Lithuanian Students in German-Speaking European Universities at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries: The Case of Vytautas Civinskis

Abstract

This paper presents research on the egodocumentary heritage of Vytautas Civinskis (1887–1910). It aims to show the opportunities available to students at German-speaking European universities at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and how a young man from Lithuania made use of them. The methods include case analysis, analysis of primary and secondary sources, historical reconstruction. In the second half of the 19th century, the universities in German-speaking countries stood out strongly in developing science and offering study opportunities. Youth from foreign countries took advantage of these opportunities. Vytautas Civinskis, who started studying agriculture at Leipzig University in 1904, was among them. But the revolutionary events of 1905 in the Russian Empire changed his life plans. Instead, Civinskis enrolled in the Royal Veterinary School in Berlin in 1906, and later continued his veterinary studies at the Tartu Veterinary Institute until 1910. We learn from his diary, which was written during his study years, and his personal documents that Civinskis made his individual study plan at Leipzig. Twenty-four subjects are listed in his study card (Kolegienbuch), along with prices and the lecturers’ names and signatures, many famous names among them. The set of subjects was broad: many related to history, politics, as well as philosophy and psychology. The study environment was culturally, socially, and politically diverse as well as multilingual. Conclusion. The Civinskis’ case analysis shows that German-speaking universities were accessible to some of the youth from Lithuania in terms of their ability to pay, level of language proficiency and other skills. However, Lithuanian and Polish youth from the Russian Empire were enrolled in German-speaking universities as Russians. By further investigating such cases, it would be possible to reveal in more detail the impact of German-speaking universities on the Lithuanian educated elite during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.