) as a framework for the survival of the nation.
While living in Detmold, Vydūnas took a very active part in the cultural activities of the Lithuanian expatriates and delivered speeches at their conventions and other gatherings. He was elected as an honorary member by the Society of Lithuanian Writers in Exile, the Council of Lithuania Minor, the Lithuanian Union of Journalists and many other organisations. A youth fund, which was founded in Chicago in 1952 with the purpose of providing support to the Lithu-anian youths aiming to complete their academic studies, was named after Vydūnas with his consent. This fund has done much to keep alive the memory of the prominent fi gure in the Lithuanian national revival and disseminate his ideas to the exile audience.
Vydūnas died on 20 February 1953. In 1991, his remains were brought back to now independent Lithuania and laid to rest at the Bitėnai cemetery near Rambynas – the pantheon of Lithuania Minor.
Prof. Dr. Aušra Martišiūtė-Linartienė
Among the participants of the exhibition of Lithuanian women artists, 1973
Choir of the Tilsit Society of Lithuanian Chanters and its conductor Vydūnas, 1933
Refugee travel document issued to Vydūnas in 1949 in Detmold (Germany)
Vydūnas (real name Vilhelmas Storosta, Vilhelmas Storostas, or Wilhelm Storost in German, 1868–1953) was a writer, philosopher and a society figure of Prussian Lithuania, or Lithuania Minor. The works of Vydūnas in various cultural domains are underpinned by the commitment to foster a nation of conscious and free people capable of contributing as fully as possible to the strengthening of humanity in the global culture.
With his philosophy of humanism, Vydūnas stands out among the pioneers of the Lithua-nian national revival. He strongly believed that the national spirit is a prerequisite for fostering humanity, which empowers the nation with strength that cannot be broken by any forces. In Vydūnas’ view, the development of a free, conscious and creative individual is inseparable from a man for himself, a man for the nation, a man for the mankind.
The ideas of humanism are reflected in Vydūnas’ philosophical essays, op-ed articles and plays. His ideas fostered the spiritual growth and national self-respect of the Lithuanians of Lith-uania Minor; he vigorously stood against the ruthless policy of denationalisation of his compa-triots and made every effort to promote the development of free individuals in Lithuania when it won back its independence. During the years of Soviet occupation, the ideas promoted by Vydūnas served as an inspiration to the post-war guerrilla fighters in their struggle, and later – to an ethnocultural movement, which chose the path of cultural resistance. Vydūnas’ idea of non-violent resistance found its expression in the struggle of Lithuanians for independence be-tween 1988 and 1991. In today’s globalised world, the insights of Vydūnas about the identity and value of each nation, harmonious cohabitation of all European nations and spiritual growth gain particular importance.
This prominent figure in Lithuania’s culture started to make his way back into our historical memory during the formation of Sąjūdis, known as the Reform Movement of Lithuania, and in particular with the establishment of Vydūnas Society in 1988. The non-governmental organisation has been promoting and enhancing the humanistic ideas propagated by Vydūnas for nearly three decades. The importance of Vydūnas for the Republic of Lithuania was acknowledged with the 200 litas banknote designed by Rytis Valantinas: the humanist of Lithuania Minor got his right-ful place in a symbolic hall of fame of Lithuanian culture – alongside Žemaitė, Motiejus Valanči-us, Jonas Jablonskis, Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas, Maironis, Jonas Basanavičius, Simonas Daukantas and Vincas Kudirka. In the State of Lithuania that was restored on February 16, Vydūnas inspired many schoolchildren, including future world renowned personalities, such as Marija Al-seikaitė-Gimbutienė, an archaeologist, Liudas Truikys, an artist, Jonas Mekas, an avant-garde film-maker, and many others, to pursue a creative development of culture inherited from their ances-tors. Vydūnas has already been reintroduced into the school curricula in Lithuania, which regained
A THINKER AND A DILIGENT PROPAGATOR OF MORAL REVIVAL OF THE NATION
its independence by way of the March 11 Act. It is therefore meaningful that the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania has declared the year 2018 as the Year of Vydūnas in order to mark his 150th birth anniversary.
Vilhelmas Storosta was born in Jonaičiai, a village near Šilutė, which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. Holding true to the Protestant traditions characteristic of the Prussian Lithuanians, parents sought to raise their children as honest individuals respecting Lithuani-anism. Following the lead of his father, future Vydūnas decided to become a teacher. After graduating from the Ragainė teacher training seminary in 1888, he taught at schools in Kintai and Tilsit. While working as a teacher, he spent his vacations studying, as a non-degree student, at the universities of Greifswald, Halle, Leipzig and Berlin, where he delved into philosophy, literature, arts, sociolo-gy, natural sciences, and law as well as studied Sanskrit.
The talent of Vydūnas as a writer started to unfold while he was still studying at the Ragainė teacher training seminary. He wrote in the Ger-man language that was the only teaching and spoken language at the seminary. Similar to Vincas Kudirka, Vydūnas was strongly influenced by Aušra – a newspaper published in the Lithuanian language in Ragainė and Tilsit. Starting from 1895, he got actively involved in the Lithuanian cultural activities, which included work at the Birutė Society (a Lithuanian cultural society of Lithuania Minor), the establishment of the Society of Lithuanian Chanters in Tilsit, publication of op-ed articles and writing of plays and works in philosophy. He ardently encouraged the youth to keep the songs of their ancestors in memory, to cherish their mother tongue, their national identity and humanity – to be individuals worthy of respect. The chosen pen name of Vydūnas means wisdom, the quintessential things that a person has perceived, comprehended and beheld. As the most efficient way forward, Vydūnas chose to develop the moral resistance of his nation. He sought to develop a ‘free individual’ – a man for himself, the nation and the man-kind – through the wakening of historical memory and the formation of values. Under his leadership, the activity of the Society of Chanters ignited a true Lithuani-an cultural movement in Lithuania Minor, which saw the establishment of numerous cultural societies. During more than three decades, Vydūnas created nearly 50 plays, in-cluding dramas, tragedies, mystery plays and comedies, for the performers of the society and published these works as books printed in a highly aesthetic style. Many of his works became
classics of the Lithuanian literature, for instance, Probočių šešėliai (Shadows of the Ancestors, 1908), Amžina ugnis (The Eternal Flame, 1913) or Pasaulio gaisras (The World on Fire, 1928). His writings also include 12 works in philosophy, one of which, entitled Sąmonė (Consciousness, 1936), contains the most consistent presentation of Vydūnas’ philosophy.
Vydūnas got actively involved in the activities of the Lithuanian Scientific Society, which was founded in Vilnius on the initiative of Jonas Basanavičius in 1907, and joined the cultural
process of the whole Lithuanian nation. Lietuvos praeitis ir dabartis (Lithuania’s Past and Present), a Lithuanian history book written by him, was published in the German
(1916), French (1916), Polish (1919) and Russian (1921) languages. He published articles about the Lithuanian literature and folklore in the German and Swiss
press, produced a dictionary Vokiečių–lietuvių žodžių rinkinys (A Collection of German-Lithuanian Words, 1916) as well as textbooks Vadovas lietuvių
kalbai pramokti (A Guide to Mastering the Lithuanian Language, 1912, fol-lowed by the 2nd edition in 1924) and Įvadas į lietuvių kalbą (Introduction to the Lithuanian Language, published in the German language, 1919). While taking part in the International Congress of National Minorities, he repeatedly defended the rights of the Prussian Lithuanians and the Lith-uanians of the Vilnius region (in 1930, 1931 and 1934) and used the in-ternational stand to demand that the national minorities residing in the
territory of Germany be awarded the rights identical to those demanded by Germany from other countries where the German nationals lived.
Following the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, Vydūnas got actively involved in cultural activities. He believed that a free state would
manage to implement the ideals he was committed to. He went back to edu-cational work and taught literature at the Telšiai Secondary School and history
of culture at the Klaipėda Music School, did lecturing at the courses for teachers in Palanga. Darbymetis, a magazine published by Vydūnas, his social and political
essays promoting justice in Lithuania’s social life and the development of high cul-ture – everything was dedicated to Lithuania. In his works Mūsų uždavinys (Our Task,
1911, followed by the 2nd edition in 1921), Tautos gyvata (The Life of the Nation, 1920), Sveikata, jaunumas, grožė (Health, Youth, Beauty, 1928), Vydūnas explained his ideas and
showed ways to seek spiritual enlightenment as well as identified the moral standards that should be developed. He delivered numerous lectures in various Lithuanian towns and cit-ies, forged close links with Lithuania’s intelligentsia, academic youth and common people.
Vydūnas, Hugo Höppener (Fidus) and Viktor Falkenhahn
Playing the harp
Wedding, 1891
Childhood home in Jonaičiai
House in Tilsit With the President during the exhibition of Lithuanian women artists, 1930
