| Abstract [eng] |
Family always have been and still remains an important space for self-perception and cultural expression of individual to grow. The influence of family for the formation of individual in Lithuania is crucial in intellectual families during the Interwar period. Still relevant, sounding and constantly changing discussion about the concept of the family in contemporary society makes it worth to look back on the family models that existed in the past. Popular current exhibition „Families of intellectuals in the First Republic of Lithuania“, which is situated in Historical presidential palace of the Republic of Lithuania in Kaunas also proves the significance of the topic. This exhibition opens a niche to explore intellectual families in the context of everyday life. The ideological values of Lithuanian intellectuals of that period in question are quite well researched by philosophers and historians, whereas everyday life of the family is still waiting for a proper investigation. Therefore it is relevant and significant to take an insight into private family life of Lithuanian intellectuals and to research elements of intellectual culture which are clearly documented in family memoirs, letters, periodicals of the period and other resources. The focus on the family of intellectuals is the first of all due to the virtue of them being the forerunners in all spheres of life. This paper attempts to answer the questions: What was the reason of family transformation from patriarchal to modern through the very intellectual family? What specific signs, characteristics, features influenced the modernization of the intellectual family? Searching for the answers, the family of intellectuals becomes the object of this essay with an aim to analyze the features of Šiauliai and Kaunas cases in the concerning period. In order to reach this aim, this Master Thesis deals with several tasks: to discuss the notion of intellectual while reviewing various theoretical thoughts about intellectuals; to explain and present different conceptions of the family in sociocultural and historical context while exploring the works of foreign and local theorists of the family; to make a research and to analyze the families of Rimkai, Venclauskiai, Šalkauskiai, Bugailiškiai (case study of Šiauliai) and Šliūpai, Jablonskiai, Griniai, Lozoraičiai (case study of Kaunas) in a prosopographical way; to explain the particularities of intellectual families during interwar period in Lithuania while comparing the cases of Šiauliai and Kaunas intellectual families. In order to reach the aims and main tasks of this essay, the comparative, interview, the case study, prosopographical and the analysis of scientific literature and resources methods have been used in this paper. After review of the notion of intellectual and the variety of conceptions of the family in theory and historiography of different authors several features of intellectual families were pointed out: the raise of spiritual values upon material in order to benefit and improve the society; conscious national and public spirit in self-development and miscellaneous education of children; strictly promoted moral values an spread of innovations and the high culture; unlimited wide range of interests; meaningful, socially and intellectually oriented free time. The analysis of intellectual families within various aspects (origin; marriage of intellectuals; education, work, activities; belief; responsibilities and etiquette in the family; children of intellectuals; free time, feasts and guests in intellectual families; patriotism) claims that the aspect of patriotism as one of essential characteristics distinctly emphasize the essence of intellectual families. The fight for the freedom of Lithuania and the resistance for the oppression; the wakening of national consciousness firstly for own children and then to the other native; the fostering of Lithuanian language; blazing affection to the homeland and nostalgia after its loss; united purpose – to work for the Lithuanian nation are evident in these families showing that the patriotism in the First Republic of Lithuania was particularly well developed. |
