Lithuanian Historical Society
Lithuania's first dedicated historical society, established in Kaunas in 1929 to advance professional historical research, publishing, and scholarly cooperation.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Lithuanian Historical Society (Lithuanian: Lietuvos istorijos draugija) was a scholarly organization established in Kaunas on 18 May 1929. It was the first society in Lithuania devoted specifically to the study of history and represented an important step in the professionalization of Lithuanian historical scholarship. Its principal initiator and long-serving chairman was the historian Augustinas Janulaitis, who had earlier tried unsuccessfully to create a history section within the Lithuanian Scientific Society. The society defined four principal areas of work: organizing lectures, conferences, and meetings; publishing journals and books; collecting documentary and other sources relating to Lithuania's past; and developing international scholarly relations. Although its membership remained relatively small, the organization brought together many of the leading historians and intellectuals working in interwar Lithuania. Most members were based in Kaunas, while Peliksas Bugailiškis was associated with Šiauliai. The organization used categories of true members, honorary members, and supporters. In the interwar period, it generally had between 15 and 17 active members, with 26 people recorded as true members overall. The society joined the International Committee of Historical Sciences in 1931. Its representatives Augustinas Janulaitis and Zenonas Ivinskis attended the Eighth International Congress of Historical Sciences in Zürich in 1938. It was also invited to contribute to the International Bibliography of Historical Sciences, although its participation was not especially consistent. In 1938, the society created a section intended for history teachers in an effort to extend its influence beyond Kaunas; that section later became an independent organization in 1992. Its main publishing achievement was the academic journal Praeitis, or The Past. The original plan called for publication twice each year, but only two issues appeared, in 1930 and 1933. The volumes, totaling 400 and 514 pages, concentrated heavily on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and combined research articles with editions of historical sources, reviews, bibliographies, and obituaries. A proposed modernization of the journal in the 1930s, inspired partly by German and Polish historical periodicals, did not come to fruition. The society also planned the Praeities biblioteka book series and published three known volumes, including studies of the Vytis coat of arms, the history of Vabalninkas and its surroundings, and historical Lithuanian administrative language. The organization arranged lectures and commemorative exhibitions, including events connected with the 500th anniversary of Grand Duke Vytautas's death and the anniversary of the Act of Independence of Lithuania. It generally emphasized academic investigation and documentary evidence rather than popular history. Its members debated the appropriate sequence for writing a general history of Lithuania, with older scholars favoring specialized monographs before synthesis and younger historians arguing that a comprehensive national history was urgently needed. The society became less active after the Institute for Lithuanian Studies was founded in 1939 and assumed many functions previously associated with the organization. It ceased operating after the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in June 1940. Many members were arrested or deported, while others left Lithuania during or after the Second World War. Lithuanian historians who emigrated to the United States later established a separate Lithuanian Historical Society active from 1956 to 1989. During the Glasnost period, Zigmantas Kiaupa, Ingė Lukšaitė, and Egidijus Aleksandravičius initiated the restoration of the society. A reestablishment meeting on 14 October 1988 attracted 89 historians. The revived organization published seven volumes of the journal Mūsų praeitis between 1990 and 2001, completed the third volume of Praeitis in 1992, and organized general meetings, lectures, conferences, public contests, and an international conference marking the 580th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald. Its membership reached 141 in December 1989. The revived society became inactive in 2001, with many of its functions having been taken over by the Committee of Lithuanian Historians, established in 1996.
History
The Lithuanian Historical Society was founded in Kaunas on 18 May 1929, when historians and other scholars gathered at Augustinas Janulaitis's apartment. The founding reflected the growing institutionalization of historical research in independent Lithuania. Janulaitis, who became chairman, had previously sought to establish a historical section within the Lithuanian Scientific Society, but that attempt had not succeeded. The society's program covered scholarly events, publishing, source collection, and international cooperation. Its membership included prominent interwar historians and intellectuals, among them Ignas Jonynas, Vaclovas Biržiška, Konstantinas Jablonskis, Petras Klimas, Zenonas Ivinskis, Adolfas Šapoka, Jonas Puzinas, Mykolas Biržiška, Michał Pius Römer, and others. The organization was small by design and was concentrated in Kaunas. A history-teachers' section was created in 1938 to broaden participation, although its members were not generally treated as full society members. International recognition followed when the society joined the International Committee of Historical Sciences in 1931. Janulaitis and Ivinskis represented it at the 1938 International Congress of Historical Sciences in Zürich. The society was also asked to supply material for the International Bibliography of Historical Sciences, though it responded slowly to that request. Publishing was central to the society's identity. Its journal Praeitis was intended to appear twice yearly, but only two volumes were issued, in 1930 and 1933. The journal focused especially on the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and included original research, historical documents, reviews, bibliographical material, and notices about deceased scholars. In 1936, Ivinskis and Šapoka proposed a renewed and more modern journal modeled partly on established German and Polish historical periodicals. The proposal was not implemented. The society also created the Praeities biblioteka series, which produced three books: a study of historical forms of the Vytis, a history of Vabalninkas and its surrounding area before the restoration of Lithuanian independence, and a study of Lithuanian words in the written language of early Lithuanian offices. The society organized lectures, meetings, conferences, and commemorative exhibitions. It marked the 500th anniversary of the death of Grand Duke Vytautas and the anniversary of the Act of Independence. Its discussions reveal a tension between specialist and synthetic approaches to national history. Senior historians preferred the completion of focused monographs before a comprehensive history was attempted, while younger scholars believed that Lithuania needed a single-volume history without further delay. The resulting debates contributed to the wider intellectual environment in which Adolfas Šapoka's synthesis was discussed. Activity declined after the Institute for Lithuanian Studies was founded in 1939 and absorbed many of the society's practical functions. The Soviet occupation in June 1940 brought the interwar organization to an end. Repression, deportation, wartime displacement, and emigration disrupted the professional community. Lithuanian historians in the United States subsequently formed a separate organization that operated from 1956 to 1989. The society was revived during the Glasnost reforms. Zigmantas Kiaupa, Ingė Lukšaitė, and Egidijus Aleksandravičius led the restoration effort, and 89 historians attended the reestablishment meeting on 14 October 1988. The renewed society issued seven volumes of Mūsų praeitis between 1990 and 2001 and completed a third volume of Praeitis in 1992, including biographical information on contributors to the earlier journal. It arranged six general meetings, conferences, lectures, contests for children and adults, and an international conference commemorating the 580th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald. The history-teachers' section became independent in 1992. The society eventually became inactive in 2001, while the Committee of Lithuanian Historians, founded in 1996, assumed many of its functions.
- 2001
Revived society became inactive
[1]The organization ceased active operations after a post-1988 period of publishing and scholarly events.
- 1992
Third volume of Praeitis completed
[1]The revived society finalized and published a third Praeitis volume begun by the interwar organization.
- 1992
History-teachers' section became independent
[1]The society's teachers' section separated to form an independent organization.
- 1990
Mūsų praeitis launched
[1]The revived society began publishing its academic journal Mūsų praeitis, which ultimately ran for seven volumes through 2001.
- 1988
Society reestablished
[1]A restoration meeting held on 14 October during the Glasnost period was attended by 89 historians.
- 1940
Interwar society ceased activity
[1]The organization became inactive after the Soviet occupation of Lithuania in June.
- 1938
History-teachers' section established
[1]The society created a section intended to extend its activities beyond its core community of professional historians.
- 1933
Second volume of Praeitis published
[1]The second and final interwar volume of Praeitis appeared.
- 1931
Joined the International Committee of Historical Sciences
[1]The society entered an international professional network for historical scholarship.
- 1930
First volume of Praeitis published
[1]The society issued the first volume of its academic journal, featuring research on Lithuanian history and related source and bibliographical material.
Products and positioning
A professional scholarly society dedicated to Lithuanian historical research, source preservation, academic publishing, and cooperation among historians.
Academic journal · 1930
Praeitis
The society's principal interwar scholarly journal, published in two substantial volumes in 1930 and 1933. It concentrated on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and combined research articles with editions of historical sources, book reviews, bibliographical information, and obituaries of historians.
Academic journal · 1990
Mūsų praeitis
The principal publication of the reestablished society. Seven volumes appeared between 1990 and 2001, with considerable attention to scholarship produced by interwar and émigré Lithuanian historians.
Scholarly book series · 1933
Praeities biblioteka
A planned series of historical studies and source-oriented books. Three known titles were published, addressing the historical development of the Vytis coat of arms, the history of Vabalninkas and its surroundings, and Lithuanian vocabulary in the written language of early Lithuanian offices.
Marketing campaigns
- 1992580th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald conference
Lithuania · International
The revived society organized an international conference commemorating the 580th anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald.
Outcome. Conference proceedings were published in the first volume of Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis by Klaipėda University in 1993.
- 1990Post-restoration scholarly program
Lithuania
After its 1988 restoration, the society organized general meetings, lectures, conferences, and essay contests for children and adults.
Outcome. The program supported the revived society's efforts to reconnect contemporary historians with interwar and émigré scholarship.
- 1938Act of Independence anniversary activities
Lithuania
The society organized activities marking the twentieth anniversary of the Act of Independence of Lithuania.
Outcome. The commemoration demonstrated the society's role in framing national historical events through scholarly programming.
- 1930Vytautas anniversary exhibition
Lithuania
The society organized an exhibition connected with the 500th anniversary of the death of Grand Duke Vytautas, linking scholarly history with a major national commemoration.
Outcome. The event formed part of the society's program of historical lectures, exhibitions, and commemorative activities.
Brand decisions
1988
Restoration during the Glasnost periodStrategyBackground
Historians Zigmantas Kiaupa, Ingė Lukšaitė, and Egidijus Aleksandravičius initiated the revival of the society during the political and intellectual opening associated with Glasnost.
Action taken
A reestablishment meeting was held on 14 October 1988, attracting 89 historians.
Aftermath
The restored society resumed publishing and scholarly events, remaining active until 2001.
1939
Reduced activity after the Institute for Lithuanian Studies was foundedStrategyBackground
The newly founded Institute for Lithuanian Studies assumed many functions that had previously been pursued by the society.
Action taken
The society reduced its activity rather than expanding or duplicating the institute's work.
Aftermath
The organization ceased activities following the Soviet occupation in June 1940.
1936
Proposal to modernize PraeitisStrategyBackground
Zenonas Ivinskis and Adolfas Šapoka argued that the society's journal should be revived and modernized, drawing on established German and Polish historical journals.
Action taken
The proposed redesign and regular publication program were not implemented.
Aftermath
The interwar journal remained limited to its two previously published volumes.
Sources1 sources
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