Prussian Lithuanians

Prussian Lithuanians
(Lietuwininkai)

Regions with significant populations
Germany	~100,000
Canada	~20,000
Australia	~2,000
Lithuania	~2,000
United States	~1,000
Russia	few
Languages
German and Lithuanian
Religion
Lutherans
Related ethnic groups
Germans and Lithuanians

The term Prussian Lithuanians or Lietuwininkai refers to a separate ethnic group native to former East Prussia. The ethnolinguistic and ethnographic area of Prussia, later East Prussia in Germany, where Prussian Lithuanians lived prior to the Expulsion of Germans after World War II, was called Prussian Lithuania or Lithuania Minor ([Prusų Lietuva, Mažoji Lietuva] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); [Preußisch-Litauen, Kleinlitauen] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)) in contrast to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later Republic of Lithuania (Lithuania major).

Lietuvininkas (Lithuanian: Lietuvininkas, plural - Lietuvininkai, commonly translated into English as Lietuvninks or Prussian Lithuanians) is the term applied to East Prussians of Lithuanian descent who lived in Lithuania Minor. Unlike other Lithuanians, who remained Roman Catholic after the Protestant Reformation, most Lietuvninkai became Lutheran-Protestants (Evangelical-Lutheran).

Usage of this term is problematic. The main argument not to use it is, that in Lithuania Minor the term Lietuvininkas basically just meant "Lithuanians", being a synonym of the word Lietuvis (= "Lithuanian"), not the name of a separate ethnic sub-group. Moreover, the name Lietuvininkas had been used by all Lithuanians as the ethnonym, while the name Lietuvis was a later innovation. Although this term was not accepted by many people, including some prominent Prussian Lithuanians, presently the word Lietuvininkas means a person from Lithuania Minor, and almost never a Lithuanian in general.

There were about 200,000 Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania Minor at the time of the First World War. Almost all fled or were expelled after World War II, when Lithuania Minor was divided between Poland and the Soviet Union. The latter part became the Kaliningrad Oblast.

Self-naming and Identification

Prussian Lithuanians usually named themselves in the general term Prussians (Lithuanian: Pruſai, German: Preusch) which itself appeared after the state dependence. In order to express their distinctive ethnic identity from other Prussians, the names Prussian Lithuanians ([ Pruſû Lietuwiai, Pruſû Lietuwininkai, Pruſißki Lietuwininkai] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), German: Preußische Litauer), or simply Lithuanians (plural: [Lietuw(i)ni(n)kai, singular: Lietuwininkas] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help), German: Litauer). Prussian Lithuanians usually called their inhabited land Lithuania. Prussian Lithuanians in fact regarded themselves as Lithuanians (Lietuwininkai) only for their own purposes. Prussian Lithuanians did not realize and did not want to realize they were the same people as other Lithuanian speakers. Most Prussian Lithuanians lived only alongside Samogitia – in the Klaipėda region and at the other side by Neman – by the beginning of the 20th century, were affected by German attitudes, had better living conditions than those under the tsarist rule, had slight contacts with further parts of Lithuanian nation which were politically in Russia then. This was possibly the ground for the exonym’s Samogitians (Lithuanian: Źemaicziai, German: Szameiten) appearance, which was used by many Lietuwininkai to refer to non-Prussian Lithuanians.

A They were proud they were better Lithuanians. Such isolate, fluid and exceptional identity was similar to Masurian identity towards Poles. Loyalty to state, great religiosity and mother language were three main priorities of self-identification, and ethnocentrism was not actual. Prussian Lithuanians usually referred to themselves as Prussians or Germans when living outside Germany. It was quite usual for Prussian Lithuanian to be a German and Lietuwininkas, to speak Lithuanian and be a German in the same time. Local self-designating terms found in literature, such as Sziszionißkiai, Burai (German: Bauerns), were neither politonyms nor ethnonyms. Another similar term appeared in the Memel Territory during the interwar years – Memellanders (Lithuanian: Memelanderiai, German: Memelländers, translated as Klaipėdiškiai in modern Lithuanian historiography). There were people who signed in the censae they were Memellanders by nationality, however. The term Lietuvininkai or sometimes a neologism unknown to Lietuwininkai themselves, Mažlietuviai, is used in the modern Lithuanian historiography.

Origin of ethnonym

Main article: Lietuvininks

The name Lietuwininkai (as litovniki) was mentioned in 1260 by Novgorod chronicles by the first time and meant Lithuanians. The ethnonym was common during the 15-18th centuries among Lithuanians living in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Duchy of Prussia . There were also other forms of the ethnonym Lithuanian used in ancient times . Lietuviai (sg. Lietuvis, Lietuvys) became most popular in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (and is current ethnonym), and Lietuwininkai (Lietuwininkas, Lietuwninkas, Lietuwnîkas) remained used among Prussian Lithuanians of Prussia. The term Prussian Lithuanians (Preußisches Litauens) appeared in the 16th century in German texts. The term Lithuania Minor (Kleinlitaw) was first used by Simon Grunau, between 1517 and 1527.

The word is derived from the name of Lithuania with an agent's suffix -ininkas added (Lietuv-a + -ininkas > Lietuvininkas). The agent's suffix -inink- is common in Lithuanian. For example: darbas (a work) - darbininkas (a worker), lankas (a bow) - lankininkas (an archer), bitė (a bee) - bitininkas (an apiarist). The shortened form of the suffix, -nink was used by Lietuvininkai themselves, therefore their name is often used in an original form Lietuvninkai.

Culture and Traditions

The Prussian Lithuanians settled in the state of the Order and during the centuries were affected and influenced by German lifestyle, German culture, German ordnung and German language. Prussian Lithuanians adopted many cultural values and social conventions of the German state, but preserved Lithuanian language, traditions and folk culture. For centuries Prussian Lithuanians lived in different political, confessional environment from other Lithuanians and evolved into a separate ethnic group. The common German state united Germans and Prussian Lithuanians, was their home-state and Prussian Lithuanians viewed its rulers as their own rulers It was usual to have portraits of rulers at home, Prussian Lithuanians were great patriots of Prussia and also Germany.

The pietist congregational movement was strong among Prussian Lithuanians: evangelical fellowships (German: Versammung, Lithuanian: Surinkimininkai) were active like in the rest of the German Empire. About 40 % of [Prussian] Lithuanians belonged to such fellowships in Prussia. Members of fellowships lived according ascetic principles.

After World War II, virtually no Prussian Lithuanians remained in Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast and only a small number survived in the Lithuanian SSR. Any heritage of the society which formerly lived at Germanic and later Nazi state were being destroyed, not looking whether it was German or Prussian Lithuanian etc. Both Germans and Prussian Lithuanians lived together, thus nearly all churches and cemeteries of Prussian Lithuanians were destroyed, especially in Russia. The local traditions of Prussian Lithuanians are nearly vanished today due to Germanization policy, Nazi adverse actions and especially Soviet destruction. A better situation occurred in the former Memel Territory but even there some churches and cemeteries were destroyed.

Mentality

Prussian Lithuanians were more commonly villagers until the industrial times; the towns were not big. Those who went to the major towns, Königsberg and Memel, most usually became German speakers and later Germans. The feudal mentality is reflected in the poem called Seasons by Kristijonas Donelaitis. As all peasants of the feudal organization they respected their rulers very much. Seasons says that it was bad when Prussian Lithuanians tried to follow the German style of life, and that German life style was linked with usually sick noblemen and instilled for Lithuanians they should do their duties, not to envy those who went to the German towns, not to complain or be lazy and try to work as much as is needed for the good of a peasant.

Lietuwininkai vs. Lietuviai

Generally the relations between these ethnic groups were quite similar to the relations between Serbs and Croats. Despite having the same language, antagonism persisted. It was based possibly mostly on the different religion, because religion was a very important factor of consciousness in earlier times and was identified with nationality. Dutch in the Netherlands and Belgium can be compared. Antagonism could be seen in Memel Territory after it was incorporated into Lithuania. Inhabitants of Lithuania (sometimes called Didlietuviai (did- is Lithuanian for "big", "great")) did not trust Prussian Lithuanians in Memel Territory and tended to think of them as ‘not real Lithuanians’, as was well-known since the first years of the Memel Territory's autonomy. . The nationalistic policy, especially after the 1926 coup d’etat, was caried out by the nationalistic oriented state. Such policy led only to failures only; some Prussian Lithuanians resigned their nationality in the censuses and to express difference from Lithuanians signed themselves as Memellanders.

The antipathy was strong: when Prussian Lithuanian writer Ewa Simoneit chose the side of the policy of the Lithuanian Republic (she officially became Ieva Simonaitytė); she was condemned by relatives, friends and neighbours. Only one Prussian Lithuanian (Dovas Zaunius) worked in the government of Lithuania, between WWI and WWII. The antagonism persisted till the end of the World War II, when East Prussia had gone.

Surnames

The Lithuanian surnames were written in the Germanic forms in East Prussia, with Lithuanian endings dropped off those surnames that had the suffixes -at, -eit (-ait-), and were written in German-type transcription (for example -ies, with 'ie' pronounced German-fashion as English "ee")).

The patronymic suffix -ait- was most popular among Prussian Lithuanian surnames. It has the same role what for example English -son does in the surnames Abrahamson, Johnson etc. The suffix -ait- is more popular today in the western part of Lithuania. The suffix was used in its dialectal form -at-; its Germanized form -eit was very popular among Prussian Lithuanians. Examples include: Abromeit, Grigoleit, Jakeit, Kukulat, Szameitat, etc. The equivalents in Lithuanian spelling are common Lithuanian surnames: Abromaitis, Grigolaitis, Jakaitis, Kukulatis / Kukulaitis, Šameitatis / Šameitaitis, etc. The form -at- is used in the western parts of modern Lithuania, which have never been a part of a German state; for example vištatė (višta = a hen) instead of vištaitė (the suffix has a diminutive meaning in the example).

Prussian Lithuanian surnames with the endings -ies, -us are also popular: Kairies, Resgies, Baltßus, Karallus, etc. These are common in modern Lithuanian where they are written as Kairys, Rezgys, Balčius, Karalius, etc.

Of the other common Lithuanian suffixes such as patronymics, some were made from borrowed Slavic forms (-auskas, -avičius, -evičius, -inskas) and some were native Baltic (-onis, -ūnas, -ėnas (patronymic), -elis, -ikas, -utis (diminutive), -eika/-is, etc); these are not very common among Prussian Lithuanians. The dual naming (of Lithuanian and German forms) was usual and acceptable among Prussian Lithuanians and even highly educated and pro-Lithuanian oriented Prussian Lithuanians as philosopher Wilhelm Storost, famous Prussian Lithuanian linguist Georg Gerullis had always prefered the surname of the German style, used to sign with it and had never changed it.

The difference between female and male surnames in Lithuanian language exists. While officially the wife of Kurschat (Prussian Lithuanian Kurßaitis or Kurßatis) also was called Kurschat in East Prussia, the Lithuanian language forms were used in speech: the form of a wife’s surname was Kurßaitê / Kurßatė and the form of a unmarried woman was Kurßaitikê / Kurßaitikê / Kurßaitukê etc. The other common Lithuanian suffixes for females until marriage such as -ytė, -aitė, -iūtė were not used by Prussian Lithuanians.

Language

Prussian Lithuanians had been usually bilingual since the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century The German language used by Prussian Lithuanians belongs to Low Prussian dialect of Low German, Mundart des Ostgebietes subdialect.

Lithuanian language of Prussian Lithuanians could be divided into two main dialects: Samogitian dialect and Aukštaitian dialect. Prussian Lithuanians did not classify their language themselves. Standard language is quite similar to standard Lithuanian except for the number of German loanwords. The Lithuanian language which had been spoken in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and later Russia was influenced by Polish and Belarusian languages, while in Prussia – by German language. Thus while Lithuanians used Slavic loanwords and translations, Prussian Lithuanians used German loanwords and translations, in addition to earlier Slavic loanwords.

Prussian Lithuanian literature

Prussian Lithuanian newspaper Pakajaus-Paſlas!: Lietuwos Brolams bei Seſerims Diewo-Ʒodi ir Surinkimus apſakas

The literature in Lithuanian language has appeared earlier in the Duchy of Prussia than in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The first book in Lithuanian was published in Königsberg in 1547 by Martynas Mažvydas, emigrant from Samogitia, while the first Lithuanian book of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was printed in 1596 by Mikalojus Daukša. Many other authors who wrote in Lithuanian were not Prussian Lithuanians, but local Prussian Germans: Michael Märlin, Jakob Quandt, Wilhelm Martinius, Gottfried Ostermeyer, Sigfried Ostermeyer, Daniel Klein, Andrew Krause, Philipp Ruhig, Matttheus Praetorius, Christian Mielcke, Adam Schimmelpfennig, etc. The first newspaper in the Lithuanian language Nuſidawimai apie Ewangēliôs Praſiplatinima tarp Źydû ir Pagonû was published by Prussian Lithuanians too. Prior to World War I, the government and political parties financed Prussian Lithuanian press.

Orthography

The Prussian Lithuanian Orthography was based on German style, while in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania it was primarily based on Polish. Prussian Lithuanians used Blackletter. The differences show that Lithuanians were not reading Prussian Lithuanian writings and vice versa and the cultural communication was very limited. The attempts to create a unified newspaper and common orthography for all Lithuanian speakers in the beginning of the 20th century were unsuccessful. After 1905, modern Lithuanian orthography was standardized while Prussian Lithuanian orthography remained the same – German Blackletter, a noun was begun with a capital letter, letters ſ, ß, ʒ were used, a construction of sentences was different compared to Lithuanian.

Books and newspapers that were published in Lithuania in Latin letters were reprinted in Blackletter in the Memel Territory in 1923-39. The Prussian Lithuanian newspaper Naujaſis Tilźes Keleiwis (German: Neues Tilsiter Wanderer) had been published in Blackletter till 1940 in Tilsit, when was closed by Nazis. After Germany had occupied Poland in 1939 and Suwalki triangle had been directly attached to the Third Reich Lithuanians of Punsk did not understand the Naujaſis Tilźes Keleiwis and did not read it.

History

Main article: History of Prussia

Main article: Lithuania Minor

Early history

Distribution of the Baltic tribes, circa 1200 CE.

Prussian Lithuanians in 1744

Louise, Queen of Prussia, (Lithuanian: Karaliene Luvyza) beloved of Prussian Lithuanians

Otto von Bismarck (Lithuanian: Otto von Bismarkis) “The honiest knight, new star of our homeland, the greatest man of century” - such epitetes were used in Prussian Lithuanian press.

The 7th stanza of Lietuvininks we are born was dedicated to William I (Lithuanian: Wilius I)

The territory where Prussian Lithuanians lived in ancient times was inhabited by Old Prussian, Old Prussian, Scalovian and Curonian (by the sea) tribes. During the wars between Lithuania and Teutonic Order the area approximately between the rivers Alle and Memel became almost uninhabited, local tribes resettled (voluntary or by force) either in the Monastic State of the Teutonic Knights or in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This uninhabited area was named Wilderness (German: Wildnis) in chronicles.

After the 1422 Treaty of Melno, a stable border between the two states was established. Better living conditions attracted Lithuanians and Samogitians to settle in state of the Teutonic Order . Masurians and Curonians migrated into Prussia at the same time. After 1525, last Master of the Order Albert became duke of Prussia and switched to Protestantism, Prussian Lithuanians became Protestants too. Although Lithuanians who settled in Prussia were mainly farmers, in 16th century there was an influx of educated Protestant immigrants from Lithuania, such as Martynas Mažvydas, Abraomas Kulvietis and Stanislovas Rapolionis (in Prussia wer known by their Latinized names Martinus Mosvidus, Abraham Culvensis, Stanislaus Rapagellanus) who became first professors at the Königsberg University.

By the will of Albert, Duke of Prussia, church services for Prussian Lithuanians were held in the Lithuanian language. In writings of 16th century, the term Prussian Lithuanians (Preußisches Litauens) appeared for the first time. In 1526, Simon Grunau used the term Lithuania Minor (Kleinlitaw) for the first time.

Martynas Mažvydas was a zealous Protestant and urged to stop all contacts between Prussian Lithuanians and Lithuanians of Lithuania wishing to stop Catholic influence. Since then, Prussian Lithuanians participated or were involved in all events of Prussia: in religious, cultural, social life, wars etc.

In 1708, the Kingdom of Prussia was devastated by plague, especially its easternmost part, where Prussian Lithuanians lived. About 50% of Prussian Lithuanians died. To compensate loss of population king Frederick II invited settlers from Salzburg, Pfalz, Nassau. Persecuted Lutherans brought strong pietism movements. These movements became very popular among Prussian Lithuanians.

From the mid 18th century, a majority of Prussian Lithuanians became literate; in comparison, the process was much slower in the Greater Lithuania.

The Lithuanian national revival movement of the late 19th century was mostly ignored by Prussian Lithuanians; integrational ideas with Lithuania and Lithuanians were not understandable and not acceptable. The idea of Lithuanian-Latvian unity was more popular than idea of unity between the Lithuanians and the Prussian Lithuanians during the 1905 revolution in Lithuania. One of the leaders of the Lithuanian national movement Vincas Kudirka called Prussian Lithuanians as "Lithuanian speaking Germans" . The first Prussian Lithuanian elected to Reichstag Johann Smalakies was a fierce German agitator for the integrity of the German Empire. Two dozens pro-Lithuanian oriented and self-proclaimed representatives of Prussian Lithuanians signed the Act of Tilsit where the idea to detach Prussian Lithuania from Germany and unite it with Lithuania was expressed; such an idea was not supported and not accepted by majority of Prussian Lithuanians. Loyalty to the state was strong, even Georg Sauerwein who was actively defending minority rights had to deal with it. In 1879, in newspaper Lietuwißka Ceitunga he published poem “Lietuwininkais esame mes gime” and 7th stanza was dedicated to William I. Though later Georg Saurwein for his anti-state activity was asked by Prussian Lithuanians to leave Prussian Lithuania.

The Germanisation policy of non-German nationalities of Prussia, worked more intensively since 1873, was met with concern by many Prussian Lithuanians. Lithuanian language has been pushed away from public life and schools. Such developments evoked a cultural movement of Prussian Lithuanians. On 1879, a petition for the return of Lithuanian language to schools was signed by 1230 Prussian Lithuanians from the district of Memel, 3000 - from Heydekrug, 3700 - from Tilsit and 4400 from Ragnit. Another similar petition of 1896 was signed by 6228 Prussian Lithuanians from the district of Memel, 4407 - from Heydekrug, 9518 - from Tilsit and 2905 from Ragnit.

During World War I in August and September of 1914, easternmost part of East Prussia, where Prussian Lithuanians concentrated, was captured by the Russian army. Russia was expelling civilians into central part of Russia. Due to harsh conditions 15–20% of the departed had died. The war was followed by severe economical hardships and inflation in Germany, that had the influence on the acceptation of attachment of Memel Region to Lithuania by Prussian Lithuanians.

Interbellum years

East Prussia's northern part beyond the Neman River was detached from the rest of body in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Organisation “Deutsch-Litauischer Heimatbund” (Lithuanian: Namynês Bundas) represented idea to return to Germany or at least create an independent state of Memelland and was represented by 30,000 persons both Germans and [also] Prussian Lithuanians. In 1923, the Republic of Lithuania occupied Memel Territory with almost no opposition from local inhabitants. According to the plan the leaders of the rebellion, called the Klaipėda Revolt, should became local Prussians Lithuanians, but even most radicals declined. In the beginning, a situation in the Memel Territory was acceptable for Prussian Lithuanians. According to the secret report by Jonas Polovinskas-Budrys, a professional in counterintelligence, made in 1922, around 60 percent of local inhabitants supported the Revolt, 30 percent kept a passive stance and 10 percent were against, namely the supporters of freistadt status or Germany.

After the annexation of the Klaipėda Region, the Government of Lithuania started disapproving local inhabitants in public service: people from the Greater Lithuania were sent to assume public administration offices in the region. Prussian Lithuanians saw such Lithuanization policy as a threat to their own culture and began support German parties and even started name themselves as Germans . In census of 1925 Prussian Lithuanians 37626 declared themselves as Lithuanians, 34337 – by neologism “Memellanders” – wishing to express difference from Lithuanians. According to the pre-war Lithuanian view, the Memellanders were Germanised Lithuanians who should be re-Lithuanized no matter they want or not. Such policy led only to future dissolution and antagonism between Prussian Lithuanians and Lithuanians. . Prussian Lithuanians in Memel Territory continuously voted for German or pro-German orientied parties. In 1935 Neumann and Sass organized revolt against Lithuania, local Prussian Lithuanians participated too. In 1939 the Third Reich annexed Memel Territory and the inhabitants were allowed to choose Lithuanian citizenship. Only 500 asked for optation, and only 20 got it. Reunion of Memel Territory with Germany was met with joy by a majority of Prussian Lithuanians . Only about 40 pro-Lithuanian oriented Prussian Lithuanians emigrated to Republic of Lithuania. In 1940 when Republic of Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union, many of those emigrants returned back to Germany. Those who not returned were executed as traitors by Nazis.

In Germany, Prussian Lithuanian Georg Gerullis was Minister of Education of Saxony in 1933 After Nazis came to power, from 1933 Prussian Lithuanian activists living in Germany were persecuted. Due coflict with Lithuania over Memel Territory in 1938 Prussian Lithuanian toponyms were translated to German, thus Lasdinehlen (Lazdynėliai) were converted to Haselberg, Jodlauken (Juodlaukiai) to Schwalbental etc. Prussian Lithuanians in East Prussia made only small minority. Toponyms of Memel Territory after reunion with Germany were not renamed. Prussian Lithuanian newspaper “Naujaſis Tilźes Keleiwis” was closed only in 1940. On the other hand, church services in Tilsit and Ragnit were held in Lithuanian language till evacuation of East Prussia in 1944.

World War II and after

The territory where Prussian Lithuanians lived, was the first land of German soil that felt revenge of Soviets onto Germans. Soviets made no distinction between Germans and Prussian Lithuanians. Gerda Meczulat the only one survived Nemmersdorf massacre at least had Prussian Lithuanian origin. During evacuation of East Prussia Prussian Lithuanians, like other Eastprussians, were trying escape for the fear of revenge. Mass murders, rapes, and looting were common. Gangs of Russian teenagers were behind Soviet army and were collecting and looting what was leaved. After the end of fights people were returning to leaved homes, but returners were discriminated, put on starvation, some, as many Lithuanians form Lithuania major, were deported to Siberia. Later people were expelled from Kaliningrad Oblast, except in former Memel Territory.

Some Prussian Lithuanians expressed the protest against expel of the autochthons, Russian colonization of Lithuania Minor and the destruction of the whole country in the two Acts of Fulda. A bit different occurred in former Memel Territory which was transferred to Lithuanian SSR in 1947. The majority of the population was evacuated and Lithuania as a state was occupied by Soviet Union already in 1940. There were about 20.000 local inhabitants in the former Memel Territory by 1945, compared to 152.800 in 1939. The government of Lithuanian SSR followed the policy of Soviet Union and viewed to the local Lithuanians as Germanized Lithuanians. The agitators making promises of the safe returning and the restored property to the former inhabitants were sent to some DP camps. About 8,000 persons repatriated in the period of 1945-50. The promises had been never fulfilled by soviets, neither the property was returned. The returning people were viewed as Germans because of their Lithuanian-German bilingualism. Lithuanian born soviet Antanas Sniečkus forbade the restitution for the returners. Russians and Lithuanians (in Klaipėda region) usually already lived in these homes. The known facts are about the persons returned who were brutally not allowed to enter their own homes. Autochthonous people who remained in the former Memel territory were fired from jobs and were discriminated . 3,500 people from the former Memel Territory were expelled by the authority of Lithuanian SSR people to East Germany in 1951. After the Konrad Adenauer’s visit to Moscow in 1958, the former citizens of Germany were allowed to emigrate and the absolute majority of Prussian Lithuanians who were in Lithuanian SSR, similarly to many Lithuanians from Lithuania major fleeing from the coming Soviet occupation, emigrated to West Germany. The same process was among Mazurians in Poland. Only about 2,000 local Lithuanians remains in former Klaipėda Region and virtually there is nobody of them in Kaliningrad oblast. The majority of Prussian Lithuanians lives in Germany today. After WW2 some groups of Prussian Lithuanians has settled in Canada, Australia. Separate ethnic and cultural identity is not strong as was, and is vanishing. After the collapse of Soviet Union Prussian Lithuanians has not regained their property in Kaliningrad Oblast (former administrative part of Soviet Union) as well as in Klaipėda region and Lithuania has not took actions to establish the formerly existed citizenship of former Memel Territory (administrative part of Lithuanian SSR in soviet times). According Lithuanian point of view Prussian Lithuanians are part of Lithuanian nation and Memel Territory was forcibly detached in 1939.

Points of view towards Prussian Lithuanians

Traditional Soviet Lithuanian point of view towards German point of view

The apologetical Prussistian pro-state historiography existed in the 18th century in East Prussia. The idea of Prussian was being supported. The German colonists of Lithuania Minor were shown as confessional martyrs by the German authors of 18th century. The German authors of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century were mostly interested in political issues. The colonization was described as the spread of higher culture in the Lithuanian society which was in the lower level of development by some authors. G. Schmoller thought it was a demanding fight with the hostile forces of the other nation. By the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century the issue was investigated under the socioeconomic aspect. Some researches thought Prussian Lithuanians were industrious and economical, some thought that the strong peasantry had appeared only during the colonization of the Lithuania Minor. A. Keil, W. Borrmann thought that the purpose of the introducing of the German language in the new schools was the Germanization of the Prussian Lithuanian population. German researches did not do distinction between Lithuanians in Prussia and in Russia in the 19th century and thought this nation was facing its end and being changed by Germans, Russians and Poles. M. Friedenberg wrote in the end of the 19th century, that Germans were giving Lithuanians true German culture. His ideas were rebuffed by G. Sauerwein. Johann Smalakies, a fierce German agitator for the integrity of the German Empire and the first Prussian Lithuanian elected to Reichstag, referred to the inhabitants on the other sides of the border of the Germany as Asians. It is seen that generally non-German nations were considered to be Asian and consequently only pro-Germanic Lithuanians welcomed. There were no democracy in Germany during the Nazi period. The history became ideological and was used to ground the political deeds. Any colonization and the conquest of the Middle Ages were considered to be natural phenomenon, any non-German national question was denied and Prussian Lithuanians understood to be Germans.

Traditional Lithuanian point of view

There were no democracy in Lithuania from 1926 to 1940 during authoritarian A.Smetona’s regime and from 1940 to 1990 during the soviet times. Traditional (of interwar and especially of soviet period) Lithuanian historiography claimed Prussian Lithuanians were part of Lithuanian nation which lived under Teutonic, Prussian, later German yoke. The dependency to firstly Lithuania Minor was stressed and only secondly to Prussia and it was considered to be ancient. Lithuania Minor was, and to some extent still is, understood as a part of Lithuania, while, in fact, the territories had never belonged to Lithuania since the invasion of the Teutonic Order to the territory until the Klaipėda revolt. The once Old Prussian tribes Scalovians and Nadrovians were proclaimed western Lithuanians in the soviet period, while before it was thought by such German romantic researches as M. Toeppen, A. Bezzengerger. The Lithuanian settling to the Wilderness was denied by some of the authors. The Great Colonization of Salzburgers, which occurred in the 18 century after the Plague, was viewed very negative. The Memel Territory was viewed as the ancient Samogitian land, especially during the interwar. Former Memel Territory is still viewed as Samogitian land, even monument for Liberation of Samogitia by soviet troops in 1944 still stands in Šilutė. In interbellum times was considered that the Klaipėda region was unsuccessfully lost by grand duke Vytautas in 1422 Treaty of Melno and was legitimately returned in revolt in 1923. It was said in the political rhetoric: the return of the land that was stolen by the Teutonic Order. The existence of a separate Prussian Lithuanian identity and the name Prussian Lithuanians was denied to be formerly existed as the ethnonym both during the interwar and the soviet times. Memellanders were not separated from Lithuanians . The names like Szisznionißkiai, Memelanderiai were used as the evidence of low level of self-consciousness. The song Lietuwininkai we are born is understood to be the anthem of Lithuania Minor in the traditional Lithuanian point of view. The small group of pro-Lithuanian oriented Prussian Lithuanians were proclaimed as the national heroes of Lithuania Minor in the traditional Lithuanian historiography and Martynas Jankus who did not graduate from German or any other university was proclaimed Patriarch of Lithuania Minor, while no attention was made to the majority of the population, which speak German today, and their aspirations.

It was obvious that Lithuania Minor (as it was part of East Prussia) disappeared due to policy of Soviet Union, but no criticism could be expressed during the soviet times. Pro-soviet Lithuanian authorities purely followed their chiefs in the attitude towards Prussian Lithuanians. The emigration of Prussian Lithuanians from the former Memel Territory in 1958-1960 was named the Repatriation of Germans (Lithuanian: Vokiečių repatriacija), while mostly all Lithuanian speaking people had emigrated from their homeland.

Notable Prussian Lithuanians

• Christian Donalitius, Prussian poet
• Franz Domscheit, German painter
• Georg Gerullis, professor in Königsberg’s Albertina university
• Alfred Naujocks, the man who began the war
• Wilhelm Storost, philosopher
• Otto D. Tolischus, American journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner
• Lena Valaitis, German schlager singer
• Klaus Wowereit, mayor of Berlin

See also

• Prussian Latvians
• Masurians
• Memel Territory
• East Prussia

External links

• Map of languages in East Prussia, as of 1900 large Template:De icon (red = German, white = Polish, blue = Lithuanian, yellow = Latvian / Kurlandish, green = uninhabited or thinly inhabited forest)
• Christoph Kairies. Das litauertum in Ostpreußen südlich des Memelstromes im jahre 1921 Template:De icon
• Online heritage book Memelland Template:De icon
• Template:Lt iconAlgirdas, Matulevičius (June 30, 1994). "Didžiosios ir Mažosios Lietuvos studentai Karaliaučiaus universitete (450-osioms metinėms)". Voruta (27–28). Retrieved 2007-09-07. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Template:Lt icon Bibiliography ofresearch of Lietuvininks history
• Template:De icon Site dedicated to research of Lietuvininks History