Problem języka w klasztorze sióstr katarzynek w Krokach w pierwszej połowie XX wieku
The language question in St Catherine’s Convent in Krakės in the first half of the twentieth century

Summary/Abstract: After 1918, the two Catholic convents on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania faced the issue of Lithuanisation, which was solved in different ways. The Benedictine Convent in Kaunas, the provisional capital of Lithuania, had been firmly Lithuanised by 1924. However, St Catherine’s Convent in Krakės in Samogitia chose a different path. This article aims to find out how the Krakės convent dealt with the challenges of nationalism in the context of ongoing modernisation of its life at that time. The main objective is to present the shift from the Polish to the Lithuanian language in public and private life of the convent. The study is mostly based on original documents held in the archives of St Catherine’s Convent in Kaunas. The Polish language was very important for the Krakės convent (established in 1645). According to the modified Rule of St Catherine the Virgin and Martyr adopted in Krakės in 1673, the language of prayers and sermons was Polish. Only daughters of noblemen were accepted to join; they were obliged to donate a dowry, which meant that only wealthy girls could become nuns. The Krakės convent stemmed from the cultural traditions of the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The establishment of the independent Republic of Lithuania meant that St Catherine’s sisters of Krakės needed to re-evaluate their political (civic), national and cultural identities.

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