Lietuvių tautinės bendruomenės padėtis Rytų Prūsijoje XX a. 3–4 dešimtmečiuose
The Status of the Lithuanian Community in East Prussia in the 3rd and 4th Decades of the 20th Century

Summary/Abstract: To find out and analyze the status of the Lithuanian community in Germany in the 3rd and 4th decades of the 20th century, the author made use of publications, public speeches and articles in various Lithuanian newspapers and magazines. The major Lithuanian community in Germany was in East Prussia, a home to about 100,000 Lithuanians. Smaller Lithuanian communities dwelled in bigger German towns and cities. Despite the policy of assimilation, many Lithuanians tried to preserve their national identity and became active members of national cultural unions. The most popular Lithuanian cultural leaders in Prussia were philosopher Vydūnas, who lead the Union of Lithuanian Chanters in Tilsit (Tilžės lietuvių giedotojų draugija) and W. Mačiulaitis, who was a representative of the Lithuanian community in Prussia. The author analyses the role the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Lithuanian Consulates in Tilsit and Koenigsberg in helping the Lithuanian community organize cultural and educative activities. The author seeks to reveal the level of national discrimination, violence and instances of terrorism against the leaders of this community. The Lithuanian press expressed a highly negative and critical attitude towards the discrimination of the Lithuanians in Germany. The Lithuanian society made efforts to support their nationals in Prussia helping them preserve their national identity and foster their national and political self-consciousness. The domestic policy of the German government made it possible to distinguish two clear periods in the assimilation and discrimination of national minorities in Germany. During the first period (1920–1932), the discrimination of the Lithuanian community was more severe as German nationalists and radical groups started their activities in East Prussia. In 1923, when Klaipėda region was attached to Lithuania and the Lithuanian authorities deliberately strengthened their positions in the region, the situation of the Lithuanian minority became worse. During the period of 1924–1925, Vydūnas and the organisation under his leadership became victims of brutal violence. Lithuanian policy in Klaipėda region, a home to a numerous German minority, provoked chauvinist activities against the Lithuanians in Prussia. Violent attacks against the members of Lithuanian organizations were conducted periodically until 1931. Since 1932, the Nazi movement in East Prussia had spread and discrimination against the Lithuanians and the Lithuanian culture had become more severe. The situation of the Lithuanian community in Prussia grew worse due to the decision of the International Court in Hague in favour of the Lithuanian Government. The second period started in 1933 when A. Hitler came into power and the Third Reich launched a more radical campaign against national minorities. Starting with the year 1933, all workers were banned from the participation in national organizations and were not

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