Antanas Chodakauskas
| Antanas Chodakauskas | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1850 |
| February 4, 1925 (aged 74)February 4, 1925 (aged 74) | |
| Resting place | Suostos Cemetery, Lithuania |
| 🏫 Education | Šiauliai Gymnasium |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Movement | Lithuanian National Revival Movement |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Marija-Johana Chodakowska |
| 👶 Children | Romanas Chodakauskas, Sofija Smetonienė, Tadas Chodakauskas, Jadvyga Tūbelienė |
| Family | Chodakowski Noble Family |
Antanas Chodakauskas (Polish: Antoni Chodakowski; June 18, 1850 – February 4, 1925) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, a landowner, an activist in the Lithuanian National Revival movement and the father of Romanas Chodakauskas, Sofija Smetonienė, Tadas Chodakauskas and Jadvyga Tūbelienė.
Early life and education
Antanas was born on June 18, 1850 to Kazimierz Chodakowski (1814-1905) and Maria Chodakowska (née Naramowska; 1815-1902), in Ignalina Manor, where the family moved from Vilnius in 1835.[1] He had five older siblings: Malwina (1839-1870), Wanda (1842-1858), Stefan (1843-1919), Aleksander (1845-1880) and Zbigniew (1847-1930). Older sister Malwina married Jan Leon Pietkiewicz (1828-1909), their daughter was famous Lithuanian writer Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė.
In 1854, the family moved to Čelkiai manor, which was owned by Franciszek Karp (1814-1872), adiutant for General Henryk Dembiński during the November Uprising.The Karp family were one of the richest noble families in Lithuania. Antanas and his family lived in Čelkiai Manor until his siblings finished gymnasium.[2] The family then moved to Smilgiai manor, and in 1858 to Žadeikiai manor. The estate wasn't far from the Vytartai manor, owned by Aleksander Chodakowski (c. 1815-1871), uncle of Antanas Chodakauskas, and father of his future wife Maria Joanna.
Antanas attended school in Pasvalys, where one of his schoolmates was Petras Vileišis.[3] By 1866 Chodakauskas was studying at Šiauliai Gymnasium. Even though instruction was in Russian, the gymnasium was a hot bed of Lithuanian national ideas and many of its students later became Lithuanian politicians.[4] Antanas' school mates included Petras Vileišis, who studied at Šiauliai Gymnasium between 1866 and 1870,[5] Gabrielius Landsbergis-Žemkalnis who attended between 1864 and 1870[6] and Michał Mikołaj Ogiński (future owner of Plungė Manor) who graduated in 1870.
In 1882, the Chodakauskas family was confirmed as nobility.[7] At that time Antanas, together with his father, was leasing land at Zvanagala estate, north west of Pasvalys.[7] The estate was owned by Franciszek Ksawery Dokalski, and his sons Wacław Roch and Stanisław.
Marriage and family life
Antanas married his first cousin, Maria Joanna Chodakowska (1852-1910),[8] on June 17, 1882 in Pasvalys church.[9] As they were closely related, they had to get special permission from the Pope to marry.[9] Around 1884, Chodakauskas moved with family to Gavenoniai (Gawieniany) a few miles north-east of Pašvitinys. The estate was owned by the descendants of Felicjan Stefan Karp, the owner of Joniškėlis manor.[9]
Gavenoniai manor was deserted, but Chodakauskas changed it beyond recognition.[10] Vladas Požela, a lawyer from Steigvilių, visited Gavenoniai and described it in his Memories of Youth, praising Chodakauskas' diligence.[11] Požela noted that though the manor house was of medium size, it was full of culture. He wrote that Chodakauskas was not only a good farmer, was also a firm supporter of the Lithuanian national revival.[10]
Visitors to Gavenoniai included notable activists of the Lithuanian national movement including: Povilas Višinskis, Adomas Sketeris, Motiejus Čepas and Petras Vileišis.[2]
Antanas and Maria had five children:
- Kazimiera (1882-1882)
- Romanas (Roman, 1883-1932)
- Sofija (Zofia, 1885-1968)
- Tadas (Tadeusz, 1889-1959)
- Jadvyga (Jadwiga, 1891-1988)
Antanas and Maria Joanna raised their children to be patriotic and socially conscious. Though the family spoke Polish among themselves, they were home-schooled in the Lithuanian language and spoke Lithuanian when conversing with the farm workers.[12] Since the Russification policies meant Lithuanian schools were banned, Lithuanian parents rarely let their children attend a tsarist primary school.[13][14] Antanas and Maria Joanna hired tutors or taught the children themselves.[15] Despite being considered by some to be a Polish noble, Antanas considered himself Lithuanian and supported the Lithuanian national movement.[2][9]
Lithuanian national movement
Chodakauskas was introduced to Jonas Jablonskis by his niece Gabrielė Petkevičaitė.[16] Jablonskis was a distinguished Lithuanian linguist who taught Greek and Latin at Jelgava Gymnasium. During summer vacations, Jablonskis collected data among native speakers in Lithuania for his linguistic studies. The Chodakauskases and Jablonskises soon became close friends and often spent summers together.[17]
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Chodakauskas invited Lithuanian students, recommended by Jablonskis, to teach his children.[17] In the summer of 1895, Jablonskis recommended a student of his, Antanas Smetona (1874-1944), to be the tutor for Romanas, who was studying in preparation for the entrance exams to Jelgava Gymnasium. Smetona had recently passed his entrance examinations for the Samogitian Diocesan Seminary in Kaunas. However, he had felt no great calling for the priesthood and enrolled into the Jelgava Gymnasium instead, which attracted many future leaders in Lithuanian culture and politics, including Juozas Tūbelis and Vladas Mironas, who later became Smetona’s political companions. In particular, Lithuanian language and culture was openly promoted by Jablonskis, with whom Smetona developed a close friendship.
In Chodakauskas' household, both Smetona and Jablonskis were great promoters of the Lithuanian language and culture and the family was soon inspired by their passion. Jadvyga once asked Jablonskis, who was visiting the Chodakauskas' house, “Who am I?” Jablonskis answered, “Well, how do you feel?” Jadvyga said, “I feel Lithuanian.” “That's it!” exclaimed Jablonskis.[18]
At that time Smetona met Antanas’ daughter, Sofija. Smetona promised her that once she had graduated from Jelgava Girls' Gymnasium that he would return and propose to her. On 14 August 1904 they married at the Church of St Raphael the Archangel in Vilnius.[19] In 1918, Smetona became the first President of Lithuania, and Sofija the first First Lady of Lithuania.
Vytartai Manor
The Chodakauskas family often spent at least part of their summers in Maria Joanna’s childhood home of Vytartai Manor.
Maria Joanna’s mother, Natalie Charlotte von der Osten-Sacken (1819-1903), a widow since 1871, was still living in Vytartai. Maria Joanna’s brother Bolesław (1850-1895) lived at Vytartai until he died in 1895, after which time Maria Joanna’s brother Jonas Chodakauskas (1849-1926), with his wife and children, moved to live with Natalie in Vytartai.
Vytartai was also a centre of the growing National Revival Movement. Both brothers Bolesław and Jonas Chodakauskas were involved. Bolesław worked closely with his niece, writer and publicist, Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė (1861-1943). Referring to Natalie Charlotte von der Osten-Sacken in her memoirs, Gabrielė wrote that her:
...second Chodakauskienė grandmother, the wife of Aleksander […was] a little dissatisfied with me [because] her youngest son, my uncle, Bolesław was involved in the National [Revival] Movement. She blamed me a bit, but gently, as only she knew how. The old woman was afraid of police, searches, etc.[20]
Children Attend School
Three of Antanas' children - Romanas, Sofija and Jadvyga - attended gymnasium in Jelgava. Romanas attended Jelgava Gymnasium and Sofija and Jadvyga attended Jelgava Girl’s Gymnasium.[14] Their second son, Tadas attended St. Catherine Gymnasium in St. Petersburg.
Jadvyga first started studying at the Jelgava Girl’s Gymnasium in 1899 when she was eight years old. When Sofija and Jadvyga were studying Antanas' wife, Maria Joanna, spent a few years in a rented apartment with the girls.[21] During that time Antanas' son Tadas (1889-1959), also lived with them.
On August 14, 1904, Antanas' daughter, Sofija (1884-1968) married Antanas Smetona (1874-1944) at the Church of St Raphael the Archangel in Vilnius.[19]
Sebentiškis Estate
On June 3, 1908, Antanas borrowed 21,600 rubles from Vilnius Land Bank to buy Sebentiškis Estate from the Kraužių family. The estate consisted of 329.3 hectares (814 acres), including 188.31 hectares of arable land (465 acres), 120.09 ha of grassland (297 acres) and a few bodies of water. Antanas donated some of his land to the church in Suostas.[22] He also financed the construction of Suostos Church.[23]
Antanas' daughter Jadvyga returned from her studies in St. Petersburg for the summer of 1910. On July 26, 1910, Antanas' wife Maria Joanna (1852-1910) died from a heart defect at Sebentiškis Estate. She was buried in Suostos Cemetery, four km north of Sebentiškis. Jadvyga returned to St. Petersburg in the autumn, leaving Antanas and his eldest daughter Sofija to manage Sebentiškis Estate.[22]
Kaunas
World War I broke out on July 28, 1914 and the Eastern Front ran within a few kilometres of Sebentiškis Estate.
Antanas moved to Kaunas where he lived with his daughter, Sofija[24] and her husband, Antanas Smetona (between the years of 1923-1927, Smetona was assistant professor at the University of Lithuania in Kaunas) in an apartment rented from the Priest Maironis (1862-1932) in Siručiai Palace, at Rotušės a. 13, Kaunas.
Death and Burial
On February 4, 1925, Antanas died in Kaunas.
Three days later, on February 7, 1925, he was buried in Suostos Cemetery, beside his wife, Maria Joanna.
Because his daughter Sofija (1884-1968) had cared for Antanas in his old age, Antanas left the majority of his estate at Sebentiškis, a total of 120.38 hectares, to her. He left 39.49 hectares to his son Romanas (1883-1932).
Suosto parishioners honoured the memory of Antanas and his wife by erecting a new tombstone for him and Maria Joanna in August 2006.
References
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 52.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Juodytė, Genė. "Įvykių Apžvalga" (PDF) (in lietuvių). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-11-19. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 73.
- ↑ Jonas Krivickas . Šiauliai Boys' Gymnasiums-J. History of Janonis High School. Kaunas "Light", 1991 - P.9.
- ↑ Nakas, Algimantas (2000). "Petras Vileišis - žymus geležinkelių ir tiltų inžinierius". Mokslas ir Gyvenimas (in Lithuanian)
- ↑ Juodytė, Genė (29 March 2013). "Landsbergiai ir Pakruojo kraštas" (in Lithuanian). Šiaulių kraštas. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 From the list of the Nobility of the District of Panevėžys - 1882
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 47.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 53.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Vladas Požela. Jaunystės atsiminimai. New York, Amerikos lietuvių socialdemokratų s-ga, 1971 m.
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 62.
- ↑ Eidintas 2012, p. 167.
- ↑ Leinarte, Dalia (2017). The Lithuanian Family in its European Context, 1800-1914. Cham: Palgrave MacMillan. p. 11. ISBN 9783319510828. Search this book on
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 65.
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 58.
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 56.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Eidintas 2012, p. 19.
- ↑ Smetonienė B., Mirė Jadvyga Tūbelienė, Dirva, 1988 10 13, Nr. 39, p. 7.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Antano Smetonos ir Sofijos Chodakauskaitės santuoka 1904 m. rugpjūčio 14 d. Vilniaus Šv. Rapolo Rkb., LVIA, f. 604, ap. 20, b. 300, l. 476, Nr. 68.
- ↑ Gabrielė Petkevičaitė-Bitė's memoirs
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 66.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 97.
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 9.
- ↑ Jakubavičienė 2020, p. 206.
Sources
- Eidintas, Alfonsas (2012). Antanas Smetona ir jo aplinka (in lietuvių). Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. Search this book on
- Jakubavičienė, Ingrida (2020). Portretas (in lietuvių). Vilnius: Tyto alba. Search this book on
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