Aušra

Aušra (also Auszra, dt: Dawn) was the first Lithuanian People's Daily. The first edition appeared in 1883 in Ragnit, today Neman in Lithuania Minor. Later, she was a month in Tilsit, today Sowjetsk issued. Although only 40 issues appeared, and the rest did not exceed 1000 copies, this publication is considered by many scientists as a significant event for Lithuania and the beginning of national revival which is ultimately resulted in the independence of Lithuania after the end of the First World War. The time between the first appearance of Aušra in 1883 and the lifting of the publication ban in 1904 in Lithuania is also called Aušros gadynė (time of the dawn ).

History

After the Russian authorities had refused permission to issue a Lithuanian newspaper in Vilnius, Jonas Šliūpas suggested that these be published in East Prussia. He himself, however, was considered too radical for this task, and the printer Jurgis Mikšas asked Jonas Basanavičius to become the first editor. During her three-year show Aušra had no fewer than five editors. As Mikšas had to stop for personal reasons, Šliūpas printing was entrusted. Between him and the people living in Bulgaria Basanavičius there were quickly dispute that erupted over Šliūpas uninvited and offensive comments on the articles by other authors. Šliūpas had left also with the German police for his involvement in nationalist movements difficulties and had to Prussia in 1894. The other editor, Martynas Jankus and Jonas Andziulaitis, chatted with polemical texts back, and the disputes settled down. However, Mikšas inflicted soon afterwards and could not longer support the newspaper. 1886 had to cease publication the newspaper.

The newspaper appeared outside Lithuania. The authorities of the Russian Empire had placed a publication ban in force after the January Uprising in 1863. It was forbidden to publish how any literature in Lithuanian and using the Latin alphabet; the government wanted the Graschdanka, one with Cyrillic letters written Lithuanian, prevail. Therefore printing with Latin letters was relocated abroad, mainly to Lithuania Minor, and Knygnešiai ( Books carrier ) smuggled the pressure works on the German -Russian border. This was one of the ways in which Aušra reached their readers; next to it was sent in sealed envelopes.

Content

More than 70 people contributed to Aušra. The authors, also called Aušrininkai, came from wealthy farming families, who won after the abolition of serfdom in 1863 important. Many of the authors had been educated in Russian universities and spoke fluent Polish. Because of the frequent changes in the editorship of the newspaper had no clear and consistent alignment. Basanavičius example Aušra understood not as a political publication, in the first edition, he announced that they would deal exclusively with cultural issues. Soon, however, the newspaper took a nationalist point of view. Aušra helped crystallize many ideas about the Lithuanian people and their self- view. Plans to restore the Polish-Lithuanian Union, a denial was issued. The authors began to think about an independent Lithuanian nation-state.

Aušra published many articles on various topics such as agriculture or reports from Lithuanian communities in the United States, however, were the most popular historical topics. The preface to the first edition was launched with a Latin motto: semper sunt pueri Homines historiarum ignari ( Those who ignore history, forever remains a child). The historians articles were based on the works of Simona Daukantas, the first Lithuanian historian and recorded a glorified image of the mighty Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Aušra maintained an anti -Polish, directed primarily against the Polish nobility, position, but tried the confrontation with the Tsarist Russia to avoid, because they hoped to achieve in this way, the abolition of the press ban.

The newspaper was aimed at the intellectual upper class and therefore had only a limited readership. The ordinary people in the country did not approve of the secular orientation of Aušra and their distance to Catholic traditions.

Consequence publications

Soon after Aušra ceased their appearance, new magazines appeared in Lithuanian: Varpas ( The Bell ) was a secular newspaper while Šviesa was more conservative and clergy facing.

Swell

• Virgil Krapauskas: The Historiography of Auszra and the Aušrininkai in Nineteenth - Century The Case of Lithuanian Historicism, pp. 107-118. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000 ISBN 0-88033-457-6.
• Lituanica Encyclopedia, Volume 1, entry " Aušra ". Boston, Mass.. : 1970-1978

• Newspaper ( Lithuania)