Felicija Bortkevičienė– liaudininkų periodinės spaudos organizatorė Kaune 1919–1940 m
Felicija Bortkevičienė – Organiser of Peasant Populist Periodical Press in Kaunas from 1919 to 1940

Summary/Abstract: This article analyzes oganization of the Peasant Populist press during the interwar period in Kaunas. The corporation “Varpas“ (1919–1940) was responsible for publishing newspapers, journal “Varpas” and books. M. Sleževičius, K. Grinius, J. Staugaitis, J. Vileišis and others were main shareholders of “Varpas”. F. Bortkevičienė was not only among founders and shareholders, but was one of the most energetic activists of “Varpas”. The article aim is to reveal activities of F. Bortkevičienė in periodical press of “Varpas”. The research is based on sources collected in Kaunas regional archives (f. 10) and texts from the newspaper “Lietuvos žinios”. The content of analyzed sources revealed variform activities of F. Bortkevičienė in Peasant Populist press organization. The main positions were: leader of fundraising forVarpas”, one of the leaders of the organizational and ideological life of Peasant Populist and from 1919 to 1936 official editor of newspapers “Lietuvos ūkininkas” ir “Lietuvos žinios”. The ideology of the Populists was especially obvious in newspapers. Martial law in Lithuania invoked by Lithuanian Christian Democrat party and widely used by President A. Smetona’s authoritarian government was the most important tool to control political opponents and their press and it can assessed as tool legitimizing censorship. F. Bortkevičienė as official editor of newspapers was responsible for the content of newspapers, due to this activity she litigated, paid fines and was prisoned in 1925. The authoritarian regime bursted “Varpas” printing – house in 1927 and for month closed the “Lietuvos žinios” in the middle of 1936. Despite it, the leading community of “Varpas” (its publisher, editors and reporters) and including F. Bortkevičienė have maintained and further fostered principles of democratic press. Thanks to activities of “Varpas” leaders, regime’s actions were not succesful and Populist periodical press, especially the most popular “Lietuvos žinios”, had reached its subscribers and readers everyday during interwar period.

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