ZENONAS IVINSKIS AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY OF HISTORIANS IN 1918-1940’S LITHUANIA Cover Image

Zenonas Ivinskis 1918-1940 metų istorikų bendrijos kontekste
ZENONAS IVINSKIS AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COMMUNITY OF HISTORIANS IN 1918-1940’S LITHUANIA

Author(s): Valdas Selenis
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion
Published by: Vytauto Didžiojo Universitetas
Keywords: Zenonas Ivinskis; istorijos mokslas; ateitininkai; Zenonas Ivinskis; historical science; ateitininkai (“futurists”)

Summary/Abstract: Historian Zenonas Ivinskis (May 25, 1908 - December 24, 1971) is considered to be one of the most prominent historians in Lithuania. He was also one of the most productive researchers of the younger generation who had published many articles, reviews, contributed to collective studies. Z. Ivinskis was the one who expressed some critical remarks about Lithuanian historical science and its development. These reflections are interesting for the researchers of historiography, because they help to understand what was going on “behind the scenes” of Lithuanian historical science. However, Ivinskis cannot be excluded from the community of historians of his time. They all, especially the coevals collaborated among themselves. Commemoration of his 100th anniversary might be a special occasion to introduce his life and his way in reaching the career of a historian. In other words, Zenonas Ivinskis is presented in the context of the younger generation of historians. He was a student at the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy at the University of Vytautas Magnus in Kaunas and the Universities of Munich and Berlin in Germany. The Lithuanian professors of a young historian, who taught how to read and explore the historical sources, were two priests: Antanas Alekna and Jonas Totoraitis with whom he corresponded during the studies at the universities in Germany. Zenonas Ivinskis was one of those 16 Lithuanian historians, who during the period of independent Lithuania defended their doctoral degrees abroad. He was only 24 years old at that time. He was also one of the 4 Lithuanian historians who received the habilitated doctoral degree and the only representative of the young generation of historians who received the professorship and the title of an academician. It is known that this title had only a symbolic value. Z. Ivinskis was a member of the Lithuanian Historical Society and Lithuanian Roman Catholic Academy of Sciences (a secretary from 1937). With some other Lithuanian historians in 1938 he attended the 8th International Congress of Historians in Zurich (Austria). In 1955, in the 10th International Congress of Historians which took place in Rome he was alone. Besides, z. Ivinskis was a very productive scholar, publicist and reviewer. His biography together with his scientific achievements contributed much to Lithuanian history. His religious belief also influenced his personality, even more than his social status (he came of a family of petty boyars, who later became farmers). From his early days z. Ivinskis was a practicing Catholic. He organized informal circle of historians who belonged to the organization of Catholic youth called “ateitininkai”. z. Ivinskis in his early days when he studied in gymnasium had already begun to assemble other students into a group of enthusiasts to pursue further studies of Lithuanian history. This group made efforts to overtake the elder generation of historians by their popular publications. They published many a

  • Issue Year: 57/2009
  • Issue No: 29
  • Page Range: 85-96
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Lithuanian